Pandion Haliaetus
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Rams are a potentially dangerous if not already good team that more or less built the team in the Seahawks' image. If you took a look at their make-up the past couple of seasons, you'd understand that they are a stacked team riddle with high-end talent drafted in the first 3 rounds in the last 4-5 years.
Part of their inability to put it together competitively has been:
1. Lack of a dependable QB
2. A quality Offensive Coordinator.
3. Youth and Inexperience Everywhere on The Team
1. Foles is a very good QB. I don't understand the thinking here that he's been horrible in this league, he's probably the best prospect they had at the position since a healthy Marc Bulger. He didn't mesh well within Kelly's system, but his time with the Philly's has made him into a better QB. He's not fazed in leading a hurry-up offense to get downfield and score. That is the Philly's regular MO. He also a very smart, patient accurate QB that will not force things downfield, knows when to trust mismatches, and knows when to hit his hot route or outlet WR.
2. Frank Cignetti outcoached Kris Richard.
A first time Coordinator like Frank Cignetti might seem like a weakness, but he also hasn't been in the league for very long. He isn't set in ways through hardened experience, and I think that can make him dangerous.
- He can be very adaptive, formulating a system designed to the strength of his players, rather than trying to fit players into the system like many established coordinators do.
- His lack of experience also helps in his play-calling, again he's not ornery, when he was named coordinator for the first time, he came from a new school train of thought, able to go out and understand what the league is today, the defenses that are in place, and plan around that to build his foundation on how he wants to do things.
- For instance against, the Seahawks, Cignetti built a system that catered well to Fole's strengths as a QB from his time in Philly while stealing idealism of attacking the Seahawks Defense from teams like the Chargers and Patriots last year.
A patient fast-paced offense that reacts and adapts to the defense rather than forcing the system down the opponent's throats. Cignetti took advantage of over aggressive defensive play, created mismatches, and allowed players to play to their strengths.
Benny Cunningham might be 3rd on the depth chart and he's not a workhorse back or a guy who can consistently be a north-south runner but the guy is stout, shifty, powerful, explosive and fast, you put him in space and he can be very dangerous against this Defense. Cignetti did just that, understood that DC Kris Richard was selling his LBers aggressively downhill towards the ball carrier which as a result got them caught in the scrum, and made them take bad angles in pursuit. Cunningham was utilized very cunningly against this aggressive styles with misdirection run sets and as an outlet WR against Richard's blitzing look. Foles also displayed the capability of holding out to the last possible second to suck the entire defense in and allow Cunningham to settle in space free of coverage. Cunningham is a very good RB, Isiah Pead not so much. I don't feel Gurley or Mason would have faired much better in comparison even if they are ahead of him on the depth chart.
Austin a first round talent and is like the Rams version of Percy Harvin and Lockett, the last two years the Rams were set on forcing this guy to be a focal point in a system that didn't necessary pertain to his strengths as a player which imo stunted his ability has his growth. Austin in his own right now understand his ability and talents better as a 3rd year player and that in it self gave him a great deal of self confidence in what he can and can't do. Cignetti in this first game utilized Austin very well as rusher and a decoy WR to draw defenders downfield and open up space underneath. and Austin's talent to tilt the field came into play naturally instead of heavily manufactured.
Ram's also have other decent receivers when paired with an accurate, patient QB like Foles. Cignetti and Foles utilized the pair of big, strong, athletic receiving TE's well in Cook and Kendricks. Often creating or taking advantage of mismatches against DBs or overaggressive LBers or well-timed patterns through Zone coverages. Cignetti again just outcoached Richard's aggression with his LBers and the weakened state of the secondary. Never really forcing things against the Seahawks Defense but allowing things to develop naturally and taking advantage of those opportunities.
Steadman Bailey is a lot like Doug Baldwin: quick, great hands, dependable. Britt is a former first round talent diva WR who looks to finally be humbled and healthy, in a supportive role.
