How I would "fix" the D

**AvengerRam** · #1 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

Here are my thoughts:

1. Move Aeneas Williams back to CB. The timidity of the defense may be, in part, due to a lack of faith in the coverage skills of the CBs (other than Butler) who have been thrust into action due to Fisher's injury. Williams may have lost a step, but he still may be the best cover CB on the team. Starting Lucas or Coady at FS will be a drop-off, but an acceptable one if Williams can control the opposition's best WR.

2. Mix up the blitz packages. Bring it from everywhere, and leave them guessing. Bring Arch. Bring Pisa. Bring Thomas. Even bring in speed rushers like Hargrove, Flowers and even Polley as an extra end on the line of scrimmage. We may get burned at times, but the D needs to get aggressive and start pressuring the QB and causing turnovers.

3. Shadow running QBs. I thought that Arch should have been used to shadow Vick yesterday (although Vick made him look bad in the open field more than once - was Arch's back injury an issue?). The Rams will need to consider this type of strategy when they play other running QBs like Aaron Brooks and Donovan McNabb (though, thankfully, none of them run like Vick).

4. Play with more fire. Easier said than done, no doubt. But Marmie and Kollar need to fire up this squad, and someone needs to take the role of on-field general (London Fletcher - I miss you).

**txramsfan** · #2 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

The loss of London Fletcher is ten times worse than anyone the Rams have lost in years. The intangibles he brought to this defense was underestimated. London Fletcher may have been the biggest loss to the Rams since Eric D.

*ZigZagRam* · #3 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

Did anyone else noticed that Vick got most of his yards on a 4-man pass rush? When we started blitzing, Vick started tossing the ball up, committing intentional grounding penalties, and couldn't break the big gains. Why didn't we blitz more?

**Nick** · #4 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZigZagRam

Did anyone else noticed that Vick got most of his yards on a 4-man pass rush? When we started blitzing, Vick started tossing the ball up, committing intentional grounding penalties, and couldn't break the big gains. Why didn't we blitz more?

Well, I remember one play where we blitzed two people on our left side and Vick reacted quickly by squeeking through a hole on his left side of the line and getting some yards. But I would imagine the Rams might not have wanted to blitz because they didn't want to overpursue Vick in the backfield only to have him make a break for it, thus giving the Rams fewer defenders downfield to stop him. If you send two guys on a blitz and Vick avoids them, that's two fewer to stop him when he passes the line of scrimmage.

**HUbison** · #5 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickSeiler

Well, I remember one play where we blitzed two people on our left side and Vick reacted quickly by squeeking through a hole on his left side of the line and getting some yards. But I would imagine the Rams might not have wanted to blitz because they didn't want to overpursue Vick in the backfield only to have him make a break for it, thus giving the Rams fewer defenders downfield to stop him. If you send two guys on a blitz and Vick avoids them, that's two fewer to stop him when he passes the line of scrimmage.

Agreed. As well, I think there is a general lack of confidence in coverage from the secondary. Blitzing puts more pressure on DBs.

**Nick** · #6 (**permalink**) -20-09-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUbison

Agreed. As well, I think there is a general lack of confidence in coverage from the secondary. Blitzing puts more pressure on DBs.

Good point. We really didn't need to be giving the secondary more pressure, especially with Groce and Garrett on the sidelines. I'm interested to hear why Garrett was sidelined, and if it had anything to do with him whiffing on one of Vick's big runs.