Thanks as always for the technical details - I really enjoy the X's and O's perspective. As I recall the Patriots redesigned their entire defense between the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl specifically to deploy aspects of the Fangio defense that countered the Rams offense in that Bears game. And that was the point of my OP - that the Fangio defense made life difficult for McVayby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
That's certainly one take. Here's another, from this article: What we saw from the Patriots on Sunday night was the best defensive performance we have ever seen in a Super Bowl. ... ... the win in Super Bowl LIII surpasses them in the pantheon of brilliant defensive game plans from Belichick, with credit also going to defensive coordinator and future Dolphins coach Brian Flores. So, how diby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
This is what I remember: From this article: LA Rams new DC Brandon Staley’s defense stumped McVay, so he hired him. LA Rams head coach Sean McVay knew exactly where to go for his new defensive coordinator. By selecting Vic Fangio protege Brandon Staley, McVay hopes to harness the defensive genius he struggled to defeat. The one defense he dreaded facing the most is that of Denver Broby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
The Rams scored 3 points in that SB. They averaged 33 points a game prior to that. IMO you have to look beyond play calling to account for the difference.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
McVay hired Staley in 2020 for one simple reason: the Fangio defense was the one that he had the hardest time game planning against so he figured why don't we run that defense and make it that hard on the teams we play? Remember that Bears game in 2018 where the Bears basically laid down the blueprint on how to counter McVay's offense? The Bears won 15-6 and teams tried to replicate what theby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Belichick needs 15 wins to pass Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history. Belichick will be 72 in April. My take: Belichick will find a HC gig where he thinks he can win at least 15 games in two years or he will stay unemployed.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
As I see it the Rams didn't have the resources (draft picks and cap space) to address every need for the 2023 season. My thinking is if they plugged the hole at edge the team simply would have had a hole someplace. The plan for 2023 as I saw it was to do what they could with what they had and simply lay the foundation for 2024 and beyond. To me they did that in spades and the fact that theby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
A couple things. First, the Rams are not stuck with Higbee's contract. They can cut him today and save $304,778 against the 2024 cap. Or they can cut him today and call it a post-June 1 transaction and save $4.5M against this year's cap (while carrying around $4.2M in dead money in 2025). If they don't want Higs anymore they don't have to keep him because of his contract. Second, if theby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Skowronek's value is apparently on special teams. He's a Pro Bowl alternate in that capacity this year.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
That's a good point. If Rodgers didn't orchestrate that trade to the Jets Love might ridden the pine in 2023 and then left the Packers as a free agent this year. Anyone think the Packers would have picked up Love's 5th year option in May, 2023 for $22.5M if Rodgers was still their QB? Yeah, me neither. So without that trade, Love would have languished on the bench for 4 years and all thby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Two things come quickly to mind: First, of all the positions that might be in play at 19 - LT, Edge, WR, CB, QB - the QB is the only one who won't help the Rams win a Super Bowl in the next 2 (or possibly 3) years. I get the Jordan Love angle, but Love was inactive every game his rookie year and only got 1 start in years 2 & 3 combined. It wasn't until year 4 that Love did anything and Iby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Suppose Dotson does sign a 5 year deal that puts him in the top 5. Where will he be on the list after year 3? After year 4? Even if only three or four guys pass him a year he'll be 15th or 20th. So look at the current list. Isaac Seumalo, Pittsburgh Steelers, is currently 18th on the list and averages $8 million a year, way less tab half of what the top guys make. Sign Dotson to aby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Upgrading the OL?!? That's got my vote!by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Rushing defense and RZ defense aren't really related to each other, as evidenced by the Lions. Otherwise they wouldn't be 2nd in one category and 27th in the other. A team like the Lions were stout against the run and still ended up 27th in RZ defense. Is it because their opponents scored a lot of RZ TDs thru the air? Seems like a good strategy to me: Why try to run against the #2 run defenby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Well if KDot is getting offers in the $17M-$18M range and the Rams want to keep him they should offer him a 4 year deal in that range. 4 years, $70M, for example, averages $17.5M a year. The big advantage to doing that is that the tag carries a $19.925M cap hit in 2024. A 4 year deal that averages $17.5M a year can be structured so his cap hit in 2024 is less than $10M. That being said,by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
