this is the “stop thinking and start reacting” year of Gregg Williams’ defense. This will literally be the thing that takes them from upper-middle of the pack defense to top 5. Don’t even worry about what you saw in preseason, because it looks nothing like what they were doing towards the end of 2014. And pay extra close attention to the blitzes that are getting people all crazy (e.g., “he blitzes too much”). I went back and watched a few games last night, and his blitzes aren’t always intended to get any particular player(s) after the QB by creating numbers mismatches. A bunch of them are designed to blitz “into a formation” for one-on-one pass-rush opportunities without bringing free rushers (dropping into coverage post-snap). Getting those one-on-ones gives the 4 down linemen a huge upper hand, and this is the way he creates those one-on-ones.
===
RangerRam
the stuff donald does
back to back plays from last year
gaines gets credit for pass defeltion, but watch donald hit wilson on a short drop, he just whips that guard
then he makes nice tackle on next play
just sick
donald slaps the outside out then rips the inside guy to get sack
when donald in is the game, they do a shade and a 3-technique. donald is the 3 technique so he’s outside the guard. but rams are not a left- and right dt team like they were when langford and brockers were the starters. donald caused a change.
why don’t rams run the bear front much anymore, at least not i n preseason. since the rams didn’t show it in preseason, i don’t know where donald will line up in that. last time they used it was in seattle and then they had donald at 3-technique with either brockers or langford on the centers face-mask. i don’t think rams did it as much in 2014 as the previous two seasons and it will be interesting to see how much they use it tomorrow and where they line up. since they didn’t show it in preseason maybe they will unveil it tomorrow.
here is one of last times rams used the bear front, last year in seattle
long and donald are the 3-techniques.
donald does line up over the center when rams use the 3-2-dime. barron is essentially the 3rd lber and often blitzes when they do that.
i don’t know technical stuff, but i am even more excited than i was last year. maybe it’ll all end up being for nothing, but i haven’t been this excited in awhile.
second year under the same coordinator. that’s huge. that’s something they haven’t had under the fisher regime, and i’m hoping that is the difference. they’ve been inconsistent every year under fisher. but maybe this is the year it changes. guys are entering their prime years at the right time and at important positions. again. quinn and donald should be better than they were last year. ogletree. you read good things about him this year as opposed to last year when he showed up out of shape. and in the backfield, mcdonald to some played like the best safety in the league in the second half of the season if you believe those sabremetrics.
the one downside is losing gaines. i was really counting on him this year, but hopefully, joyner can emerge and offset at least some of that loss. long and laurinaitis are a year older. but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
i’m hoping this is the year the defense finally steps up and becomes great.