New Defense - Ongoing season discussion

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Merlin

Damn the torpedoes
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This - Shula who has never been a DC needed the preseason to sort out his starters.

McVay kind of screwed him over by not playing the starters a little bit in the preseason and mix and match players as well.

Like how would Speights do with Reeder beside him or Rozeboom beside him.

In preseasons past, McVay had two DCs who who had prior experience as a DC.

The other one who didn't took 4games before his defense started to rock. Plus he had Donald too. Maybe Shula's will too after a half a year. (Will take longer without the Donald effect.)
Yep. Sitting starters just because they're projected starters is an oversight. The starters you should sit are the ones you know are starters. The hopped-up depth types filling a role should play and compete in preseason. And I am confident, given how the other two played, that we'd have better offball linebacking now had that happened. Which wouldn't fix our current issues. But maybe we'd have another win due to a few key stops here and there during games.

Also and btw that affected the OL significantly. As it usually does. Keep saying one of McVay's greatest weaknesses is his offense never starts the season in its power curve. In our Super Bowl seasons, both times, our offense hit its stride midseason.
 

shovelpass

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https://www.matchquarters.com/p/nfl-weekly-data-download-week-4

How often, and how many the corners are in press
7a020e28-c144-44c1-9da0-7c5c0a30d427_1150x1134.jpeg


Rush rates. How often the rush 3, 4, 5, 6.
066fc111-122f-4278-bebd-ba5c68c35a2d_1206x1136.jpeg
 

Merlin

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Quality of your 4 man rush is what defines how good your pass rush is. This is the one area we are actually in very good shape going forward. Might end up with one of the best 4 man rush groups in this league by season's end. They're not there yet due to discipline in rush lanes IMO.

Sort the secondary and we are actually in decent shape because we'll be tough to score big points on.

Sort the offball linebacking and improve NT and maybe we see some reasonable improvement in getting to third and favorable for the defense.
 

shovelpass

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And the overall coverage calls. 35% Cover 3 isn't a problem for me or anything but more than one third our calls with Reeder and Rozeboom covering its underneath vulnerabilities, is irritating.

View attachment 67834
McVay seems to be set on keeping the same base scheme. You look at the Eagles (Fangio) and the Falcons (Morris/Lake) and they're all very similar. Evero and the Panthers are deviating a little but I have no clue about their defensive talent.

The obvious answer would be to replace them, but that's looking like a lost cause. With DWill possibly coming back and maybe even signing Ahkello to the activate roster they'd have enough DBs to play more dime. Move Lake into a dimebacker role. They did that some vs Chi. Of course that weakens an already poor run defense.
 

Merlin

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It's kind of crazy that the Vikings play that much dime defense. They're the #2 rushing defense in the league, though they might benefit from their offense scoring so much.
They certainly have benefitted from playing with the lead. In fact I think how they respond to playing from behind is needed to define them at this point.

Still looks like a deep playoff team to me but it is early.
 

Faceplant

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What's old is..... Old again.
 

So Ram

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That’s the thing about this DEFENSE!! They are still young all the way around & working on different play calls.

Like I’ve said all a long is Mcvay has to win these games with his Offense.When doesn’t make it on 4th down & or gives the ball up on the other side of the field.What do you expect.

IMO I Love what Shula is doing with The Rams Defense & get pissed at Ram Fans that don’t see it.I remember how some want it one way & then can’t take it another way.Make up your minds.

Solid post - thanks
 

So Ram

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Sure it was just preseason, but I really thought that Cory Durden looked pretty good and would be elevated by now.

Maybe this is just a practice squad spot.
I agree,but Johna was a solid starter for The Rams the last couple of years.I like the other kid as well from England ?
 

So Ram

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Sort of SAD Whiterspoon wasn’t brought in for Training Camp after the injuries!! T” White has been as BUST as well.

IMO Whiterspoon sort of SAVED The Rams in 2023!! St.Brown sort of abused him in the playoff game.