Offense wins Championships

[Merlin]

I remember with Chuck Knox’s first stint with the Rams in SoCal, that he would NEVER go for it on 4th down and it would drive me insane. Oh, it was a custom in the defense oriented NFL to not go for it on 4th down, so Knox wasn’t the only HC that did it that way. I think the biggest reason that this isn’t a “defense win championships” league anymore, however, is the protection of the QB rules. Handing the ball off to RB’s was the best way to ”matriculate down the field, boys!” It was also the safest way when Deacon Jones, Lawrence Taylor, etc were coming after QB’s doing a 7 step drop or working the shotgun.

The run game still matters. It's still critical. The difference IMO is teams are more varied in what they do with personnel packages.

If you took our old offense with Dickerson and put it in today's NFL they'd run all over people for a few weeks then defenses would tool to stop that with their looks.

This was what McVay was alluding to IMO when he wanted to be more varied on defense back when he moved on from Wade and hired Staley.

 

[Loyal]

The run game still matters. It's still critical. The difference IMO is teams are more varied in what they do with personnel packages.

If you took our old offense with Dickerson and put it in today's NFL they'd run all over people for a few weeks then defenses would tool to stop that with their looks.

This was what McVay was alluding to IMO when he wanted to be more varied on defense back when he moved on from Wade and hired Staley.

I don’t know about that. We also had the best Oline in Rams history in the 80’s. Only the 85 Bears could stop us...

 

[Merlin]

I don’t know about that. We also had the best Oline in Rams history in the 80’s. Only the 85 Bears could stop us...

We didn't have the QB. Defense also wasn't good enough in some of those years. Margin of error was way too small but there might be an alternate dimension where a couple more guys made plays and we beat the Bears in '85. We just don't get to live in that reality.

 

[Merlin]

Here's an example of the shit we're seeing in this era by defenses. Which, btw, is understandable given how fucked they get by the rules. But still it's shitty.

Corbett on this play (early in the first half) is assisting Blythe in getting control of the nose. But the NT holds him and prevents him from sealing the seam by getting in 51's way. Refs miss a ton of these in every game and it's done against our scheme routinely.

Now a couple things that would limit that a bit... A better Center who can threaten the NT is one way of limiting it because he's not gonna be able to focus on the assisting lineman if the Center can move him. That's how you get pancaked and have coaches calling you out on film review day. Second thing is better fundamentals by Corbett where he lands a hand on the NT's armpit so that he can slow him enough for the Center while still being far enough out to get around him and execute his assignment.

This run went for 8 yards but if Corbett gets that seal block on 51 Akers takes it to the house. Explosive play not made right there.

 

[Mojo Ram]

You need an elite QB that can be decently protected and a great defense and a HC who knows what he's doing. Fill in the blanks elsewhere, pretty much. You certainly don't need to press for an elite WR, TE and RB.

If i'm GM that's my blueprint.

 

[“Turbo set!”]

Great defenses win championships (1985 Bears, 2000 Ravens, 2015 Broncos). Good defenses don't do much against great offenses. The Rams this season are proof of that.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Good defenses don't do much against great offenses. The Rams this season are proof of that.

Explain.

 

[GoodBadUgly]

..Margin of error was way too small but there might be an alternate dimension where a couple more guys made plays and we beat the Bears in '85...

I have to look up details of that game. I remember it being a tight game and then a bad call right around halftime completely changed things.

F that Fridge!

 

[dieterbrock]

Great defenses win championships (1985 Bears, 2000 Ravens, 2015 Broncos). Good defenses don't do much against great offenses. The Rams this season are proof of that.

85 Bears were also #2 in scoring that year, near 29 ppg
Amazing they never came close to a SB again after that

 

[IowaRam]

Rams finished 19th in the Red Zone

they went from 64% in '19

to 57% in '20