Has the light finally turned on for the defense?

This topic has 18 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by zn.

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November 3, 2014 at 6:33 am #11057

nittany ram
Moderator

The last couple weeks the front seven has really gotten after the QB. After 1 sack in the first 5 games they’ve notched 14 in the last two games. Even Ogletree played well yesterday. He seemed active and had a beautiful pass break-up (that might have ‘robbed’ Roberson of a pick six, but no matter…). They kept Kapernick in the pocket where he is least effective. The defensive backfield is playing about as well as you could hope for considering it consists of a bunch of rookies at corner and second year men at safety. Heck, the weakest link back there was the grizzled 3 year vet Trumaine Johnson in his first game back from injury.

People might look at yesterday’s performance and say that Greg Williams finally came up a great gameplan. However, it’s probably more of a case that his defense was finally able to execute his gameplan. Maybe they are finally starting to get it.

November 3, 2014 at 7:52 am #11058

Dak
Participant

It seemed to me that the D-line had more time to get to the QB in this game. Kaepernick held the ball longer than other QBs who faced the Rams this season. So, to me, the entire defense must have played better, from the young secondary to the LBs to the D-line. E.J. Gaines some really good pass defenses, too. The run defense also set up the pass D. San Francisco could not just shove the ball down the Rams’ throats, so they had to pass to win.

I just thought it was a great defensive team win.

November 3, 2014 at 8:15 am #11064

Winnbrad
Participant

I don’t know. I think Kap is still a “one read and run” QB. I don’t know if he’s smart enough to ever be more than that. I think he really struggles with reads.

Either way, the Rams got pressure. It worked. They pressured the QB and they stopped the run.

November 3, 2014 at 9:21 am #11068

zn
Moderator

Winnbrad wrote:

Kap is still a “one read and run” QB.

It’s funny isn’t it that Alex Smith is programmed to perform well against the Rams D and Kap isn’t.

November 3, 2014 at 9:53 am #11074

Winnbrad
Participant

zn wrote:

Winnbrad wrote:
Kap is still a “one read and run” QB.

It’s funny isn’t it that Alex Smith is programmed to perform well against the Rams D and Kap isn’t.

LOL! Oh I don’t know. I know I like that movie.

Kap did well the first time against this D, then looked like crap, yesterday.

I didn’t think Alex Smith would shred this D the way he did, but sometimes this D looks like they have no idea what they’re doing.

And I still don’t like all of the blitzing.

I’m just picky.

November 3, 2014 at 5:55 pm #11116

rfl
Participant

You know, on reflection, the defense was not perhaps as dominant as it might appear.

The pass rush was back. Amen, brothers!

And, we did not allow perimeter runs for once. That’s good.

Other than that, I dunno.

Gore hurt us up the middle a lot.

And the pass defense was decent, but not enough to hold a good offense to 10 points. The Whiners made a lot of unforced errors in key places.

And, once again, the defense couldn’t get a stop down the stretch to secure a game. I mean, seriously. Dumb penalties. The ball on the goal line.

Yeah, we got the last stop. By a football miracle. With a lot of foolish failure by SF.

I don’t want to be ungracious. Yes, the defense raised its game. And it was faced with a game in which the offense was completely inept. Surely, the D won the game. And it’s reasonable to think that it can build on this WON game and raise its level further.

Yet, it is not the case that the D went out there and dominated and locked down a win. It played well, and got really, really lucky.

By virtue of the absurd ...

November 3, 2014 at 6:46 pm #11122

InvaderRam
Moderator

just want to point out one thing. the niners only touchdown scored was in the second quarter off an interception thrown by davis in which the niners started out at the rams’ 35 yard line.

of course, that last drive the niners marched down and the rams benefited from a horrible kaepernick mistake.

then again. the rams defense was robbed of a defensive touchdown when the refs erroneously ruled a dead ball on a niners fumble.

this niners offense isn’t a world beater. i’m much more curious to see how much they’ve grown when they face the broncos in a couple weeks.

November 3, 2014 at 8:05 pm #11129

21Dog
Participant

InvaderRam wrote:

just want to point out one thing. the niners only touchdown scored was in the second quarter off an interception thrown by davis in which the niners started out at the rams’ 35 yard line.

of course, that last drive the niners marched down and the rams benefited from a horrible kaepernick mistake.

then again. the rams defense was robbed of a defensive touchdown when the refs erroneously ruled a dead ball on a niners fumble.

this niners offense isn’t a world beater. i’m much more curious to see how much they’ve grown when they face the broncos in a couple weeks.

49er offense made one trip to the red zone yesterday and that was on the final drive.

Ram defense did a complete turnaround from that Monday Night second half debacle.

November 3, 2014 at 11:16 pm #11152

nittany ram
Moderator

rfl wrote:

You know, on reflection, the defense was not perhaps as dominant as it might appear.

The pass rush was back. Amen, brothers!

And, we did not allow perimeter runs for once. That’s good.

Other than that, I dunno.

Gore hurt us up the middle a lot.

