Quote
Ekern55
The numbers just to the left of ‘Blitz’ are terrible. 4,264 Yards after the catch. 4,155 yards through the air. Worst of all teams. The Rams gave up 8,419 yards when teams passed on them. That’s the most of all teams.
What does it matter if they blitzed a lot when they were the worst in pass defense considered in term of yards yielded?
because it is a problem but has to be taken into context.
The context is this:
The Fangio scheme prefers to not give up points versus yards. We may not like it
but that is the objective. Morris plays off-coverage more than most. The reason
(like it or not) is to prevent chunk plays in the seams and in general. If
a defense gives up an explosive play the odds of the opponent scoring a TD
goes up dramatically.
So, the Rams do give up a lot of passing yards but
Since Morris came Rams D is top 10 in NFL in fewest
points allowed.
Defensive passer rating 11th
3rd in fewest passing TDs allowed (prevent TDs not yards)
Total Defense 11th (includes the passing yards you mention)
Run defense is 4th in yards and yards per carry
Only 5 teams have allowed fewer touchdowns on defense than the Rams (preventing TDs not yards)
Now, how are those facts relevant to the current discussion?
There are some (not you, you brought up a fair point, worthy of discussion)
that are simply lying.
How they lie is by exaggerating how bad they think the defense is. The facts
are that since Morris got here the defense is a top 10 in most things and
top 5 in some and top 12 in others.
The defense is not 27th in points allowed or 29th in most total years
allowed or 30th in sacks and so on.
They
know the overall defense is not terrible a defense that is top 10
in fewest points allowed and just outside that in total yards and so on
is not terrible but they scream for Morris' head on a pike.
As I have said many times, there are things that bother me, I wanted
a 4-man base defense with multiple coverages. But we have this.
So, yes, Rams give up a lot of passing yards. And if you want to
discuss why despite the blitz rate is roughly the same in 2022
as 2021 as in 2020 but the pressure rate is down in 2022
I am more than willing. I have thoughts on that but they are
my own speculation.
So, to me bottom line is we all wish, I wish we had a dominant
defense. It's only a good defense, not great and it has had
failures, one was a bad one this week.
But anyone (and again, not talking about you) that says
the defense is terrible and that the man who is running
is an idiot or lacks smarts or stones is not honest.
They know the truth and won't admit it.
