You all know this. Number one is you can't turn the ball over and the Rams did early in the game on the special teams. Muffed punt and fumbled kick return that set up early points for Atlanta. This set the Falcons up with a gift 13 points that essentially was the difference in the game.
Secondly the most glaring deficiency in this game was the offense's inability to move the ball early in the game. 3, 3 and outs and then some 3 and outs in the 3rd quarter is not going to win you ball games.
Simply put, the offense failed to do its job. Atlanta's defense did their job and their secondary is darn good.
Falcons shut down Gurley and they took away the screens.
Just like the Vikings game, McVay failed to adjust his play calling to any significant degree to counter what the Falcons were doing on defense. In many ways what the Falcons did on defense was an exact copy of what the Vikings did and even to another degree what the Eagles did on defense against the Rams.
Strategy and where they attacked was very much the same.
As for the defense I thought the defense played well. The Falcons running game had some success later in the game but they were never a huge factor. The drive at the start of the 3rd quarter was perhaps when the Falcons running game had its shining moment as they put together a great ball control drive that ate up most of the 3rd quarter. For the Rams to answer that with a 3 and out when they got the ball was just a killer for the Rams.
The big play to Sanu was the nail in the coffin. You can't allow that type of play to happen and it demonstrated why I am not a big fan of Lamarcus Joyner at safety.
Again the defense played well but could have been better and I think Wade Phillips was limited in what he could do strategy wise and frankly the Rams need to upgrade in all areas of that defense personnel wise.
On offense, the Rams have no deep passing game. It showed last night and Sammy Watkins better not be hoping for any huge pay days from other teams because he is just average as a number one. But, seriously as an offense their deep passing game is well below average. Can anyone remember any deep shots in this game by the Rams other then maybe one or two? The medium passing game was nothing to write home about.
Rams need more production out of their passing game in big games like this. Falcons had it but not the Rams.
So, simply put the Rams were out played and out coached in this game and one can only hope that McVay learns from it.
Grits
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2018 03:20AM by GreatRamNTheSky.
