Game 5: Packers @ Rams - Sunday, Oct 6th at 3:25PM

[OldSchoolSnapper]

1 minute ago, MrTPlush said:

We just snapped the ball with over 10 seconds left on the play clock.

We'll probably need those 10 seconds to score. 

[adambr2]

1 minute ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

We'll probably need those 10 seconds to score. 

Yeah, the clock is no factor at all. They have plenty of time to score. We either stop them or we don't. 

[adambr2]

Sure glad we pissed away those 2 timeouts. 

[HarryDoyle]

They're going to hand this game away on a silver platter.

[HarryDoyle]

Of course if it wasn't for Love's YOLO pick six this wouldn't be an issue.

[adambr2]

This defensive line is honestly a straight up disgrace. 

[MrTPlush]

4 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Yeah, the clock is no factor at all. They have plenty of time to score. We either stop them or we don't. 

For us to get the ball back and matter? Agreed.

Giving the Ram 10-14 seconds? Definitely something that could matter.

[HarryDoyle]

Half a turnover!

[HarryDoyle]

Exhale

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Hooray I guess. Lol.  

[adambr2]

I'm glad we won. 

This team has a long way to go, especially in the trenches, to be a Super Bowl contender. 

[HarryDoyle]

Talk about a classic example of bend but don't break defense.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Honestly the defense is fine. It's not some all time force but if they keep taking the ball away at the rate they are that is more than you can hope for. They'll probably be fine but they are kinda rough to watch right now. I am sure by December they will be one of the contenders. 

[Recovering Chicagoan]

6 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I'm glad we won. 

This team has a long way to go, especially in the trenches, to be a Super Bowl contender. 

I agree.

[adambr2]

13 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Honestly the defense is fine. It's not some all time force but if they keep taking the ball away at the rate they are that is more than you can hope for. They'll probably be fine but they are kinda rough to watch right now. I am sure by December they will be one of the contenders. 

I think the lack of pass rush without blitzing is a pretty legitimate concern. Outside of Tennessee they're not really getting sacks without scheming for them. 

It's really, really hard to contend for a Super Bowl without an elite track meet offense if your front 4 consistently can't get home. 

[HarryDoyle]

We can be concerned about the flaws of this team but just imagine what Rams fans are thinking. Their offense moved the ball at will but only scored 13 points.

[Sixtolezcano]

13 hours ago, adambr2 said:

I'm glad we won. 

This team has a long way to go, especially in the trenches, to be a Super Bowl contender. 

No doubt. Every level of the defense needs improvement. They get absolutely no pass rush when they just send the front 4. Linebackers are young and at this point not very deep. McKinney is an all-pro safety, Bullard is an up-and -comer, but the cornerbacks are average at best. Can’t count on Alexander as he seems not to be able to play though any injuries he has. He misses multiple games every year. Their tackling remains atrocious for what seems like years. Always trying to tackle with their shoulder and rarely wrapping up with their arms.

[LouisEly]

1 hour ago, HarryDoyle said:

We can be concerned about the flaws of this team but just imagine what Rams fans are thinking. Their offense moved the ball at will but only scored 13 points.

Seven points.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I feel like Gary just runs straight into the tackle and is blocked on every single pass rush...thinking back to his days in college as a bigtime recruit that underperformed as a down lineman, I can't help but think the scheme change to a 4-3 may have warranted him bulking up a bit more and he just isn't as explosive as he was coming off the edge in a 3-4 as an OLB.  

[adambr2]

3 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Seven points.

How do you figure? They scored two offensive touchdowns, both after full drives. 

[CheezWizHed]

After game 5 and having Love back to full strength, this is probably a game that is good as any to find out who we are... I tend to think our D will come together more as the season progresses, just like last year's offense.  But I didn't expect this year's offense to start off this far back either.

OL - a pretty decent job overall - some blitz pickup issues between them and RBs (more on that in a moment) but overall above average.

RBs - A strong, but not overpowering job by both Jacobs and Wilson 

WRs - Reed shows up each and every week.  Wicks is taking the Davante clone thing too far --- even to the point of the dropsies in second year.  Hopefully he figures it out like D, but it isn't great now. Really could've used Doubs out there...

TEs - Kraft is going to be a fan favorite if he isn't already.  The Swiss army knife of the offense.

DL - Woof.  Every single short yardage situation was given up.  Enagbare is the only DE making any pass rush noise.  Clark only stood out by being upfield when the RB was already downfield.

LBs - Cooper makes this group SO much better.  He is going to be fun to watch this year.  Walker was his usual up and down, but seems to be improving in this defense.  Still probably better if Cooper is the MLB and let Walker just play. 

Safeties - Really big turnaround from last year.  McKinney is single handedly saving this defense.  Williams has a great first start.  Bullard all over the place.  Those two will be fun to watch.

CB - Solid game w/o Jaire.  Didn't have too many challenges in coverage, but did enough. Interesting to have Nixon on the boundary, but he did OK.