Finding a quality, dependable QB and an Offensive Coordinator who could develop a system around the strengths of the great, young talent the Rams have gathered over the years was the biggest opportunity for the team in becoming consistently competitive week in and week out. And right now I think they have a good foundation on filling that sinking hole with Foles and Cignetti.
3. The third point is probably the most important. Because young players despite any talent are going to make mistakes, are going to take time to adjust to the NFL, and understand the commitment they need to make to be successful at this level. I think this young team finally has galvanized over years of inconsistency and mediocrity. The young play-makers on offense pertain to that but its really a matter of defense.
Rams had the 9th rank Defense in DVOA last year, and I believe they were able to return every starter member as well as the Defensive Coordinator. Thats huge, familiarity is so underrated and valuable in this league to be able to keep the nucleus of a great young defense over time, continue to add depth, and give it the experience it needs to push it over the top is a formula of success the Seahawks have followed the last few years. Both teams kind of went about it in different ways but the results are similar.
Ram's Defense is nasty, the talent level they have is also extraordinary with a unit built upon primarily of 1st to 3rd round picks. The D-Line talent is insane, they have 4 first round talents, two of which, Quinn and Donald are two of the best 4-3 linemen in the NFL: Unblockable and highly disruptive. The other two are extraordinary run-defenders and space occupiers that allow the first two achieve the greatest result of success. Basically the Rams have two pairs of Justin Smith and Aldon Smith on their line and how they attack offenses. Thats crazy. And the depth they have with Nick Fairly, Williams Hayes, and Eugene Sims just fortifies an already elite unit with great role-players in rotation.
The Ram's D-line allows the rest of the Defense to play aggressive and downhill. Their back 7 is composed of very athletic, nasty players who like to hit and get physical. Add that style to a DC with similar taste in havoc and pain, and you have one of the deadliest defenses in the NFL capable of punishing any offense in this league on a good day.
With that said, I don't think the Seahawks are in trouble, they played a tough team, a nemesis if you will, and the Rams were able to exploit a raw offensive line with an elite D-line, their OC was able to take advantage over Richard using his LBers overly aggressively at the LOS, and Foles took advantage of what the defenses gave him, especially the mismatch opportunities, mis-communications, and broken plays.
It was just a really good game, against two good teams with a hard-nosed rivalry and both teams strengths and weaknesses kind of played out against each other which led to trading blows for blows.
No one likes losing, but I'm not going to cry about it, the Seahawks can build off of this, continue to learn, and galvanize as a team with or without Kam. The Seahawks are rarely a team that will never concede to be uncompetitive nor will they agonize over the past, they rise up, iron out the mistakes, and just get better week to week.
I saw enough positive things to believe that the Seahawks still have a great team capable of winning a Superbowl. Obviously, they need to continue to work on things but I think that is just a matter of when, not if.
- The Offensive line was man-handled but not every team has the elite D-Line talent the Rams employed, and I trust those guys to slowly get more consistent game to game. I also feel while Wilson's decision making sometimes frustrates me at times, I saw a QB who took command through a tough task and reasonably delivered results against a great defense in their own house. I liked that he was very active pre-snap and at times it looked like he took control of the offense from Bevell. The short-yardage game was awesome to see, quick passing, utilization of RBs and TEs in the short-yardage game, Wilson completed 32 of 41 passes for 250 yards and did so without having a single pass over 23 yards.
- That might not seem much but when the Oline gave Wilson time, he was able to establish rhythm, and dink and dunk, we really haven't saw this with him as a QB, and I love it. I feel like with a TE like Graham and a strong running game, that is the type of offense you want to build around until the O-line can galvanize and is able to be consistent. Once that happens you can mix the high percentage short-yardage stuff with the downfield explosive stuff and virtually be unstoppable. And I love how Wilson is lobbying for the Seahawks to go no huddle and quick paced, the more the opposing defenses have the ability to think and diagnose Bevell's play-calling the more they become predictable. Get the defense and keep the defense on their heels, Seahawks can expose them them in a variety of ways and it will help filter out some of that predictability.
