Quote
merlin
I'm curious what you attribute that to. I attribute it to an inordinate number of boots and McVay knowing they can't hold up and scheming accordingly. What did you see?

Count the bootlegs in that 2nd whiner game for example. It's crazy. And what will happen when teams adjust to that and these guys need to pass block?

Only thing that can save us, IMO, is a great run game.

A combination of things.

1. Talented but inexperienced players getting over a rough start and coalescing better as a unit.

2. Scheme was part of it but then that didn't work in some games in the 2nd half of 2018 or in the first 9 games of 2019. For example if it were JUST bootlegs then why didn't McVay start doing that in late 2018 when he had several games where the OL was overmatched. Besides it wasn't even just bootlegs in the late SF game because in the 2nd half SF adjusted to that. Rams adjusted to the adjustment and were driving on them in the 4th quarter. Defense lost that game.

So to me the main thing was the players. They had drafted to rebuild the OL in 2020 and injuries forced them to start early. The players settled in and they were solid.

In terms of the pass, compare Goff in the first 5 games of 2019 with the last 5 (and I attribute the difference to a more settled OL):

first 5: 4 fumbles (3 lost), 63% completions, 7 TDs & 3.1% TD percentage, 7 INTs & 3.1% INT percentage, avg. qb rating 85.94
last 5: 0 fumbles (0 lost), 66.2% completions, 11 TDs & 5.09% TD percentage, 4 INTs &1.85% INT percentage, avg. qb rating 98.6:

It's not stellar but not bad for an OL starting 3 inexperienced injury replacements, which ought to be (and usually is) the kiss of death.



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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2020 10:00AM by zn.