https://www.fieldgulls.com/2017/10/...ffense-jared-goff-sean-mcvay-seahawks-preview
Sam’s Film Room: How worried should the Seahawks be about Todd Gurley and the Rams
by SamuelRGold
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=KydvDT_ZWeg
I wanted to do a quick breakdown of
Todd Gurley’s longest play from the LA Rams’ win over the
Dallas Cowboys. In this video, I explained how Gurley was used on a passing play that resulted in a long 53-yard touchdown.
It’s clear that new head coach Sean McVay is turning around the Rams offense by playing to their strengths, using guys like
Tavon Austin in misdirection and Gurley in the passing game; So far this season, Gurley has collected almost 600 total yards (362 passing, 234 rushing).
While Seattle struggled to consistently stop
Carlos Hyde and
DeMarco Murray from breaking a big play, they played very well against
Frank Gore and the
Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. This level of preparation will be extra important versus a team like the Rams, who love using motions and window dressings to trick an opposing defense.
I would strongly consider using the
Denver Broncos’ approach and how they shut down the run versus the Dallas Cowboys. The Broncos loaded the box with an extra defender and essentially forced
Dak Prescott to beat them through the air and while this is certainly aggressive, I think the Seahawks secondary can beat the LA offense using this approach, especially with their recently discovered
pass rush via
Sheldon Richardson.
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Big plays
Are what concern me most in this game. I can see Gurley being shut down most them game with 1-2 yard runs, but then busting a couple of big ones like we saw against the Titans and the 49ers. Hopefully the Seahawks offense can put up some points and force Goff to try and keep up throwing.
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To my eye, we've allowed big plays
this year when the defense has been trying to make big plays in order to try and make up for offensive deficiencies. That is why I’m still not concerned about the run defense. When they’ve simply been filling lanes and playing assignment football they have completely been shutting down opposing rushers.
Its when they start trying to just block or over pursue that they’ve gotten gashed. If (and it is a big if) the offense can get something going in the first 30 minutes of the game, then the defense can just play Seahawk football.
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To add to this
i’d say some of the big plays had as much to do with issues beyond the front 7 and taking poor routes to the ball and playing lazy assignment/gap football.
If our secondary and to some extent outside linebackers play a bit tighter than they have in pursuit it’ll cut down on some of those 8-12 yards gains going for 40.
As you said, when they are playing that sound fundamental game they’ve just stuffed teams. Gurley is going to get his a few times, just avoid playing poor technique.
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I don't know about the Seahawks...
but I’m worried every week! Expecting a slow start, three-and-out from the offense, the defense fighting against time of possession, how will our OL hold against a well-known Rams DL???? I do agree, I think if we aggressively shut down Gurley and the run, we force Goff to beat us through the air…
it may be risky, but that’s a solid game plan if our pass rush can stay fresh enough to put constant pressure, hits, and hurries on Goff. My fear are the one or two big plays where we are either exhausted or just a mental error and missed assignment.
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McVay is not Fisher
I expect them to come out really aggressive and take a lot of chances in the passing game early. That crowd in LA is going to be insane and if we go down by a TD or two early the game could easily get out of control.
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I would actually love it
if they try to gash us through the air early, if there is one area I think we’ve played great in its our corner play and seeing Earl be Earl.
Their TE Higbee worries me a bit though, capable receiving threat and Kam hasnt looked fully Kam like in coverage this year.
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Yeah i think that strategy could backfire on them as well
But it’s just not in McVay’s personality to play a conservative game. Obviously the key is if the DL alone can put pressure on Goff because I guess he has been really good against the blitz so far this year. I’m hoping the defense can get a quick turnover but we will see.
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To McVay's credit
if you put up points with that strategy it works well. You get the opposing offense off balance early and then use your best weapon (Gurley) in really land blows as the game goes on.