- It took a while but underneath all that rubble, I see a great foundation the Seahawks can build off of:
Lynch looked rusty but was able to rev up the beast.
Kearse looked good, he looks a lot more smoother in his transitions.
Lockette displayed his speed on a screen as well as a comeback route. And on his returns, the kid is small but he's not afraid to get dirty, when he has no where else to go, he'll go into the pile and see what he can get. I like that, the dude's fearless.
Baldwin looked like Baldwin and he's seems a lot more athletic.
Rams tried to phase out Graham for much of the game, and Bevell sort of ignored him for much of the game because of that, but in the 2nd half, we saw how the offense opened up when the Seahawks used him to attack the middle of the field.
Other than the poor decision to throw to Lynch on the sideline that resulted in Wilson's only Int, I liked what I saw from both Lynch and Jackson as receivers, I think the Seahawks can continue to build an offense around that getting both those guys in space and away from the O-line until they can play better and more consistent.
The O-line was hot and cold, and that was to be expected, I saw some good things, but very rarely could the O-line hold off Aaron Donald, not matter who he was lined up to. I think Donald could be the best 4-3 DT in the NFL right now, and its going to be a while before this O-line faces another inside linemen that dominant and really another D-line that physically elite to just straight up man-handle our trench men along with Lynch.
Defensively,
- I don't Kam was an issue, only because his lack of practice wouldn't have allowed him to be a real difference maker (see Earl Thomas for most of this game) and people really need to stop blaming Cary Williams for every mishap. Every single DB, every single LBer allowed a big play or key play or two to unfold. Whether it was All-Pros Wagner, Thomas, or Sherman. Foles picked apart every single defender when his receiver gained separation or inside/outside leverage, and was able to identify and take advantages with mismatches all over the field. I think if you're pushing blame on Cary Williams, then you're an idiot because even Earl Thomas looked mortal and hesitant out there, taking rookie angles on the ball.
- I think the biggest problem with the defensive issues was Kris Richard. I'm not going to disrespect him as this was his first game. But his game plan was kind of weak, and sort of abnormal from past Seahawks football. His use of attacking aggressively downhill with his LBers, left the middle of the defense exposed and as a result allowed Cunningham and the Rams TEs to exploit space and put pressure on the secondary.
- It was unfortunate that Bailey tripped up on that last play, he had a quiet game but it wasn't like he was a huge disappointment or anything.
- The play people are blaming Cary Williams when Cook motioned to the other side of the field and split the zone defense for a huge gain seemed like it was more a mis-communication between Bailey and Burley, rather than Cary's fault, and everyone was entirely confused on that play. I think Burley was benched shortly after that and you saw Shead and Sherman mix it up depending on the matchup at NCB.
- I'm not in panic mode just yet, and I probably won't be until mid-season, if a lot of the problems continue to exist, I think Richard needs to iron out the wrinkles, temper his aggressive approach and focus on what made the defense successful: gap discipline and read-and-react tackling.
- The only thing that truly pissed me off and I can't forgive is the OT onside kick. It was a stupid decision by Carroll and I think he was trying to finally one up Fisher with a special team trick play of his own. It was dumb. Carroll is a great coach but he makes bad decision's sometimes. Him and Russell both. 75% of the time those guys are mental geniuses but sometimes they make the worst decision ever and it usually costs the Seahawks.
- Bevell shouldn't be fired but if the dude wants to take his coordination seriously, he'll get his ass up in a booth and off the field, for some reason it irks me, that the Seahawks have these guys looking and analyzing one half of the field. I understand technology is more advanced but still I think Coordinators should distance themselves and see the big picture in real-time. When Fox show Cignetti along with his assistant Jeff Garcia and other coaches in the box, I honestly envied that because I feel that's where Coordinators, especially Offensive Coordinators, should be if they truly want to maximize their "coordination".
- With nothing else to really say, I just taking it one game at a time, I'm kind of done predicting of what's going to be or what could happen, I'm just going to let it play out and hopefully this team can come together and make weekly progressions.
