New Defense - Ongoing season discussion

[Ellard80]

People get all hot and bothered by linebacker play.

However I think in todays NFL - our holes in the secondary are a bigger issue.

 

[Tano]

Isn't that why Kinchens was drafted?

Kinchens may get better but right now he is really raw.

But I do have high hopes for him still.

 

[Psycho_X]

Kinchens may get better but right now he is really raw.

But I do have high hopes for him still.

He is very raw. Spends a lot of time thinking still and it gets him burned at times. Same was seen from Speights this game on the long Jonnu almost touchdown. Play happened right in front of his face and he should have laid him out but instead Jonnu ran right past him. Also, wtf was Rozeboom doing on this play, trying to cop a feel? Two promising rookies but need more experience in pass defense.

View: https://x.com/JoeRobbie_/status/1856356237731934580

 

[Allen2McVay]

After the Dolphins' opening drive, which of course counts, Miami had less than 170 total yards on 48 plays for about 3.6 yards-per-play over nine meaningful possessions (not counting its final drive) ... which is terrific.

 

[Tano]

He is very raw. Spends a lot of time thinking still and it gets him burned at times. Same was seen from Speights this game on the long Jonnu almost touchdown. Play happened right in front of his face and he should have laid him out but instead Jonnu ran right past him. Also, wtf was Rozeboom doing on this play, trying to cop a feel? Two promising rookies but need more experience in pass defense.

View: https://x.com/JoeRobbie_/status/1856356237731934580

That was the play that really pissed me off the most last night.

I was so pissed at Rozeboom missing that tackle. And Speights took such a bad angle on that play. Great run defender though.

As an aside, Rozeboom played really well otherwise.

But that one play just bugged the crap out of me.

 

[Tano]

After the Dolphins' opening drive, which of course counts, Miami had less than 170 total yards on 48 plays for about 3.6 yards-per-play over nine meaningful possessions (not counting its final drive) ... which is terrific.

But we kept giving up points in the second half.

If we held them to a punt on just one series, we still had a chance to tie the game up at the end.

 

[OldSchool]

But we kept giving up points in the second half.

If we held them to a punt on just one series, we still had a chance to tie the game up at the end.

Turnovers and the offense kicking field goals, and missing the one. The offense gave them 3 short fields.

 

[Allen2McVay]

But we kept giving up points in the second half.

If we held them to a punt on just one series, we still had a chance to tie the game up at the end.

OK. Defense gave-up 13 points in the second-half on three drives of 53 yards (TD after a missed 57-yard FGA), 51 yards (FG) and 39 yards (FG). I was very pleased with the Defense.

In my opinion, the Rams lost on Monday Night because their offense was Hot Garbage; and that's the Unit (with almost all the salary cap allocation) that was supposed to lead the 2024 Team.

 

[Merlin]

While I agree I'm not sure they'll add one of those or if they even want that type of player.

Haven't looked at the stats of late but generally most teams seem to be in Cover 3 around 30% of the time. And when we're in that call we have nobody who can play deep. Curl doesn't look to have those instincts. Neither does Kinchens though he is of course a rook.

JJ is probably the only guy who is decent in that regard and I'm not sure that's the case vs some wideout groups.

 

[Merlin]

Again I don't think safety is something that would hold us back from having a top defense, assuming we get a good corner added. But just like with ILB it's one of those positions where a top end defense would have someone who can do it well in that call, otherwise you run the risk of that killing you late in the playoffs vs the best opponents.

 

[Tano]

OK. Defense gave-up 13 points in the second-half on three drives of 53 yards (TD after a missed 57-yard FGA), 51 yards (FG) and 39 yards (FG). I was very pleased with the Defense.

In my opinion, the Rams lost on Monday Night because their offense was Hot Garbage; and that's the Unit (with almost all the salary cap allocation) that was supposed to lead the 2024 Team.

The TD - I will give you that. However, that missed tackle grumble grumble grumble.

But, they still drove down the field starting at the 30 yard line on the other two drives to get into position to kick those field goals.

Just holding them on one of those two series and it's a completely different ball game at the end.

But don't get me wrong - the defense did a good job yesterday. Just damn - if they held once in the second half.

 

[OldSchool]

Haven't looked at the stats of late but generally most teams seem to be in Cover 3 around 30% of the time. And when we're in that call we have nobody who can play deep. Curl doesn't look to have those instincts. Neither does Kinchens though he is of course a rook.

JJ is probably the only guy who is decent in that regard and I'm not sure that's the case vs some wideout groups.

I'm not arguing with you on the setup or anything. I just am not sure they want a true center fielder type safety. Who was the last one we even had? Joyner? Who probably played more in the slot IIRC?

 

[kurtfaulk]

Turnovers and the offense kicking field goals, and missing the one. The offense gave them 3 short fields.

Exactly.

The defense played well enough to win the game.

The offense played well enough to lose the game.

.

 

[InfiniteRam]

I will say this - Shula is running some really exotic coverage looks at times to cover the deficiencies in the secondary. I wasn't sold at first, but Shula appears to be one bad talented mf'er. He's doing absolute wonders with this young defense, and I see players improving weekly.

 

[Merlin]

I'm not arguing with you on the setup or anything. I just am not sure they want a true center fielder type safety. Who was the last one we even had? Joyner? Who probably played more in the slot IIRC?

Joyner was a slot, don't think they trusted him to play single high.

Last time we had it good at safety with consistent single high play was probably with the JJ and Fuller pairing under Staley. He did a lot of games with them, sending one into the box post snap quite a bit.

Anyway would not surprise me if they prioritized it but I do think it is behind other things as a need. Corner is definitely top need. That second tier is safety, DL, ILB. To my eye at least.

 

[OldSchool]

Joyner was a slot, don't think they trusted him to play single high.

Last time we had it good at safety with consistent single high play was probably with the JJ and Fuller pairing under Staley. He did a lot of games with them, sending one into the box post snap quite a bit.

Anyway would not surprise me if they prioritized it but I do think it is behind other things as a need. Corner is definitely top need. That second tier is safety, DL, ILB. To my eye at least.

He was a safety that played in the slot as well. Johnson and Fuller are prime examples of what I'm saying they were both box safeties moved around to play both that and a more free safety position. Who other than Joyner, who yes as we both said was played in the slot, was drafted or signed in free agency as a free safety type not a box safety played in both roles. I honestly other than Joyner cannot think of one for a very long time. Rodney McLeod? He played FS for the Rams and later moved into more a box strong safety type.

 

[Merlin]

McCleod could hit boy. But yeah I always saw him as a box safety who ended up playing deep.

 

[Psycho_X]

View: https://x.com/bgrisakTST/status/1857054630607298646

 

[Psycho_X]

View: https://youtu.be/k-BerQkT-Qw?si=eUaPGZaC_H0yvvXC

 

[DzRams]

He was a safety that played in the slot as well. Johnson and Fuller are prime examples of what I'm saying they were both box safeties moved around to play both that and a more free safety position. Who other than Joyner, who yes as we both said was played in the slot, was drafted or signed in free agency as a free safety type not a box safety played in both roles. I honestly other than Joyner cannot think of one for a very long time. Rodney McLeod? He played FS for the Rams and later moved into more a box strong safety type.

Fuller was a box safety. But I'd say that Johnson had the skillset to be both even coming out of college. I wouldn't call him a box safety.