Vinny B: On the Rams personnel groupings, oline, Littleton and more

[theathletic.com]

Five observations from the Rams’ win: Jared Goff’s uneven day and personnel-group shifting



CHARLOTTE — As first games go, there weren’t any unusual takeaways from the Rams’ win against the Carolina Panthers. The Rams did some good things and some bad things. They were crisp in some areas, sloppy in others. The offense showed promise but it remains a work in progress as Jared Goff and teammates play into a better rhythm.

In other words it seemed fairly predictable, given how NFL teams lean more and more against playing their starters during the preseason, which creates an adjustment period for the speed and intensity of regular-season football.

It’s something that can’t be replicated. It’s just has to be pushed through naturally, in real time.

Here are some of my thoughts after Week 1.

No blame game from Goff
Goff, in particular, looked a bit off while completing 23 of 39 passes for 186 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

“I thought there were a lot of good things and a lot of bad things,” Goff said. “I think your first game of the year, similar to every year, you come out and you think you know what to expect but kind of really don’t know until you get out there and go through a few series and that was no different (against Carolina). It did take us a minute to get rolling but I thought we did it.

“A few times we got in a good rhythm and began to start going. It felt like we were about to turn that corner and put the game away and never really did. I think that interception kind of put us back a little bit. It was a lot of good things and I think ultimately whenever you come on the road, especially a one o’clock start on the East Coast and come away with a win, you take it any way that you can get it.”

As far as not playing in the preseason, and the possible contribution to the Rams’ sluggish start offensively, Goff isn’t exactly buying it.

“I think regardless of you playing in the preseason or not, first games are different,” Goff said. “The different speeds, a different tempo. I think if we had or if we hadn’t (played in the preseason), we would have to come out and kind of catch our rhythm anyway. I think it does take those few series and being able to kind of see what they are doing, like I said, and settle in.”

That said, there were some useful takeaways to dig into beyond Goff’s individual performance. Among them, the progression of an offensive line breaking in two new starters, young players having to step up in challenging situations and the subtle differences in how the Rams might attack opponents offensively.

A shift in scheme?
There is no getting around the fact that the Rams looked different on offense, in terms of how their personnel groupings looked and how they went about attacking the Panthers’ defense.

For a team that utilized the “11” personnel grouping — one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers — on more than 90 percent of its snaps last season, that is worth noting.

The Rams had 77 offensive snaps Sunday, and they utilized 11 personnel 55 times — or roughly 71 percent of the time. That is a noticeable drop, obviously, and you wonder if that is the new norm.

Their next most-used grouping was 10 personnel, in which the tight end is replaced by a fourth receiver. The Rams utilized that set 12 times.

It’s no surprise, though, that the Rams enjoyed their greatest success out of 11 personnel, given their history with it. Of the Rams’ 349 yards, 302 were accumulated in that look — 160 in the air and 142 on the ground. They averaged 5.4 yards per play in that grouping.

They were far less successful in 10 personnel, with just 12 yards passing and 10 yards rushing for an average of 1.8 yards per play.

The Rams also used 12 personnel — one running back and two tight ends — five times, and gained 24 yards.

But while the success rates clearly indicate how much better — and comfortable — the Rams are in 11 personnel, it’s important that they continue to be flexible and diversified. As we saw late last year when teams like the Bears, Lions and Patriots showed how to slow the Rams’ bread-and-butter look down, it’s imperative the Rams don’t become victims of their tendencies and predictability. And while there might be some growing pains in non-11-personnel formations, it’s critical the Rams stick with it, because it likely will pay off over the course of the season.

Littleton continues to shine
On the way out of the Rams’ locker room, I spotted linebackers coach Joe Barry, whose group — which he oversees with assistant Chris Shula — accounted for 24 tackles, three sacks and an interception.

“Not a bad day for your crew,” I said.

“Not bad at all,” he replied, before quickly adding, “but we can get better.”

No doubt, but it certainly was a decent start for the Rams’ linebackers, specifically Cory Littleton, the Rams’ emerging inside backer. He was all over the field on with a team-high 14 tackles — eight solo — plus an interception and a forced (and recovered) fumble. Of all the Rams’ young players not locked up on long-term contracts, Littleton is a top priority to extend with a new deal.

And he showed exactly why against the Panthers.

“Just great athleticism. A guy that can really compete,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Defend in the run. Defend in the pass. He’s always active and he made a big pick for us in a crunch-time situation that ended up being a big play for us to ultimately win that game.”

Littleton was happy with the win but hardly satisfied.

“If anything I think we started off a little slow,” he said. “We could be a lot better. Not saying we didn’t play a great game today. Throughout the season we plan on doing just that, getting better and stacking wins"

Solid beginning for offensive line
The Rams broke in two new starters on the offensive line in left guard Joe Noteboom and center Brian Allen, both of whom are in their second seasons.

The Rams surrendered only one sack — although even Goff conceded that probably was his own fault — but more importantly they opened holes in the run game to allow Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown to run for a combined 150 yards on 25 carries. Not bad, given the physicality and talent of the Panthers’ defense and starting the year in a loud atmosphere on the road.

Allen and Noteboom deserve credit for the smooth transition, and in doing so they allowed the line to get better as the game went on.

“I thought it was great,” right guard Austin Blythe. said “We’ve had tons and tons of practice time, especially against our defense, so (we’ve been) getting the communication, knowing how guys play, the combinations the talk and communication. But it is good to get out there and do it and now we have something to build on.”

Rapp’s big moment
It’s been long expected that rookie safety Taylor Rapp would get on the field early in his Rams career, given how good and comfortable he looked throughout camp and the preseason. It was no surprise, then, when he got on the field in some sub-package looks in the first quarter of the season opener.

Not expected was the head injury suffered by starting safety Eric Weddle in the second quarter, which sidelined him the remainder of the game. It meant Rapp assuming a much bigger role than expected along with fellow safety reserve Marqui Christian. Rapp was more than prepared to handle it.

Rapp responded with a big game, notching six tackles while helping to contain Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who Rapp was often paired against in run support and pass coverage.

Rapp’s ability to play all over the field and his toughness and open-field tackling ability make him a perfect backup for now and a budding starting standout for the future. And just as impressive as his play on Sunday is how he didn’t even blink when pressed into more extensive duty.

“Yeah, Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian both stepped up in a big way,” McVay said. “When you lose somebody like Eric, with what he means to our team – the communication, some of those things – it can be deflating but I thought our guys did a great job handling it. Certainly, you’re never going to be able to replace an Eric Weddle, but I thought, you know, in the midst of a little bit of adversity, which inevitably you’re going to face throughout the course of a season, our guys handled that pretty well.”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2019 02:37PM by Speed_Kills.