Part of their inability to put it together competitively has been:
1. Lack of a dependable QB
2. A quality Offensive Coordinator.
3. Youth and Inexperience Everywhere on The Team
1. Foles is a very good QB. I don't understand the thinking here that he's been horrible in this league, he's probably the best prospect they had at the position since a healthy Marc Bulger. He didn't mesh well within Kelly's system, but his time with the Philly's has made him into a better QB. He's not fazed in leading a hurry-up offense to get downfield and score. That is the Philly's regular MO. He also a very smart, patient accurate QB that will not force things downfield, knows when to trust mismatches, and knows when to hit his hot route or outlet WR.
2. Frank Cignetti outcoached Kris Richard.
A first time Coordinator like Frank Cignetti might seem like a weakness, but he also hasn't been in the league for very long. He isn't set in ways through hardened experience, and I think that can make him dangerous.
- He can be very adaptive, formulating a system designed to the strength of his players, rather than trying to fit players into the system like many established coordinators do.
- His lack of experience also helps in his play-calling, again he's not ornery, when he was named coordinator for the first time, he came from a new school train of thought, able to go out and understand what the league is today, the defenses that are in place, and plan around that to build his foundation on how he wants to do things.
- For instance against, the Seahawks, Cignetti built a system that catered well to Fole's strengths as a QB from his time in Philly while stealing idealism of attacking the Seahawks Defense from teams like the Chargers and Patriots last year.
A patient fast-paced offense that reacts and adapts to the defense rather than forcing the system down the opponent's throats. Cignetti took advantage of over aggressive defensive play, created mismatches, and allowed players to play to their strengths.
Benny Cunningham might be 3rd on the depth chart and he's not a workhorse back or a guy who can consistently be a north-south runner but the guy is stout, shifty, powerful, explosive and fast, you put him in space and he can be very dangerous against this Defense. Cignetti did just that, understood that DC Kris Richard was selling his LBers aggressively downhill towards the ball carrier which as a result got them caught in the scrum, and made them take bad angles in pursuit. Cunningham was utilized very cunningly against this aggressive styles with misdirection run sets and as an outlet WR against Richard's blitzing look. Foles also displayed the capability of holding out to the last possible second to suck the entire defense in and allow Cunningham to settle in space free of coverage. Cunningham is a very good RB, Isiah Pead not so much. I don't feel Gurley or Mason would have faired much better in comparison even if they are ahead of him on the depth chart.
Austin a first round talent and is like the Rams version of Percy Harvin and Lockett, the last two years the Rams were set on forcing this guy to be a focal point in a system that didn't necessary pertain to his strengths as a player which imo stunted his ability has his growth. Austin in his own right now understand his ability and talents better as a 3rd year player and that in it self gave him a great deal of self confidence in what he can and can't do. Cignetti in this first game utilized Austin very well as rusher and a decoy WR to draw defenders downfield and open up space underneath. and Austin's talent to tilt the field came into play naturally instead of heavily manufactured.
Ram's also have other decent receivers when paired with an accurate, patient QB like Foles. Cignetti and Foles utilized the pair of big, strong, athletic receiving TE's well in Cook and Kendricks. Often creating or taking advantage of mismatches against DBs or overaggressive LBers or well-timed patterns through Zone coverages. Cignetti again just outcoached Richard's aggression with his LBers and the weakened state of the secondary. Never really forcing things against the Seahawks Defense but allowing things to develop naturally and taking advantage of those opportunities.
Steadman Bailey is a lot like Doug Baldwin: quick, great hands, dependable. Britt is a former first round talent diva WR who looks to finally be humbled and healthy, in a supportive role.
Finding a quality, dependable QB and an Offensive Coordinator who could develop a system around the strengths of the great, young talent the Rams have gathered over the years was the biggest opportunity for the team in becoming consistently competitive week in and week out. And right now I think they have a good foundation on filling that sinking hole with Foles and Cignetti.
