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Will Rams DBs press the issue vs. Cleveland?
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4cc2d42b-4596-5b2c-990a-56fb95edd740.html
Predating even the arrival of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams last season, the sight of Rams cornerbacks playing off coverage on opposing receivers in recent years has frequently driven fans and observers crazy.
The reasoning for the strategy is obvious. With a young secondary, the idea is to keep the play in front of you to avoid the big strike, the quick 60- or 70-yard touchdown pass.
But the more skilled and savvy quarterbacks around the NFL have been able to exploit the soft coverage by simply playing pitch and catch underneath and methodically picking the defense apart.
With that background in mind, it was eye-opening to see the Rams come out Oct. 11 at Lambeau Field and play press coverage against mighty Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Not on every play, mind you, but on the vast majority of plays there was Janoris Jenkins right in Ty Montgomery’s face at the line of scrimmage, or Lamarcus Joyner doing the same with Randall Cobb, or Trumaine Johnson getting face time with James Jones.
They were all trying to contest a free release off the line and disrupt the rhythm of the pass play.
“It worked a lot,” Jenkins said. “We took away some guys that we wanted to take away. Me and Tru, we had to hold up the outside by ourselves. And I feel like we did a pretty good job of that.”
“We were pretty successful,” Joyner said. “We looked at the film and thought that we could have success doing it, so we went with it.”
The Rams had seen enough of Rodgers on film, and in person in recent years, to know that if they sat back in coverage he would dissect them underneath. It would be a slow, painful death.
Coach Jeff Fisher liked what he saw of the press coverage in Green Bay.
“Yes, with the exception of two plays,” Fisher said. “But when you’re playing Aaron, he’s gonna find somebody. We had a slip, and then we had a technique error on the pick (play).”
Joyner slipped in coverage against Jones, with the result being a 65-yard touchdown catch and run. The technique error that Fisher referred to came when Johnson lost inside position, leaving Montgomery free on a 31-yard TD catch.
But those were the only two offensive TDs for Green Bay that day, and most opponents will take that against the Packers’ high-powered offense. Rodgers committed three turnovers and just about every pass he threw was contested.
“That was our philosophy, to go in and challenge them,” Fisher said. “Make them hold the football knowing that the risk, the down side of that, is that once (Rodgers) recognizes that ... then he can escape.”
Press coverage can leave mobile quarterbacks with plenty of running room if the QB can escape the pocket. Rodgers ended up leading the Packers in rushing that day, but as Fisher pointed out: “I’d probably rather have Aaron running the football than throwing it.”
The even bigger down side, as evidenced in Green Bay, is that if the receiver escapes press coverage, it can lead to a big play if there’s no help from behind.
“You see how deep we play our safeties?” Williams said. “Deeper than anybody in the National Football League. That’s Rodney (McLeod)’s job and that’s T.J. (McDonald)’s job, whoever it is depending on our press alignments.
“When you press and when you’re very physical with press, you’ve got to have an ‘angel’ back there in the secondary. We call it the angel. The angel player has got to be out there to help you out.”
More specifically, the angel is the deep safety help, usually McLeod at free safety. McLeod took a bad angel, uh, angle, on the Jones TD; otherwise he might have been able to tackle Jones after a moderate gain. For the most part, Williams said McLeod has done “a phenomenal job” of playing the angel.
In a copycat league, Williams said other Packers opponents may try more press coverage given the Rams’ relative success. In fact, he indicated that was the case from San Diego, which played Green Bay last week while the Rams were on their bye.
What about Rams opponents, starting with Cleveland on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome? Should they expect more press from the Rams?
“Yeah, absolutely,” Browns quarterback Josh McCown said. “I think we’ll see press. I think it was effective for them, so we absolutely expect them to press. ... We’ll have our hands full with that and what’s expected of us as far as that goes, and trying to get guys open and how disruptive it can be in the passing game.”
Cleveland’s top three wideouts are all smaller, quicker players, so it may be more difficult for Rams cornerbacks to get their hands on them. Travis Benjamin, Andrew Hawkins, and Taylor Gabriel range in height from 5 feet 7 to 5-10 and in weight from 167 pounds to 180. But if you do get your hands on such smaller receivers, you can easily knock them off their routes.
But there’s no guarantee the Rams will stick with the heavy dose of press coverage. That’s because Williams’ game plans tend to change from week to week, from opponent to opponent.
“We pick and choose our times to (play press),” Williams said. “But we’re going to press parts of all ballgames, but some games more than others.”
Ask a cornerback, however, and almost invariably they’ll vote for press coverage.
“That’s what I love,” Jenkins said. “I like zone every now and then, but I like (press) man-to-man because I don’t like to play off that much. That’s just a pitch and catch as you look at the game.