The projected tag for OL next year is $19,925,000. There is no distinction made among the various OL positions so the tag for a LT is the same as the tag for a LG, C, RG, or RT. I find that weird because they separate safety and cornerback, they separate DT and DE, they separate TE and WR ... but they put all OL in the same bucket.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Well, here's my take. There are 7 teams with better TD percentages in the red zone than the Rams. I would bet a ton of money that they all did better against teams with lousy red zone defense than they did against teams with great red zone defense. In fact, I'll take that a step further. Without even checking I believe that every team in the league does better in the red zone against teamby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
What jumped out at me was how few of those characteristics show up in a player's Relative Athletic Score. I read a number of articles a while ago describing how the Rams were trying to draft players who's physical characteristics (height, weight, etc.) and abilities (40 time, shuttle drill, long jump, etc.) lined up with the best of the best at their position over the last 30 or 40 years. Herby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
That would have been fun. Looking forward to next year, though.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
The schedules are set years in advance and any difference in strength of schedule is luck of the draw. Looking ahead to the 2036 Rams schedule: -SF twice, SEA twice, and ARI twice -host GB, MIN, NYJ, and NE -travel to DET, CHI, BUF, and MIA -three games against the same-place-finishers from the NFC East, NFC South, and AFC West The Cowboys 2036 schedule: -PHI twice, NYG twice, and Wby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
I should remember to read the responses before I post: classic ready, fire, aim on my part ...by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
The Rams were 8th in the NFL in TD percentage in the red zone. . That just squeaks into the top quartile, certainly room for improvement, but already better than 75% of the league.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
I'm with you. A lot has been made of McCarthy winning 12 games in each of the last 3 seasons, but on today's episode of Get Up on ESPN, Orlovsky pointed out that over the last 3 seasons the Cowboys are only 13-15 against teams with a winning record. In addition it was pointed out that against winning teams the Cowboys gave up 29 points a game this season (which is 30th in the league).by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
QuoteRam_Ruler Love him so MLB but I wonder if we could use a Jeremiah Trotter Jr type next to him that can fly to the ball and cover more. According to this article "... the Rams’ base defense has been a 3-3-5 which is your standard nickel package". The takeaway is the the Rams' base defense only needs 1 ILB. Also from that same article: "In 2021 and 2022, they lined up inby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
It'll be interesting to see what the Saints do this year. What I did was just an exercise to see how hard it would be for the Saints to get under the 2024 cap; I'm sure they will end up with a plan that is far less damaging to their future caps.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
The Saints are likely going to have to trade a player or two in order to begin to get their cap in shape. If the Rams can benefit from the Saint's woes I am all in.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
Quote3030 Better question: what happened to Cobie Durant? Plays for the Rams and hasn't done anything of note.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
QuoteStafford9 I have always liked taking a QB in the first and having him sit. I am with you on that but I have a different perspective on timing. With any luck the Rams are on the verge of another run at the SB. I hope that run is successful, but whether it is or not the Rams will at some point go thru another rebuild/remodel (or whatever you want to call it). It would be my preference tby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
QuoteStafford9 Green Bay is the best example of taking a QB and having him sit for years.. I posted this yesterday in a different thread yesterday but it works hers, too; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the argument against following that GB model. GB drafted Love in 2020. Love made the team but was inactive forby AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com
This piqued my interest so I took a look. Not only are the Saints $82M over the cap in 2024, they are also $38.7M over the cap in 2025! Any move the Saints make to restructure anyone's contract will make their 2025 situation even worse. But they will have to restructure some deals to comply with the 2024 cap and then go thru this again next year. Derek Carr's cap hit in '24 is $35.7M.by AlbaNY_Ram - RamsFootballFans.com