The Pleasant affect

[oldnotdead]

I watched the several plays on all 22 and this is a completely different defense. Pleasant has changed this defense as I hoped he would. No longer are the short zones left uncontested. With Pleasant everything is contested. I could see he's still learning who can do what but it worked. The coverage was tight for the most part. I think he was trying to use VanValkenburg and to a lesser extent Hoecht in WIL and SAM roles. IMO he's got the right concept just the wrong players.

I will give credit where it's due and there were some plays where Kendrick actually nailed the coverage. I think the problem right now is the safeties more than the CBs. Both Witherspoon and Kendrick played well on the outside. I think they really could have used Johnson back there instead of Yeast and Fuller. Fuller is a middle zone SS he struggles with his range when asked to play outside of his skillset. It's why I think by the end of the season it will be Lake playing that role. He's faster giving him better range. Too many times the safety was late, be it slow to read or lacking the range, either way Pleasant will have to clean it up.

The bottom line is that Aubrey's impact is all over this defense. He's got his secondary playing aggressively. As these guys get more experience the better they are going to be. By the end of the season this defense will be a strength not a weakness.

The front 6 needs to be simply played in a one gap penetration style. Do that and this will be a top 12 defense.

 

[OldSchool]

Oh absolutely! Pleasant came in and told Morris how to run his defense or else.

/s

 

[Memento]

It's "effect", and no, I don't believe that for a second.

 

[OntarioRam]

I have no idea of the cause but the defence was certainly much more aggressive last week than usual. I hope it continues. We have seen Morris dial up aggressive schemes before. But he always reverts back to playing soft coverage. Hopefully, not this time. There can be a time and a place for softer coverage. But it can't be your base mode.

 

[Merlin]

Raheem is gonna get that HC gig this year if this defense keeps playing like they did week one. I think Pleasant definitely has had an effect, and even though many here expected him to give the young secondary a boost the result was greater than I expected vs Seattle. They really played well vs one of the most talented wideout groups in the league.

Also I think Raheem is gonna do very well as a HC. Said this last season too and I still believe it. He's got the kind of leadership you want in a guy who is running a staff. And hopefully we can move Pleasant up to the DC role, as nowadays it is more important to know the back end cold vice the defensive front. But that's getting ahead of myself here of course.

IMO many of the soft coverages we saw last year were a result of Morris not trusting his DBs. We saw them go younger back there and now you got a full group all playing on one sheet of music and when that happens the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. I certainly have concerns and I certainly think we're gonna have some down days on defense in the games ahead. And SF is probably gonna be one of those games. But this young secondary has given me a lot of hope and I am very happy we have Pleasant back.

 

[AvengerRam]

Oh absolutely! Pleasant came in and told Morris how to run his defense or else.

/s

“Pleasant?”

“Forget it, he’s rolling!”

 

[ottoman89]

Pleasant has helped, but y'all keep underplaying the hiring if Jimmy Lake by McVay.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I don't believe that for a second.

Which part?

 

[jjab360]

I watched the several plays on all 22 and this is a completely different defense. Pleasant has changed this defense as I hoped he would. No longer are the short zones left uncontested. With Pleasant everything is contested. I could see he's still learning who can do what but it worked. The coverage was tight for the most part. I think he was trying to use VanValkenburg and to a lesser extent Hoecht in WIL and SAM roles. IMO he's got the right concept just the wrong players.

I will give credit where it's due and there were some plays where Kendrick actually nailed the coverage. I think the problem right now is the safeties more than the CBs. Both Witherspoon and Kendrick played well on the outside. I think they really could have used Johnson back there instead of Yeast and Fuller. Fuller is a middle zone SS he struggles with his range when asked to play outside of his skillset. It's why I think by the end of the season it will be Lake playing that role. He's faster giving him better range. Too many times the safety was late, be it slow to read or lacking the range, either way Pleasant will have to clean it up.

The bottom line is that Aubrey's impact is all over this defense. He's got his secondary playing aggressively. As these guys get more experience the better they are going to be. By the end of the season this defense will be a strength not a weakness.

The front 6 needs to be simply played in a one gap penetration style. Do that and this will be a top 12 defense.

If this game was our safeties being a "problem", I'll take that problem all year long thanks

 

[Tumak61]

Rams D were in some press man 1 at times. Definitely a more aggressive scheme this season.