3. The third point is probably the most important. Because young players despite any talent are going to make mistakes, are going to take time to adjust to the NFL, and understand the commitment they need to make to be successful at this level. I think this young team finally has galvanized over years of inconsistency and mediocrity. The young play-makers on offense pertain to that but its really a matter of defense.
Rams had the 9th rank Defense in DVOA last year, and I believe they were able to return every starter member as well as the Defensive Coordinator. Thats huge, familiarity is so underrated and valuable in this league to be able to keep the nucleus of a great young defense over time, continue to add depth, and give it the experience it needs to push it over the top is a formula of success the Seahawks have followed the last few years. Both teams kind of went about it in different ways but the results are similar.
Ram's Defense is nasty, the talent level they have is also extraordinary with a unit built upon primarily of 1st to 3rd round picks. The D-Line talent is insane, they have 4 first round talents, two of which, Quinn and Donald are two of the best 4-3 linemen in the NFL: Unblockable and highly disruptive. The other two are extraordinary run-defenders and space occupiers that allow the first two achieve the greatest result of success. Basically the Rams have two pairs of Justin Smith and Aldon Smith on their line and how they attack offenses. Thats crazy. And the depth they have with Nick Fairly, Williams Hayes, and Eugene Sims just fortifies an already elite unit with great role-players in rotation.
The Ram's D-line allows the rest of the Defense to play aggressive and downhill. Their back 7 is composed of very athletic, nasty players who like to hit and get physical. Add that style to a DC with similar taste in havoc and pain, and you have one of the deadliest defenses in the NFL capable of punishing any offense in this league on a good day.
With that said, I don't think the Seahawks are in trouble, they played a tough team, a nemesis if you will, and the Rams were able to exploit a raw offensive line with an elite D-line, their OC was able to take advantage over Richard using his LBers overly aggressively at the LOS, and Foles took advantage of what the defenses gave him, especially the mismatch opportunities, mis-communications, and broken plays.
It was just a really good game, against two good teams with a hard-nosed rivalry and both teams strengths and weaknesses kind of played out against each other which led to trading blows for blows.
No one likes losing, but I'm not going to cry about it, the Seahawks can build off of this, continue to learn, and galvanize as a team with or without Kam. The Seahawks are rarely a team that will never concede to be uncompetitive nor will they agonize over the past, they rise up, iron out the mistakes, and just get better week to week.
I saw enough positive things to believe that the Seahawks still have a great team capable of winning a Superbowl. Obviously, they need to continue to work on things but I think that is just a matter of when, not if.
- The Offensive line was man-handled but not every team has the elite D-Line talent the Rams employed, and I trust those guys to slowly get more consistent game to game. I also feel while Wilson's decision making sometimes frustrates me at times, I saw a QB who took command through a tough task and reasonably delivered results against a great defense in their own house. I liked that he was very active pre-snap and at times it looked like he took control of the offense from Bevell. The short-yardage game was awesome to see, quick passing, utilization of RBs and TEs in the short-yardage game, Wilson completed 32 of 41 passes for 250 yards and did so without having a single pass over 23 yards.
- That might not seem much but when the Oline gave Wilson time, he was able to establish rhythm, and dink and dunk, we really haven't saw this with him as a QB, and I love it. I feel like with a TE like Graham and a strong running game, that is the type of offense you want to build around until the O-line can galvanize and is able to be consistent. Once that happens you can mix the high percentage short-yardage stuff with the downfield explosive stuff and virtually be unstoppable. And I love how Wilson is lobbying for the Seahawks to go no huddle and quick paced, the more the opposing defenses have the ability to think and diagnose Bevell's play-calling the more they become predictable. Get the defense and keep the defense on their heels, Seahawks can expose them them in a variety of ways and it will help filter out some of that predictability.
- It took a while but underneath all that rubble, I see a great foundation the Seahawks can build off of:
Lynch looked rusty but was able to rev up the beast.
Kearse looked good, he looks a lot more smoother in his transitions.