Im interested to see Goff against out pressure, he hasnt really seen a great rush yet and if our rush cant get pressure on him we are in trouble. Even with Avril out we should be able to create hurries/hits with Clark-Richardson-Reed-Bennett with Naz and depth rotating in.
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This crowd is going to be insane?
I mean, yeah, I have a feeling it will fill up a lot more this coming Sunday, but that’s because Hawk fans travel well.
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I'm really looking forward to this game
This game is so huge for both our teams..If you think back a ways..I might have felt like you when you played the packers..and Russel wilson threw that questionable Td pass that beat them that night..
That game said..You were for real.You as a seahawk fan already knew..But nobody else did..until then..
I have no idea how this game will turn out..but I feel good about our chances..There will be no Fisher black magic involved this time..
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The Rams will
score, and break a couple of plays,but if we can limit them or restrict the effects, we should be OK. Our offense can ill afford to struggle early on against the Rams. This looks to be the best team we will have played so far, and the rams always play us tough and ugly. If they can ugly this game up again we will lose.
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Austin is still not really a WR, but Watkins is a great talent, and that Kupp kid seems to be one of those guys who always finds the hole in the defense. He seems like someone who will be irritating me for years.
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Austin is one of those players where the less you need him, the more effective he actually is.
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Nice column, until you got to the last part.
Goff is the one our Seattle defense has to be most concerned with. Notice that running back Gurley has more receiving yards than rushing, a rare situation. He was never a volume receiver before.
The difference is Goff, who threw for about a million yards at Cal, and most plays called by the coaches were passes. Other teams load up with extra DB’s, which didn’t help much. Cal never went far because their defense was the worst in the Pac 12.
The Hawks will need to gameplan for the pass, and are one of the few teams that plays consistently great pass defense. Let Gurley get some yards on the ground if necessary- he’s good, but not all that dangerous.
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Add me to the list of less than terrified
of Goff at this point. His coach helps him in terms of the style of offense they run (Fisher just sucks) but he’s still not faced even a decent secondary outside of the Redskins game where he looked meh.
Seattle should gameplan for the pass, but Goff really hasnt been tested much this year. To his credit, he did what you should against those teams and settled into this system nicely. But this really will be the first time this year he goes up against a team that makes throwing it deep tough, and I havent seen him be able to consistently beat teams with tons of intermediate throws on target and on time.
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None of my above comments
are calling him bad, im just not going to jump on the bandwagon when he’s really just putting up good numbers against the worst secondaries he’ll face.
The offense is much better and the Rams are a legit team, but im not yet calling Goff a QB you worry about game planning against.
I get why Rams fans are excited, who wouldnt be. Maybe Goff will do against us what he did against Dallas and the Colts, but thats a big step.
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Agreed, and I'm more worried about Gurley as a receiver than on the ground.
I could see McVay going pass-heavy and using delayed runs out of that to do a lot of damage. But Hawks pass coverage on the back 7 is, to me, simply better than Goff, especially if Griffin is starting over Lane. Wilhoite can be exploited, but if the Rams are going to expect to win by passing their way down the field multiple times then they’ve decided on the hard way. I feel some picks coming up.
The confidence of the Seattle D has to be riding high after last week, and I see them coming in with something to prove about the division. Honestly, I’m more worried about how Seattle’s offense matches up than the defense.
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81 53 38
Gurleys yardage total the 3 times he has faced Seattle in his career. Yes, let’s be totally scared of him
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We should be worried about having our nickel safety fall down and turn an 18-yard pass into a 53-yard score, yeah.
From the formation and the D, that pass is going to be completed, but Gurley should have been tackled by the third level and did nothing on his own really except not fall down or get lost. And the defensive formation to allow zone there on the RB coming out was damned bad, of course he’s going to slot a crease and be open.
And that characterizes the Rams potentials against us. There will completions into the second level against zone. Hawks D can be had for those, and McVay clearly schemes for those. It’s what happens after ten yards and in the red zone that separates the Hawks from the mawks.