“I hope we play it a whole lot. But at the same time, you’ve got to play within the scheme and stay within the defense. So whatever they call, I’m gonna be ready.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4cc2d42b-4596-5b2c-990a-56fb95edd740.html
Predating even the arrival of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams last season, the sight of Rams cornerbacks playing off coverage on opposing receivers in recent years has frequently driven fans and observers crazy.
The reasoning for the strategy is obvious. With a young secondary, the idea is to keep the play in front of you to avoid the big strike, the quick 60- or 70-yard touchdown pass.
But the more skilled and savvy quarterbacks around the NFL have been able to exploit the soft coverage by simply playing pitch and catch underneath and methodically picking the defense apart.
With that background in mind, it was eye-opening to see the Rams come out Oct. 11 at Lambeau Field and play press coverage against mighty Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Not on every play, mind you, but on the vast majority of plays there was Janoris Jenkins right in Ty Montgomery’s face at the line of scrimmage, or Lamarcus Joyner doing the same with Randall Cobb, or Trumaine Johnson getting face time with James Jones.
They were all trying to contest a free release off the line and disrupt the rhythm of the pass play.
“It worked a lot,” Jenkins said. “We took away some guys that we wanted to take away. Me and Tru, we had to hold up the outside by ourselves. And I feel like we did a pretty good job of that.”
“We were pretty successful,” Joyner said. “We looked at the film and thought that we could have success doing it, so we went with it.”
The Rams had seen enough of Rodgers on film, and in person in recent years, to know that if they sat back in coverage he would dissect them underneath. It would be a slow, painful death.
Coach Jeff Fisher liked what he saw of the press coverage in Green Bay.
“Yes, with the exception of two plays,” Fisher said. “But when you’re playing Aaron, he’s gonna find somebody. We had a slip, and then we had a technique error on the pick (play).”
Joyner slipped in coverage against Jones, with the result being a 65-yard touchdown catch and run. The technique error that Fisher referred to came when Johnson lost inside position, leaving Montgomery free on a 31-yard TD catch.
But those were the only two offensive TDs for Green Bay that day, and most opponents will take that against the Packers’ high-powered offense. Rodgers committed three turnovers and just about every pass he threw was contested.
“That was our philosophy, to go in and challenge them,” Fisher said. “Make them hold the football knowing that the risk, the down side of that, is that once (Rodgers) recognizes that ... then he can escape.”
Press coverage can leave mobile quarterbacks with plenty of running room if the QB can escape the pocket. Rodgers ended up leading the Packers in rushing that day, but as Fisher pointed out: “I’d probably rather have Aaron running the football than throwing it.”
The even bigger down side, as evidenced in Green Bay, is that if the receiver escapes press coverage, it can lead to a big play if there’s no help from behind.
“You see how deep we play our safeties?” Williams said. “Deeper than anybody in the National Football League. That’s Rodney (McLeod)’s job and that’s T.J. (McDonald)’s job, whoever it is depending on our press alignments.
“When you press and when you’re very physical with press, you’ve got to have an ‘angel’ back there in the secondary. We call it the angel. The angel player has got to be out there to help you out.”
More specifically, the angel is the deep safety help, usually McLeod at free safety. McLeod took a bad angel, uh, angle, on the Jones TD; otherwise he might have been able to tackle Jones after a moderate gain. For the most part, Williams said McLeod has done “a phenomenal job” of playing the angel.
In a copycat league, Williams said other Packers opponents may try more press coverage given the Rams’ relative success. In fact, he indicated that was the case from San Diego, which played Green Bay last week while the Rams were on their bye.
What about Rams opponents, starting with Cleveland on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome? Should they expect more press from the Rams?
“Yeah, absolutely,” Browns quarterback Josh McCown said. “I think we’ll see press. I think it was effective for them, so we absolutely expect them to press. ... We’ll have our hands full with that and what’s expected of us as far as that goes, and trying to get guys open and how disruptive it can be in the passing game.”
Cleveland’s top three wideouts are all smaller, quicker players, so it may be more difficult for Rams cornerbacks to get their hands on them. Travis Benjamin, Andrew Hawkins, and Taylor Gabriel range in height from 5 feet 7 to 5-10 and in weight from 167 pounds to 180. But if you do get your hands on such smaller receivers, you can easily knock them off their routes.
But there’s no guarantee the Rams will stick with the heavy dose of press coverage. That’s because Williams’ game plans tend to change from week to week, from opponent to opponent.
“We pick and choose our times to (play press),” Williams said. “But we’re going to press parts of all ballgames, but some games more than others.”
Ask a cornerback, however, and almost invariably they’ll vote for press coverage.
“That’s what I love,” Jenkins said. “I like zone every now and then, but I like (press) man-to-man because I don’t like to play off that much. That’s just a pitch and catch as you look at the game.
“I hope we play it a whole lot. But at the same time, you’ve got to play within the scheme and stay within the defense. So whatever they call, I’m gonna be ready.”
