https://cowboyszone.com/threads/scouting-the-rams.426077/
Scouting the Rams
So, I watched a lot of Rams games last night (both Seattle, second Arizona, Detroit, Philly, Chicago, Green Bay, New Orleans). Here's what I think:
1) Their offense really goes as Gurley goes.
He's their only special player. Cooks is good, so is Woods, so is their Oline, so is Goff, so is Reynolds. They have good players elsewhere but nobody that really scares you. If Gurley is limited, this is a huge plus for us.
2) As much as McVeigh gets credit for being a genius, by the end I thought his offense was very predictable. They run the same play action play over and over. Same jet sweep over and over (and they hand it on the sweep a lot). Same inside zone run. The whole thing is misdirection. Don't fall for the eye candy. Do not bite on play action cause this play action into a deep-in route is their best play.
3) The offense plays horizontal. Yes, they throw the ball down the field on play action, but even those plays are not outside the numbers. They always hit guys running horizontal to the line. Lots of square-ins, drags, and dig routes. In fact,Goff seems shaky on passes outside the numbers.
He will throw a quick out, or a mid level out only on roll outs. But he rarely throws deep outside the numbers, and when he does, it's usually inaccurate. The middle of the field is absolutely key. It may be because their receivers are so small, they can't win outside. So play inside leverage like we usually do.
4) Goff is quite inaccurate when pressured. His mechanics get bad. Also, he will turn the ball over. Did in every game I watched, and most games had a couple more near-turnovers. Pressure him, or even just cover well on the play action, and he forces stuff, throws stuff up. I can see getting at least two turnovers off him in a high pressure game.
5) They do not like and are not very good at moving the ball in small chunks all the way down the field. Goff gets impatient. They expect junk plays, and that is behind why he ends up throwing picks it seems. Bend but don't break will break them.
6) Their D is pretty bad. Their linebackers are trash. Once you get past the Dline, the running game feasts. Zeke could really go off. Their secondary is also pretty bad. Safeties don't like to tackle. Their corners get toasted regularly. Peters is awful now. Must be the most overrated player in the league. in every game, he gets toasted and then throws up his hands in this whiny, loser sort of way.
He tries to jump routes so any double move burns him. Like every time. In general, their body language and hustle on defense is poor. They don't run to the ball like we do. They don't seem like they believe in themselves. They certainly look like they play for a paycheck more than for the love. Their Defense is all about the Dline. It's the only good part. Block Donald, and you win this game. Maybe easily.
7) Seemed like their special teams allowed some long returns in about half those games.
All-in-all, I expected to come out of this impressed and scared of their offense. It's scary, but not better than New Orleans and very Gurley-dependent. If he is limited, I think we can hold them to 20. If not, we probably need to score 28 to 31 to win.
They have been much worse the last 5-6 games, too, than they were earlier in the year. probably bc teams are figuring out the coach. like I said, I don't see genius -- I see a guy who has a few plays that work and goes to those same plays over and over.
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I wonder if we are going to handle Gurley's presence in the passing game similarly to how we handled Kamara/Ingram.
Using the nickel corner in that match-up instead of a linebacker was stupid effective.
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I wouldn't worry about the dump offs too much. Every time Goff is forced to dump off, the chances that he forces a bad pass go up. He gets frustrated pretty easily.
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If you can stop gurley you can stop them
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Dallas has to make sure Donald plays on his side of the line of scrimmage. If he is in the backfield all night the Cowboys offense will struggle. I am concerned Su'a-Filo will struggle with Donald's quickness - if he plays.
I recall the last time the Cowboys played the Rams the game was close in the first half - until Sean Lee go hurt. After that, the Rams offense scored every time they got the ball and Gurley killed us. That was when Jaylon Smith was not fully recovered and he was inexperienced. Now, with LVE and Smith playing at such a high level, I expect them to make Gurley earn his yards.
Goff had a great game the last time they played but I agree they need to pressure him into mistakes and force him to make bad decisions. This is a game Dallas can win but its going to take their A game to do it on the road.
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Dallas needs to sell out to stop the run and bring lots of blitzes to get Goff rattled. They blitzed the hell out of Wilson and it worked perfectly. I hadn't seen that much blitzing since the NO game. We rattled both Brees and Wilson. We can do it to Goff too.
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Their offense hasn't been the same since Cooper Kupp got hurt. Josh Reynolds is a decent No. 3 WR. But Kupp knew how to find the open areas and Goff trusted him. With Kupp out, Gurley not 100% and their awful run defense, I like our chances.
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Great write up. But to read it. It seems you are describing a 3-13 team, not a 13-3 team. As we know it is a 13-3 team.
Still a scary team.
I think too many fans are penciling in it as a win, and some are using ink.
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Tough game to be sure but I think we're pretty evenly matched, despite the records. Rams' flawed defense and immobile QB are going to cost them at some point, could be this Saturday.
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Stars are aligning.
No reason at all we can’t beat this team.
Run the ball and go hit Goff.
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They will likely put up 20 at least. It's just not this scary, greatest-show-on-turf type team I expected.
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Thankfully they don't have a decent tight end, or run zone-reads, which have been big weaknesses for us.
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Yeah, and it seems like one of our weaknesses has been the deep ball on the sidelines. Chido and Byron have both been beat on close ones on those plays. I didn't see the Rams make any of those.
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It's going to be as tough and probably tougher than last week. Rams have had 2 weeks to prep and get healthy. On the other side, they will hopefully start a little rusty from going full speed.
On D, their going to line the box like the Hags did to stop Zeke. We have to mix the run/pass with proper execution (no penalties) and move the chains. Keep Gurley off the field and keep him turned inside from those off tackle plays they run.
Just hope the refs let us play.
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The Rams are a very good football team and we are going on the road.
They deserve the point spread in their favor.
But we have faced better WR corps this year and held up: ATL/TB
I don't know that we've faced an offense quite this good aside from New Orleans.
And the Rams DL is outstanding but they really fall off on the 2nd and 3rd levels.
DAL has a shot at that's about all you can ask for given a 3-5 start that ensured road games at this point in the playoffs.
DAL has won 8 of 9 and is arguably the hottest team in the NFC.
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Just curious - since a lot of analysts paint the Seahawks as a near mirror image of the Cowboys, what did the Rams do well to beat them this year?
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Surprisingly, both games were kinda shoot outs. In both, neither team could stop the run. Gurley gashed them, and the Seahawks ran well too. Wilson made crucial turnovers in both games, and both games came down to the final drive, with Seattle having a chance.
One thing I should have said is -- WE MUST WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE. If we give them easy opportunities, it will turn into a shoot out. That's what happened with Seattle. Good news is, as I mentioned, Goff will give us a chance to get our hands on the ball. I was surprised how careless he can be at times