And the pass defense was decent, but not enough to hold a good offense to 10 points. The Whiners made a lot of unforced errors in key places.

And, once again, the defense couldn’t get a stop down the stretch to secure a game. I mean, seriously. Dumb penalties. The ball on the goal line.

Yeah, we got the last stop. By a football miracle. With a lot of foolish failure by SF.

I don’t want to be ungracious. Yes, the defense raised its game. And it was faced with a game in which the offense was completely inept. Surely, the D won the game. And it’s reasonable to think that it can build on this WON game and raise its level further.

Yet, it is not the case that the D went out there and dominated and locked down a win. It played well, and got really, really lucky.

I think the frustration of another lost season after things looked so promising in the offseason has made you a little hypercritical, RFL. I feel your pain. But Gore had only 49 yards on 14 carries (3.5 yds per carry) with a long of 11. He was pretty ineffectual. The Rams shut him down.

November 4, 2014 at 8:55 am #11166

InvaderRam
Moderator

yes. this is definitely something the rams can build on. huge confidence booster.

November 4, 2014 at 12:24 pm #11175

TrenchRam
Participant

I’ve been really frustrated with and critical of this D, but I think that you have to give them credit for that game. Gore was not a factor, the young secondary played as well as you could hope for, and the pass rush was ferocious. The final drive was upsetting. Folding when the game is on the line – even when they’ve been dominating to that point – does seem to haunt them repeatedly, and I it was excruciating to see it again Sunday. RFL’s right that when the game was on the line, only a SF mistake saved the game, but aside from that it looked like an entirely different unit.

November 4, 2014 at 1:31 pm #11181

JackPMiller
Participant

It is only one game. If they can do it consistently, who knows. Lets see how they do at Arizona nextweek, and at home against Denver in 2 weeks.

November 4, 2014 at 2:57 pm #11192

Herzog
Participant

Just Arizona and Denver….no big deal….

Can’t believe how hard this schedule is

November 9, 2014 at 10:55 am #11471

zn
Moderator

JackPMiller wrote:

It is only one game. If they can do it consistently, who knows. Lets see how they do at Arizona nextweek, and at home against Denver in 2 weeks.

Clock is ticking.

Did the D finally click, or, is this just the most wildly inconsistent Rams team, like, ever.

November 9, 2014 at 11:50 am #11478

wv
Participant

TrenchRam wrote:

I’ve been really frustrated with and critical of this D, but I think that you have to give them credit for that game. Gore was not a factor, the young secondary played as well as you could hope for, and the pass rush was ferocious. The final drive was upsetting. Folding when the game is on the line – even when they’ve been dominating to that point – does seem to haunt them repeatedly, and I it was excruciating to see it again Sunday. RFL’s right that when the game was on the line, only a SF mistake saved the game, but aside from that it looked like an entirely different unit.

Well, i think he’s right and wrong.
Cause what i see out of the Rams D
is a continuous display of good plays
(not just ‘ok’ plays, but ‘good’)
followed by bonehead-awful plays.

And that is a different animal
than a defense that just constantly
gets outmuscled or outplayed
play after play.

The D is not ‘just’ ‘bad’.
Its good ‘and’ bad.
Its weird.

Unfortunately it amounts to the same
thing in the short term — losses.

There’s hope for the longterm though.
I think.

w
v

November 9, 2014 at 12:05 pm #11480

Winnbrad
Participant

zn wrote:

Did the D finally click, or, is this just the most wildly inconsistent Rams team, like, ever.

I’m going with, “wildly inconsistent”.

November 9, 2014 at 12:08 pm #11481

Winnbrad
Participant

wv wrote:

Well, i think he’s right and wrong.
Cause what i see out of the Rams D
is a continuous display of good plays
(not just ‘ok’ plays, but ‘good’)
followed by bonehead-awful plays.

And that is a different animal
than a defense that just constantly
gets outmuscled or outplayed
play after play.

The D is not ‘just’ ‘bad’.
Its good ‘and’ bad.
Its weird.

Unfortunately it amounts to the same
thing in the short term — losses.

There’s hope for the longterm though.
I think.

w
v

Yeah. Agreed. This D has “potential”. Maybe even enough to be a top D.

Sigh… I don’t know. The O has to help, though. No turnovers, no penalties. This D can’t handle being on the field a lot. 3 and outs on the O really hurt’em. It’s only a matter of time, every single game, before the D has a collapse or two.

Let’s see what happens today.

November 9, 2014 at 8:54 pm #11513

cgsuddeath
Participant

Yes.

November 11, 2014 at 4:02 am #11586

zn
Moderator

Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot…cle_8e30d4f4-39e8-5d7e-8aac-956a7f1f1b2d.html

Ogletree played one of his better games of the season against the Cardinals, sharing the team lead in tackles with 12. including six solos, to go along the interception and 44-yard return. He also had two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a quarterback hit.

That is from a general “post-mortem on the Arz game” article.

That’s quite a turnaround from being the goat in the Seattle game. An interception, 2 pass-break-ups, and a fumble. Plus he was part of a defense that held Arz to 28 yards rushing on 22 carries.
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