Byron Young & Kobie Turner representing 💪 https://t.co/rEMGqTgrNO

— Los Angeles Rams UK (@LARams_UK) October 18, 2023

Jonah Williams is one of the more underrated defensive linemen in the NFL this season.

Tied for 16th in "run stops" via PFF. Not sure why teams keeping running it at Williams, but he just keeps making plays when they do. pic.twitter.com/Tb6xcyZ5cM

— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) October 17, 2023

Zooey wrote:

Billy_T wrote:

Williams and Hoecht were good UDFA signings. But they’re misusing Hoecht. He’s not an edge. He’s a tall, but undersized DT. Lacking strength/weight is correctable. Lacking bend and twitchy athleticism pretty much never is.

That’s what my eyeballs tell me, too. I dunno. I’m no tape-watcher, or talent scout. But the guy is a football player without a position. Maybe if he had come up on the other side, as a TE….

Rodrigue’s idea of how they use Hoecht is interesting. First he’s fast for his size. A 4.5. He did get some sacks last year though he never learned how to set an edge like a real LB. So why do they use him? According to Rodrigue, he sits in the box playing zone on pass plays and scares off qbs, who don’t want to throw short into a window dominated by an unusually big LB. (Rodrigue said all this in a September “11 Personnel.”) He becomes a noticable deficit when he actually has to cover someone–which actually hasn’t been that often. The truth is, that has only happened a couple of times, but those couple of times stand out as huge eyesores that (IMO) take on more significance than they have. I just see Hoecht as a carry over from last year’s desperation move (looking for someone, anyone, to pass rush, especially since Floyd didn’t “show up” last year and was an example of Rams 2022 post-super bowl victory sickness). This year, Hoecht is getting slowly but surely outdated and replaced by rookies like Young, Mathis, and Turner. In fact I don’t think he means much. I don’t even complain about him. He’s just a transitional carry over, as I said, getting replaced by genuine pass rushers.

This year his stats are modest. 1 PD, 2 qb hits, 1 TFL, 29 tackles w/ 12 solo.

But what people see are the 2-3 times he had to cover a TE downfield, and couldn’t pull it off. But then those plays happened because the rush didn’t get there and the qb had time to exploit it. He got sacks last year lining up on the defensive right side, and now Young has that spot. He’s not getting sacks where they play him now.

Billy_T wrote:

The six-foot-four, 295-pound defensive tackle ran a blazing 4.65 forty-yard dash on his first attempt and followed that up with a 4.68 on his second attempt.

That’s the 2nd time recently you called me on my sloppy research. I said Hoecht ran a 4.5. I also said one player from 2020 is still with the Eagles.

Good job, good use of research…but, according to board rules, this means I have to ban you.

Bear in mind that that on this board, “banning” means you can never leave.

So you brought that on yourself.

😎

Most snaps from rookie non-QBs:
Rams 1453
Texans 1415
Cardinals 1408
Bears 1340
Packers 1163
Seahawks 1135
Patriots 1031

— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) October 16, 2023

Billy_T wrote:

Speaking of that, what are your thoughts on the defensive backs? I was worried going into the season, but it appears they’re playing pretty well, all things considered.

Zooey wrote:

They are ahead of schedule, and this makes this season far more interesting and entertaining than any of the usual rebuilding years we’ve suffered. I don’t recall a recent season without realistic hope of a SB appearance that had more appeal than this season does. Gotta go back to 99

BT, I see your blocked post, but it looks like you pretty much covered it in your last post about Hoecht. Which I agree w/ btw, I don’t see him as lasting at LB.

In terms of the secondary, the Rams have done so well picking safeties low in the draft that it’s no surprise there (meaning just safety). Think about it–they’ve scored on Scott, Fuller, and now Yeast and Lake. That’s basically 4 in a row. What surprised me was corner. That’s mostly because of Witherspoon and now maybe Shelley too (Durant has been up and down). I keep not know what to think of Kendrick. Either way, the safeties plus at least Witherspoon seem to actually be the real deal. Right now after 6 games and having played both the Eagles and 9ers, Rams rank 7th in the league at “NFL Team Opponent Average Team Passer Rating.” You can’t do that unless your secondary is good. In fact they’re doing that while being 29th in “Sack Percentage.” 

With the secondary, it’s coaching and drafting and the players and everything. They’re just playing well overall (though we’ve seen the bloopers too). Not “stars of the league” well, just pretty darn well, which is very satisfying.

Zooey, I think you hit the nail on the head about this season and put it really well. Best season I can remember where you went in not expecting them to be in a superbowl hunt. The only game I really would complain about is the Bengals game. This year, we were set up to be patient with anything good that showed up being gravy, and it turns out they dumped us in an olympic pool full of gravy.

Quentin Lake’s snaps have largely been at dime linebacker – part of a subpackage – but he’s playing efficient, highly productive football there.
More: https://t.co/OHRfYPxHVz pic.twitter.com/wvZCV849pw

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 19, 2023

Zooey wrote:

One name not on that list is Stetson Bennett, btw.

Who, it looks like…is in rehab. Probably cause of alcohol.

No one has said that officially. But right now it’s the best explanation for what’s going on with him and how the coach talks about him.

InvaderRam wrote:

it’s too early to say at this point. but with long out. and i don’t know what the status of higbee is at this point. might we get a closer look at davis allen these last four games?

Yeah probably. I want to see how his blocking looks.