Will the defense improve in 2015?

Herzog wrote:

I expect the defense to be much improved In the second year of Greg Williams system.

My friend, I would suggest that we HOPE for 2nd year improvement. But it’s probably foolish to EXPECT it.

I’ve heard it so many, many times over the years. “EXPECT improvement in the 2nd year of …” whatever. And rarely does the 2nd year fail to disappointment.

MAYBE, G W leads the defense to prominence in his 2nd year.

But I tell you what, he’d better fix a lot of problems in his own approach to defense to get there. I have serious problems with his performance last year as a coach, and I will personally be surprised if we don’t see the same fluctuations of productivity next year that we saw this year. I just hope that they level off some and the troughs rise higher than the old ones.

Herzog wrote:

So you think it’s more of a coaching issue? I personally feel like he has a couple of blind spots, but I am not nearly knowledgable enough in NFL schemes to back that statement up.
Last year I really thought it was the younger players not always doing what they were suppose to. But the last few games made me think it was more than that.

I do think it was coaching. Obviously, that’s a matter of interpretation, and I am in the minority on this point here on this board. Not sure I know of anyone who shares my view.

I felt that Williams’ schemes were frequently unsound, and it cost us. I thought …

He deployed the front 7 in unsound ways that left us vulnerable to the running game and …

He negated our pass rush by playing the DBs off the WRs and conceding way too much underneath

I would also suggest that our defense was not that young. Our youngest contributors were Donald, who dominated, and Gaines, who played very soundly all year. Most of the rest of these guys had been here. We actually had quite a few true vets. Our run D sucked much of the time, and this was under the leadership of J L, who cannot by any stretch be called young.

And this is my real point. Whether or not the problem was Williams, the caution is to NEVER assume that a unit or a player will automatically improve in a 2nd year. Expectations of improvement are so easy to make–“Look for X to get better in a 2nd or 3rd year,” a ubiquitous fan/pundit cliche–but so rarely actually play out.

We ALL expect the defense to improve last year as young players matured under the leadership of a veteran coach. It didn’t happen until the season was effectively over.

Beware of expectations until there is abundant evidence of an ESTABLISHED player, unit, or team. And even then it ain’t no sure thing!

Sorry, just playing out my role as the board curmudgeon.

Herzog wrote:

It always seemed to me like his scheme was a “steal from Peter to pay Paul” type scheme.

I could be wrong though.. I just don’t know.

I think that’s a great way to put it.

And I always contrast his scheme with the AZ DC. That guy blitzes as much or more, but his defenses are always soundly deployed! I dunno enough about defense to analyze the difference, but to me it’s pretty clearly there.

Yet that Super Bowl defense was not highly rated. (If memory serves)
It is possible that today’s NFL might have passed him by a little.
The best defensive coordinator in Fishers tenure with the Rams so far has been no defensive coordinator (or I guess you can say Fisher himself)

well. they’ve switched coordinators every year since fisher has been head coach.

this year will represent the first year that they’ve had the same coordinator. i think that makes a difference.

i think the following also has to happen.

alec ogletree has to stay in shape. he’s got to be on top of it. he reported to camp out of shape and it showed. once he worked himself back into playing shape, his play predictably improved.

they have to figure out what they want out of michael brockers. he lost 20 pounds prior to the 2014 season, and i believe his play suffered for it. get him back to his ideal playing weight.

they have to find another corner to replace jenkins. i think what laram said is true. the guy gambles too much. getting a corner in the draft would be good. maybe they get waynes or kevin johnson.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by InvaderRam.