K - He made it!

QB - Saved Love for last. 

• He was lauded for the long Reed throw because it was an excellent throw.... that he never should've made.  That should've been and easy pick if the safety was paying attention.  Awesome throw and catch, but he got lucky.
• I'm beginning to wonder if Love is reading defenses to pickup blitzes or not?  We certainly are not making the right adjustments when people blitz.  No receiver adjustments for hot reads, no QB getting the ball out quick, OL protection issues... just something wrong here
• Where is Love's intermediate game?  Seems like we are throwing the ball very short or very long; very little in the middle.  So many 3rd and longish (8-12) plays resulted in a bomb 40 yards down field. 

[BrewerFan]

19 hours ago, adambr2 said:

I think the lack of pass rush without blitzing is a pretty legitimate concern. Outside of Tennessee they're not really getting sacks without scheming for them. 

It's really, really hard to contend for a Super Bowl without an elite track meet offense if your front 4 consistently can't get home. 

This team playing at THIS level is not a competitor. 

Even walking up and putting 6 on the LOS isn't doing much for Clark or Gary. Wyatt was the only consistent threat. He'll be back. 

It's 5 games now. 

They're good players so I feel like they'll figure it out, but...they've been just bad. And then you're playing man on the backend and you don't have Jaire, Nixon is in Man coverage, sometimes against player like Justin Jefferson...gotta have Jaire OR Gary, Clark, LVN and something out of Enagbare/Preston. I don't think you can rely on McKinney getting picks.

You can apply the same thing to the WRing core. Doubs was pouting, Watson is injured(this time it's a fluke). Wicks has been bad. Melton non-existent. Kraft and Reed have been great, but Musgraves is also not showing up. Maybe it's Love who just hasn't been real sharpe...I don't know, but not a great start to the year. The 3-4 was better than this and there's no world you should get more pass rush from your DL in a 3-4 vs a 4-3 unless you're playing conservative vs a Lamar or Richardson, Hurts(Which we did for two weeks). 

I'm also hoping we hear that Gary has been hurt. Clark... he always plays well in December, I feel find there, but I don't want to rely on a LB/Slot blitzing to create pressure. 

[BrewerFan]

1 hour ago, CheezWizHed said:

Where is Love's intermediate game?  Seems like we are throwing the ball very short or very long; very little in the middle.  So many 3rd and longish (8-12) plays resulted in a bomb 40 yards down field. 

You pretty much nailed everything else, but the intermediate game is...Wicks dropping balls, Doubs throwing a fit(that's where he's used) and...Musgraves. 

Wicks I believe will figure it out. 
Doubs...I really hope does. 
Melton -I hope the big catches/games last year weren't the best we see from him as he looked really good. 
Musgrave -I don't need him to improve like Kraft has, but he was a BIG part of the offense last year and he's so long and athletic and...not getting the ball. 

 

That group needs to step up. I'm happy the ball to Reed was a catch, but that was 1st down, right? That's a bad decision. 
The pick 6 I'm actually fine with. He's out of the pocket(but in the EZ) and he's trying to just throw it away, he gets hit... as Forrest says, 'it happens.' improve.

 

Also...Christian Watson is a HUGE piece of this offense. I don't care if he has 2 catches for 60 yards, he opens that defense up. I'm not entirely sure why given how little he's proven, but watching how many guys are zeroing in on Watson when he's in vs the defense when he's out, it's a big difference. 

 

I also think I'd give up 2 1sts and a kidney after watching Dexter Lawrence AGAIN just dominate and win that game for the Giants.  

[homer]

What are you defining as "intermediate"?

Against the Vikings:

[BrewerFan]

18 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I feel like Gary just runs straight into the tackle and is blocked on every single pass rush...thinking back to his days in college as a bigtime recruit that underperformed as a down lineman, I can't help but think the scheme change to a 4-3 may have warranted him bulking up a bit more and he just isn't as explosive as he was coming off the edge in a 3-4 as an OLB.  

I don't think the change should have necessitated anything. He was ~15 pounds bigger than Bosa as a 3-4 edge.

If he's gained weight...and it's hard for me to tell if he has or not, then it is on him. The problem is, we've got a lot of talented pass rushers and not one of those players who played vs the Rams has improved. In fact, they're all CLEARLY worse. 

 

Maybe someone else can tell me what type of One-Gape 4-3 Defense where you're playing man on the backend...are you not trying to get your DL up-field and just let them come after the QB. 

Our secondary has played well, even excluding McKinney. People are upset with Nixon and he's never been my favorite, but if you line him up in the slot vs a guy like Atwell, then give Stafford 3 seconds...he's gonna give up yards. 

If you put him outside vs Jefferson and it takes a perfect pass to beat him, he' done his job. You don't expect him to lock a guy up like Jaire or even Stokes. 

 

Through 5 games I feel alright about this team. Not great. They're a solid team. 

 

If the DL doesn't start playing like you expect them to, I don't see this team being able to win in the post-season.