kearly":vbfrja8s said:
The play calling was fine. The OL was what killed us, pure and simple. They couldn't pass protect, they couldn't run block inside, and they couldn't run outside. It was right around the time I was thinking Seattle needed to use screens and bubble screens that they did, with some success. It was right around the time that I thought they needed to do play action that they did for a long TD. He adjusted when he needed to. But it's rather incredible Seattle managed any points at all with that OL performance tonight.
I think the Rams deserve a ton of credit, both coaching and players. That was a damn near perfect performance on defense. It was the best defensive performance of the season, at least by yardage, and probably by DVOA as well.
What I don't like about Bevell is that he hasn't been able to counter quick pressure the way pretty much any other good offense can, the way that Drew Brees can. It's been half a season plus 4 preseason games, and it's gotten worse, not better. And I've come to believe it will never get better as long as Bevell is here.
I didn't post last night at all because frankly, I was too darned emotional at that point and needed some time to come back down and for my rationality to return. I haven't gone back and re-watched the game, but would tend to agree with a lot of what you're saying Kip.
Absolutely it was the Offensive Line that killed us ... and specifically on our side of the ball, it was 3 guys who consistently kept on killing us again and again from what I could see -- McQuistan, Bowie, and Sweezy. The Rams beat on those guys all night long like a drum. But really, I'd say that it was 2 guys who caused most of that chaos all night long -- Chris Long and Robert Quinn. Now I've consistently said that those guys are phenomenal talents. They really are. Pro Bowl DE's both. I just watch Chris Long play and see his father Howie all over again.
In my Preview Thread, I talked about the fact that the Rams Defensive Line could be an issue given the status of our offensive line. I hadn't realized that it would be such A GLARING ISSUE. Chris Long and Robert Quinn single handedly blew up our entire offense. When they weren't beating Bowie and McQuistan on the edges ... they were attacking Sweezy and beating him on stunts (and beating him handily I might add).
You're exactly right in what you're saying. The Rams loaded up the box with 8 guys all night long ... and with Long and Quinn doing their thing, they were able to blow up virtually everything that the Hawks tried on offense. The run blocking and pass blocking was non-existent basically because those 2 were that good.
If you'll recall, they were that good in Seattle against us last year as well. In that Week 17 Matchup, the Rams had 6 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Chris Long (3 Sacks and 3 TFL's), Robert Quinn (1 Sack and 1 TFL), and Robert Hayes (who I've always liked. He had a Sack and a TFL in that game as well) were a pain in that game all day long. And that was against a completely INTACT Seahawks Offensive Line, as Quinn was even beating Russell Okung around the edge. Yeah, those guys are that good.
I was saying the exact same thing about the screens ... and then lo and behold, there they came and with some success. The quick passes starting happening as well, but not nearly to the frequency and the execution level that I'd like to see obviously. The inability to counter quick pressure and to get the ball out quickly is an issue ... has been an issue ... and it absolutely killed us last night.
Another big complaint that I personally had last night -- where was the max protect? Here's where I really need to go back and do my homework, because I don't really remember a whole lot of 2 TE sets in the game. Gruden kept illustrating again and again that McQuistan and Bowie just could not block Long and Quinn 1:1 at all. Fine I said -- bring on the 2 TE sets. I could be wrong, but I don't ever recall seeing that. I know those sets are somewhat limiting, but you can also run a lot of short and very effective pass patterns with your TE's in the face of pressure out of those sets as well. With the complete inability of McQuistan and Bowie to do anything -- that's the way I would have gone.
I agree with you in saying that the inability to deal with and counter quick pressure is probably going to continue to be an issue as long as Bevell is here. I'm personally thinking that this is going to be the last year we'll be seeing him though, as he's probably going to be a hot commodity on a few teams' head coaching lists for next season.
All of that said, we won the game and I'm obviously happy about that. I don't know that we're going to see another pass rush quite like that until San Francisco on December 8th. I'm just hoping that we have Okung back and clicking on all cylinders by that point.