Lockette displayed his speed on a screen as well as a comeback route. And on his returns, the kid is small but he's not afraid to get dirty, when he has no where else to go, he'll go into the pile and see what he can get. I like that, the dude's fearless.
Baldwin looked like Baldwin and he's seems a lot more athletic.
Rams tried to phase out Graham for much of the game, and Bevell sort of ignored him for much of the game because of that, but in the 2nd half, we saw how the offense opened up when the Seahawks used him to attack the middle of the field.
Other than the poor decision to throw to Lynch on the sideline that resulted in Wilson's only Int, I liked what I saw from both Lynch and Jackson as receivers, I think the Seahawks can continue to build an offense around that getting both those guys in space and away from the O-line until they can play better and more consistent.
The O-line was hot and cold, and that was to be expected, I saw some good things, but very rarely could the O-line hold off Aaron Donald, not matter who he was lined up to. I think Donald could be the best 4-3 DT in the NFL right now, and its going to be a while before this O-line faces another inside linemen that dominant and really another D-line that physically elite to just straight up man-handle our trench men along with Lynch.
Defensively,
- I don't Kam was an issue, only because his lack of practice wouldn't have allowed him to be a real difference maker (see Earl Thomas for most of this game) and people really need to stop blaming Cary Williams for every mishap. Every single DB, every single LBer allowed a big play or key play or two to unfold. Whether it was All-Pros Wagner, Thomas, or Sherman. Foles picked apart every single defender when his receiver gained separation or inside/outside leverage, and was able to identify and take advantages with mismatches all over the field. I think if you're pushing blame on Cary Williams, then you're an idiot because even Earl Thomas looked mortal and hesitant out there, taking rookie angles on the ball.
- I think the biggest problem with the defensive issues was Kris Richard. I'm not going to disrespect him as this was his first game. But his game plan was kind of weak, and sort of abnormal from past Seahawks football. His use of attacking aggressively downhill with his LBers, left the middle of the defense exposed and as a result allowed Cunningham and the Rams TEs to exploit space and put pressure on the secondary.
- It was unfortunate that Bailey tripped up on that last play, he had a quiet game but it wasn't like he was a huge disappointment or anything.
- The play people are blaming Cary Williams when Cook motioned to the other side of the field and split the zone defense for a huge gain seemed like it was more a mis-communication between Bailey and Burley, rather than Cary's fault, and everyone was entirely confused on that play. I think Burley was benched shortly after that and you saw Shead and Sherman mix it up depending on the matchup at NCB.
- I'm not in panic mode just yet, and I probably won't be until mid-season, if a lot of the problems continue to exist, I think Richard needs to iron out the wrinkles, temper his aggressive approach and focus on what made the defense successful: gap discipline and read-and-react tackling.
- The only thing that truly pissed me off and I can't forgive is the OT onside kick. It was a stupid decision by Carroll and I think he was trying to finally one up Fisher with a special team trick play of his own. It was dumb. Carroll is a great coach but he makes bad decision's sometimes. Him and Russell both. 75% of the time those guys are mental geniuses but sometimes they make the worst decision ever and it usually costs the Seahawks.
- Bevell shouldn't be fired but if the dude wants to take his coordination seriously, he'll get his ass up in a booth and off the field, for some reason it irks me, that the Seahawks have these guys looking and analyzing one half of the field. I understand technology is more advanced but still I think Coordinators should distance themselves and see the big picture in real-time. When Fox show Cignetti along with his assistant Jeff Garcia and other coaches in the box, I honestly envied that because I feel that's where Coordinators, especially Offensive Coordinators, should be if they truly want to maximize their "coordination".
- With nothing else to really say, I just taking it one game at a time, I'm kind of done predicting of what's going to be or what could happen, I'm just going to let it play out and hopefully this team can come together and make weekly progressions.
very well done. You captured many of my thoughts. Hawks have alot of new parts and will take time to mesh. I almost feel sorry for our next opponent.
