Ahh, there's something that looks familiar. Unfortunately, the Rams resembled the Rams teams of the past few years on Saturday afternoon, evidenced by poor tackling techniques, too many dropped passes, and unstable protection. The best part of the team was arguably the defensive line, who not only brought penetration against the Cowboys on numerous plays, but also managed to provide a good defense against inside runs. It will be fun to watch the young talented group gel and grow as they refine their techniques.
Special teams was another area that shoed improvement. I really liked how the return coverages really attacked the return man without being too docile in their movements. The kicking game was impressive as usual, with Greg Zuerlein all but locking up his spot as the teams' starting kicker and Johnny Hekker continuing to impress on his punts. The kick return game could use a little work, although Isaiah Pead did impress on one return.
The first team offense was solid but not impressive. Quarterback Sam Bradford did not have time to get the ball off in a lot of cases, and when he did, he usually held on for too long. Sam did not throw a pick, but he had a very low percentage of completed throws. Part of it was the fault of the receivers, who overall had another rough day. It's as if most of them are hesitant to even catch the ball if it's an arm's length away. The receivers must be WAY more aggressive in attacking and latching onto the football. Being too hesitant can arguably lead to more injury.
The running game was mixed. Steven Jackson was his usual self, but was typically brought in only to block. Isaiah Pead was somewhat disappointing. He struggles to find the holes in the line and usual tries to push his way through the middle with brute strength, often ending in one or two yard runs. The Rams must establish the run in order to effectively use a play action (and to avoid the frequent third-and-longs). In the meantime, seventh round rookie Daryl Richardson continues to impress. He finds the hole exceptionally well and does a good job of taking it to the outside when the middle becomes plugged. If Richardson can refine his blocking and pass-catching skills, he could be the change of pace back the Rams have been looking for.
Defensively, the D-line was solid. The linebackers were somewhat underwhelming, considering all the dumpoff passes and big outside runs that the Cowboys completed. Many times, a runningback would be open in the shallow flats or over the middle, and sometimes even a receiver or tight end. Perhaps the Rams leave an open man underneath to leave a linebacker back in coverage, because of the fact that the secondary was HORRIBLE. Janoris Jenkins was badly outplayed on numerous plays, where he was beat and showed poor form. His skills will take time to develop and adjust to the pro game. The safeties didn't provide much help either, and that made Tony Romo look like a star quarterback (I doubt he'll perform that well against any other NFL team's defense).
The Rams played well against the Chiefs last week, but perhaps that was an meaningless sign as the Seahawks pounded Kansas City 44-14 on Friday. With the Rams playing so poorly against the Cowboys, one has to wonder whether they have implemented all their schemes yet or are still playing a very vanilla offense and defense. Next week, the Rams will play their starters into the third quarter against a Ravens team that will probably rest most of their starters. We'll see if the Rams will be really ready against quality NFL talent if they can easily exploit second-team players.
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