 

[Merlin]

If this game was our safeties being a "problem", I'll take that problem all year long thanks

Yeah I don't feel like I need to rewatch the game to say our safeties had a good day. Fuller looks like he's back from his injury. Yeast looks disciplined as a pairing with him. Right now I have zero concerns with that group, other than health as per usual.

And having JJ on the depth chart is a nice piece of underrated quality IMO. Secondary looks good across the board too, as we haven't even seen Tomlinson out there as a regular yet.

This defense is gonna be about the defensive front and how well they can sustain vs physical teams. So if they can hold up vs SF we have ourselves a defense.

 

[dieterbrock]

Can we get a Mod edit for the title of this thread? Seems as though something like this is more appropriate:
"I was wrong about Morris, he knows what he's doing"

 

[AvengerRam]

Can we get a Mod edit for the title of this thread? Seems as though something like this is more appropriate:
"I was wrong about Morris, he knows what he's doing"

Some people just seem to disfavor people who HAV MORR.

 

[Classic Rams]

Short answer: I saw it as Morris being more aggressive because he trusts his player's abilities.

Shorter answer: Peek-a-boo!!

 

[hotanez]

Some people just seem to disfavor people who HAV MORR.

 

[Kupped]

Wait.. now we’re defending Morris?

I kid, I kid…

 

[dpjax]

Pleasant has helped, but y'all keep underplaying the hiring if Jimmy Lake by McVay.

Jim Lake Jr?

Jim Lake, Jr. (Character) - Comic Vine

Destiny is a gift. Some go their entire lives, living existences of quiet desperation, never learning the truth that what feels as though a burden pushing down upon our shoulders is actually a sense of purpose lifting us to greater heights. Never forget that fear is but the precursor of valor...

comicvine.gamespot.com

 

[Memento]

Which part?

About Aubrey Pleasant/Jimmy Lake/whomever forcing Morris to change his scheme. No, Morris has had that scheme, but hasn't had the pass-rushers, nor trust enough in the corners, to utilize it. Aaron Donald was it, and when he went down, everything went to hell. Ramsey - hell, the defensive backs as a whole - were struggling because there was simply no pass-rush once AD went down.

Now they have a group of solid pass-rushers. Hoecht may be out of position as an edge defender, but he's a hell of a pass-rusher. Murchison now has a full year within the system (and I still think he should play more than Jonah Williams). EB4 and BB3, while not blowing the competition out of the water, have gained the full trust of Morris. Even VanValkenburg has played a bit. And then they drafted Byron Young and Kobie Turner (along with Nick Hampton and Desjuan Johnson; yes, I still believe that they could play a huge role this year.). That alone means a great deal.

And now the younger corners and safeties have noticeably improved. Bringing in JJ3, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Duke Shelley were smart, savvy moves. Morris' trust in Durant and Kendrick has improved - and they've rewarded him - with the help of a solid, solid pass-rush. Their safety play has noticeably improved from last year; Yeast, Fuller, and Lake have been solid safeties (and one of the only two things I'd change is putting in Lake instead of Rozeboom, Reeder, or Hummel; he's got the toughness necessary to do so and the ability to make plays in coverage. The only other thing I'd change is putting Hoecht back on the defensive line, but I digress; Morris called an excellent game against Seattle.), so much so that JJ3 is still on the bench, and they added to this group with THT (a Thorpe Award winner, might I add; he's going to be amazing alongside Durant and Kendrick when he learns the playbook and stops committing penalties) and Jason Taylor II (who impressed me a ton in the preseason).

Morris did not play a prevent scheme. He played heavy zone because he had concerns about the younger corners adjusting, but most importantly, it failed because the pass rush simply wasn't there. If we add someone like Brian Burns during the trade deadline for a first and a second (which has become my hope; he'll only be twenty-five for the whole season, and he'll fit a young core of Young, Turner, Durant, and Jones very, very well.) and pay him, the pass-rush is only going to get better.

TL;DR: Morris did not have the warhorses at pass rush necessary to play his scheme last year. He does this year. That's why his scheme is better, not on any fault he has. Nobody forced him to change his scheme back to what we had in the playoffs; he just didn't have the pieces necessary.

 

[RamFanWA]

Morris has had that scheme, but hasn't had the pass-rushers, nor trust enough in the corners, to utilize it.

You say'n that J Ramsey, was free-lancing too much?
Even if you're not saying that - I believe that anyway!

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

It has been rather pleasant.