A few weeks ago after the Bears and Eagles really manhandled the OL, I wrote a post the Rams were soft.
While they do have a defense that is built for speed (what Ram player is "big" for their size on D? Not Suh, Brockers, Donald are all undersized, Fowler is not big, nor is Ekubam or Longacre, Littleton and Barron weigh about 225 each, Joyner is 180, Robey-Coleman is about 180, JJ43, Talib and Peters are tall, but an undersized D all around), so it is not a tenacious defense (they do not swarm or tackle properly enough for my taste), but not soft. Suh came to play Saturday night and had the biggest play on defense on the fourth down stop on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The offensive line?
Not soft.
We all know or read articles (like Vinny B.'s coverage) about McVay realizing he cannot throw the ball 40-45 times and have Goff be at a Brees/Brady level or dealing with the rush and different coverages with 40 career starts and just turning 24).
To hear what McVay said to the OL all week and watch the physical and surgical dominance of Whitworth, Saffold, Sullivan, Blythe and Havenstein was 70's era Rams OL.
So, I was wrong and so glad I was. The fire that burns in McVay is not just concepts and off the charts scheming, it is about old school, physical football.
They will need it again against a great opponent in the most hostile of environments. And, man I detest Payton and Michael Thomas and Mark Ingram.
These Rams, win or lose, are not soft.
