Staley's defense last year played Cover 3 35% of the time, they were in a split safety look 45% of the time. That makes up for 80% of the defensive plays. So where is the remaining 20%? This is where personnel issues and Morris himself differ from last year.
The Rams ran Quarter-Quarter-Halves almost 19% of the time. Typically this was in an obvious passing situation, most likely 3rd down. Combining this with a 5-0 or 5-1 front. It forced single blocks across the board - 5 vs 5. The Rams under Staley where in the top 10 in blitz percentage on 3rd down. The thing with q-q-h or cover 6 is that it basically put Ramsey in a press man position alone on his island, which is great, and the JJ3 & Fuller combo where making plays and were getting themselves into position to make plays.
Fast forward to this year, and I am seeing some cover 6 from Morris, but not at near the rate Staley ran it. That might be a Morris issue, but I have seen Rapp and Reeder just slow to react in this coverage and its typically the slant stuff. JJ3 was a monster against that. Rapp, not so much.
Example: 3rd and 5 in the 1st qtr of the packers game. 4-2 front, cover 6, Ramsey up on Adams. WRs opposite side all get matched up, Rams don't blitz Reeder or Jones, they hardly move. Adams runs a tight slant, Ramsey for whatever reason had outside leverage, which Im assuming gave Rodgers and Adams the slant route call. Reeder is late to slide in to stop the slant and 1st down. Now who is at fault? Ramsey for outside leverage with no inside help? Reeder for not giving Ramsey inside help, Morris for blowing the call, or Fuller for not communicating the proper play call/coverage. Tough to say.
Edit after thinking about it: Ramsey is in man coverage for everything except a quick slant, which becomes the LBers issue I believe. I am not 100% sure on that, but if I am right, Reeder was the issue again.
Later on in that drive, 3rd and 10, rams rush 5, pressure collapses the pocket, Rams were in a split safety matchup zone with a ton of coverage. Adams was open against Ramsey, but Rodgers had to rush the throw, threw deep and missed. There the coverage was fine, the cushions that Morris played was dumb, but it worked.
Then in the beginning of the 2nd, that long seam route the Rams gave up on 3rd and 4, Rams rushed 4 (if they rush 5 I think they get there) Deayton was slow to slide to his WR, as he slides out, WR slants in, Deayton is on skates and Rapp takes a horrible angle. Almost housed it right there. Is that a blown call by Morris? I doubt it. Was it a bad play by Deayton and Rapp? Absolutely. Should Morris have sent 5? Yes.
So it looks like I'm blaming the players more than the coach. But later in the 2nd, 3rd and 5 from the 11? Rams rush 5, play cover 3. Rodgers throws off his back foot into double coverage and a stop.
Morris needs to blitz more. I think he also needs to run a bit more of that cover 6 or quarter-quarter-half defense and let Ramsey work.
This year if Morris would run a cover 6 with a 5-0 or 5-1 front, it allows AD, Floyd and Miller all single blocks and Ramsey to play his press man he likes. It literally puts the Rams top 4 players in the best position to make plays.
If Morris is trying to cover up personnel issues (see Rapp, Taylor and Reeder Troy) then this defense is what we will see the rest of the way. Which isn't awful, but it has holes.
BTW that swing pass to Cobb late in the 2nd was Reeder taking a few false steps covering a TE already covered and way to slow to recover. Not a Morris issue.
Start of 3rd quarter, 2nd and 14 - cover 2, rush 5 (blown coverage) long completion. Nice cover 2 with corners up on 3rd and 2 causes an incompletion. They go on 4th and 2, rush 5. No one wins, Reeder is covering no one (so if he is in a matchup zone like Youngblood says) and the TE catches an easy 1st down. Either Reeder or Morris blew that one. Guessing Reeder again. 2nd and goal right after that and Reeder covering no one again lets Jones catch a RB slant and dive into the endzone.
So there is plenty of personnel issues to go around, but Morris needs to fugure out how to cover up for Reeder better, or get him off the field and get Jones up and running. Not every defense has 11 good players, won't happen, every D has a weak link. Its up to the DC to mask or make up for the weak link. Thats the issue I have with Morris.
TLDR - Morris is running a Staley defense, from majority cover 2 with some cover 3 and even cover 6, but I don't think he is blitzing enough, and probably isn't using the cover 6 as often (which is why you see the frustration coming from Ramsey) I have no numbers to verify this. Its the eye test. I also think Morris is going to have to do a better job of hiding or protecting Reeder and Rapp because every OC in the NFL can see the Rams weak spot if an idiot like myself can.
Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok
