SB Nation - Jonathan Wade

Boller at the bat

VanRam — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:39:57 -0000

St. Louis Rams quarterback Kyle Boller gets the start today.

Good morning St. Louis Rams fans. It's Kyle Boller day, so prepare yourselves. For what? Don't know.

If you've noticed an absence of preview info this week, there's a perfectly good explanation for that. Despite the matchups, despite the best laid game plans, the Rams have consistently undermined themselves this season, whether it's bad penalties, dropped passes, turnovers, etc. Until this team, especially the offense, can play solidly without beating themselves, they will not win a game...unless the other team plays even worse. So you can talk about cornerbacks versus receivers, linebackers versus running backs and all that jazz, but until the Rams stop with the self-inflicted wounds, none of it matters.

Random thoughts on today's game:

Marc Bulger is out; Kyle Boller is in. Are we really convinced that one guy's ability to scramble is the difference maker? I'm not. However, I do think change is good, and the coaches might finally be convinced to open up the playbook a little more. How, I don't know, but sometimes different is enough.
Donnie Avery can salvage his season today. One big catch and we'll all forgive the dropped passes, etc. To do that, he's going to need another competent threat to catch passes, and that should be...
Keenan Burton, who looks primed for a breakthrough. He hasn't seen much time, but he's made some nice catches with nice gains. And the playbook...
Open it up. It's safe to say that the 49ers will be firmly focused on Steven Jackson. I'm no coach, but I might try to make some throws behind that 8-10 man box.
Rush the passer. The 49ers have one of the highest sack totals allowed in the league. And without Frank Gore that puts more of the work on Shaun Hill. DO NOT get beat by Shaun Hill.
Even if Bartell plays, Jonathan Wade is the top CB today.

We'll have a thread up for the early games, and, of course, one for the Rams. San Francisco is a 10 point favorite.

Chapter 2, Game 3 - vs. Green Bay Packers (Sept. 27th)

3k — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:27:57 -0000

Introductions are lame. I have to try and think of something interesting to write here that doesn't really say anything so that I leave all the high quality content you expect of me in the body. It's probably my least favorite aspect of these previews. So screw this, and let's get into the preview.

Breakdown of the home opener after the fold.

For game-specific info, check out the SBN event page for this game. For Redskins news leading up the game, check out Acme Packing Company.

St. Louis Rams, 0-2, 4th - NFC West

Green Bay Packers, 1-1, t-2nd - NFC North

Parentheses include NFL rankings in that area. Statistics taken from ESPN & FootballOutsiders.

STL pass - 32/64, 50% (31st), 145 yds/gm (31st), 1 TD, 0 int, 69.5 rat, -11.4% pDVOA (29th)

GB pass D - 32/59, 54.2%, 217 yds/gm, 4 TD, 6 int (t-1st), 62.9 rat, -42.7% pdDVOA (2nd)

This is a very strong, ball hawk defense led by the strength of their CB corps: Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Will Blackmon and Tramon Williams. Sadly, the Rams' offense has scored as many points as Green Bay's defense.

The reality of this matchup is that Bulger is going to have to work around these guys. That means more underneath play trying to work into the LBs through the air or going over the top and trying to link up with either Laurent Robinson or Donnie Avery against the Pack's safeties. In fact, this might be the best opportunity the Rams have had at going deep with some of the chaos at the back of the Packers' D. Nick Collins is a solid FS, but he's dealing with a chest injury that might hold him out of Sunday's contest. On the other side, the SS position is up in the air. Atari Bigby started in week 1, but was injured soon after and he's out for another two weeks. That injury pushed Aaron Rouse into action, but Rouse was cut...yesterday. The Packers went out and signed former Colt Matt Giordano, but he'll still have to compete with with Jarrett Bush and Derrick Martin for the starting gig. If we don't go after the SS with some deep passes, expect me to call out the coaching in the game thread early.

STL run - 19.5 rsh/gm, 101.5 yds/gm (20th), 5.2 yds/carry (5th), 0 TD, -3.5% rDVOA (18th)

GB run D - 32.5 rsh/gm, 118.5 yds/gm (18th), 3.6 yds/carry, 1 TD, -9.7% rdDVOA (14th)

The statistics speak for themselves from a Rams' standpoint: 5th in yards per carry, but 20th in yards per game. With so many truncated drives, the Rams aren't getting the ball to Steven Jackson nearly enough. One might argue that his explosiveness in terms of YPC might drop if he were used more, but I'd be willing to see his yards per drop if his total yards jumped. Defensive fatigue is a statistic that isn't measured but has a huge impact.

Defensively, Green Bay boasts an enviable 3-4 LB group anchored by the trio of ILBs A.J. Hawk & Nick Barnett, and LOLB Aaron Kampman. It'll be a great matchup to see what Steven Jackson can do at the second level, He should get enough help again from the O-line to be effective. I'd just like to see him be effective more often.

STL O-line - 4 sacks allowed/game (t-18th), 5.2% ASR (Adj. Sack Rate) (16th)

GB D-line - 4 sacks/game (t-12th), 6.0% ASR (12th)

To put Green Bay's sack total in perspective, half of those sacks have come from OLBs (Brandon Chillar and rookie Clay Matthews). Still, the nature of the 3-4 means that OLBs play a significant role in the pass rush, so this becomes a bit of a hybrid section since the Rams' O-line will have to deal with a NT, two 3-4 DEs and whichever blitzing defenders come on any given play. It will require a bit more awareness, but the Rams' O-line should be up to the task. The real question mark going into this battle will be Adam Goldberg and how different he will be from Jason Smith. He'll have to deal with some combination of Johnny Jolly (great name) and Kampman mostly.

GB pass - 19/26, 73.1% (5th), 187 yds/gm, 2 TD, 0 int, 87.0 rat, 20.4% pDVOA (18th)

STL pass D - 48/72, 66.7%, 258 yds/gm (25th), 3 TD, 2 int, 90.1 rat, 25.8% pdDVOA (24th)

Green Bay's yard total is skewed by the 73 yards incurred by 10 sacks, but they still should be factored in. Unlike Bulger last week, Aaron Rodgers, in week 1, tossed a TD to win at home against Chicago. Granted, it was a 50-yard TD which negated the need for an Elway-like "drive", but it was a game-winning TD nonetheless, that obscured an otherwise Bulgerish game - 16 for 27, 134 yds., 0 TDs. Last week, Cincinnati was able to pressure Rodgers all game with 6 sacks (5 by Antwan Odom alone) and 4 knockdowns which kept him off base all game. Greg Jennings didn't log a single reception. This should be the template for Sunday.

The pressure should force Rodgers to try to make things happen on his own, which should have Ron Bartell, James Butler and especially Oshiomogho Atogwe salivating. It should also give us a great look at Jonathan Wade and Justin King who will find themselves against either Donald Driver or Jennings - a simple matchup by no means. Still, if the last two weeks were any indication, the Rams should be able to hold Rodgers to an agreeable finish by Rams fans' standards.

GB run - 20 rsh/gm, 82.5 yds/gm (23rd), 4.1 yds/carry (16th), 2 TD, 15.6% rDVOA (9th)

STL run D - 67 rsh/gm (t-4th), 146 yds/gm, 4.4 yds/carry (21st), 1 TD, -1.5% rdDVOA (20th)

Ryan Grant looks like a shadow of the running back who terrorized defenses as a rookie in 2007 and showed promise by performing with a target on his head in 2008. You have to hope he doesn't come into this game motivated to prove his first two games were a fluke (a la Donnie Avery), because he's still as talented as he was the last two years. This should be a good test for our LBs now that they don't have a premier receiving TE to deal with. Neither Jermichael Finley nor Donald Lee will be huge receiving threats, though the two did combine for 8 catches and 84 yards against Cincinnati, though that was partly because Greg Jennings wasn't a factor. That being said, the LBs should be able to handle the TEs enough that they can focus on holding Ryan Grant to a third straight disappointing performance.

GB O-line - 3 sacks allowed/game (t-18th)

STL D-line - 0 sack/game (t-29th)

This is where the Rams will either beat the Packers or beat themselves. Green Bay's offensive line has been more sieve-ic than civic this season, averaging 5 sacks against per game. This should continue to be a less than stellar line as long as Chad Clifton is out, which includes Sunday and may extend to Green Bay's divisional contest with Minnesota.

Bear in mind, though, this recipe includes 1 part Packer O-line, and 1 part Rams D-line. The Rams have been ineffective in getting pressure to the QB. If St. Louis wants to hold the Driver-Jennings duo to a manageable result, a pass rush is a necessity. Cincinatti did it by relying on their RDE. Chicago did it with their entire D-line and some blitz packages. As a Rams fan, I can honestly say I don't give a damn how we approach it, but we have to get at Aaron Rodgers early and often.

In light of Van's recent mini-diatribe on the circle jerk that is ESPN, this week's top 3 storylines brought to you by ESPN's favorite stories of 2009:

1.) Brett Favre is back: He is, and this is annoying, almost as annoying as seeing Bulger sit in the pocket for 5 seconds without throwing the ball. The pass protection he's gotten has been leagues better than the past two seasons, but now that he's got it, what can he do with it? Thus far not much. And that is annoying as hell, or as I tend to say, Favreing as hell.

2.) Michael Vick is back: The classic redemption story played through the eyes of a ghetto Adonis whose disdain for dogs broke him and remade him again. I get it. He went from being a stud to a villain who is now on his way to role model. Why? Because ESPN made sure it molded the caricature of Michael Vick at every step, the same way Spagnuolo is molding his team with every game. We saw it in week 1 with the NFL readiness of rookies like Jason Smith and James Laurinaitis. We saw it in week 2 with the reform of Richie Incognito. We'll see it soon in the rebirth of Donnie Avery. Spags is to the Rams what ESPN is to Vick - a constant source of promotion and energy.

3.) ESPN is back: There's nothing ESPN loves to remind you of more than something that's coming on ESPN. You didn't have to watch Monday Night Football before, really. You could if you wanted to. But now? You have to. Everybody does. Don't be that asshole; watch it. Why the difference? Because it's on ESPN. They ignored soccer from the day they turned on the cameras in Bristol. They mocked it as the pussy sport, the sport Americas don't like for good reason. Then around 2007, they started promoting it more and more. Why? They had rights to the World Cup and were aggressively pursuing rights to the English Premier League and the Spanish league (La Liga) which they finally accrued for this season. So now, you should be classy enough to like soccer. Don't be that neanderthal from west Texas who still doesn't accept soccer for what it is. It's somewhat like TST. We pound memes into people's heads. Last year, it was "we should be playing better." Now, it's "we will be playing better." And one day, hopefully one day soon, it will be " we are playing better." It's going to come, and it's going to be on....like another ESPN show with blowhard pundits who spend less time digesting sports' importance and more time regurgitating it.

Go Rams.

Where's Admiral Ackbar When You Need Him?

Mitchell_M — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:32:08 -0000

Because you know he's got the warning for this week.

Hmm, maybe that didn't get the point across like I wanted it to.

Not quite. It's urgent enough, but just not enough repetition...

Ah, here. This is exactly how I want to say it.

Packers. Rams. Week 3. Other short statements. After the jump.

Green Bay put up an uneven performance in week 1 against Chicago. Then they followed that with a positively dismal performance (Charles Woodson excluded, of course) against Cincinnati. Now, they sit at 1-1, and I'm sure many eyes are looking forward to the October 5th showdown between Green Bay and division-leading Minnesota.

But the NFL season, much like the flow of time, is completely chronological and cannot be disturbed. Unless of course your home city suffers a major catastrophe and you're awarded a "home" game in New York. But lets hope that doesn't happen.

The point of this mini-diatribe is that Green Bay has to play the St. Louis Rams before even thinking about the Vikings. And yes, I know, St. Louis has been dreadful for years, but so was Cincinnati (excluding 2006). They started out the year by getting shut out 28-0 to Seattle, and last week lost in an ~~epic~~ ~~entertaining~~ ~~watchable~~ ~~tolerable~~ ~~mediocre~~ awful 9-7 game against Washington. This team has problems. But do you want a repeat of last week? Me neither. So without further delay, let's get to it.

STL rushing vs. GB defense: Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson. The first-round pick in fantasy drafts everywhere has struggled over the last few years, usually because of injuries to St. Louis' sorry excuse for an offensive line and virtual lack of any semblance of a passing game. It's hard to run the ball when you're going up against 10 in the box.

That said, Jackson is still one of the top RBs in the game in terms of athleticism, versatility, and talent. Over two games, Jackson has amassed 171 yards on 33 carries, resulting in an excellent 5.2 ypc. He's been kept out of the end zone and hasn't had his usual impact on the passing game, but the potential is always there. Jackson had several injuries hampering his production in 2008, and he seems to have bounced back and looks healthy.

Up front is where St. Louis has suffered so much in recent years. On the left side, Alex Barron is a man who, as some critics put it, looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. He is a monster at 6'7", 300+ lbs, and has the strength, agility, and quickness to dominate in both run and pass blocking. Unfortunately, Barron's biggest deficiency is work ethic, which undermines his consistency and keeps him a marginal starter (at best). The rest of the line (from LG to RT) is manned by Jacob Bell (6'5", 300), Jason Brown (6'3", 328), the ever mysterious Richie Incognito (6'3", 324), and Adam Goldberg (6'7, 309). Goldberg is starting in place of the injured rookie Jason Smith.

Green Bay did an excellent job in keeping Matt Forte under wraps in week 1, but then imploded when faced with the powerful blocking of Cincinnati's special run-blocking sub package of offensive linemen. The clever coaching maneuver torched the Packers to the tune of 141 yards on 29 carries. Naturally, this was helped by Green Bay's inability to wrap up on tackles, taking good angles towards ball carriers, and converging on the running back whenever a hole opened up.

Advantage: Push. Does Green Bay have a dominant run defense that had a bad day against Cincy? Or do they have a poor run defense that had a good day against Chicago? That debate, along with the juxtaposition of Steven Jackson's talent against his offensive line's limitations makes this matchup a complete draw.

STL passing vs. GB defense: For Steven Jackson, the offensive line made life in the NFL a nightmare. However, nobody suffered more than Marc Bulger. You think Aaron Rodgers has happy feet after two games? Imagine getting pounded into mush week in and week out for at least 3 seasons. Marc Bulger was the conductor of the second phase of the Greatest Show on Turf, and was fairly effective until his protection vanished. He is still an above-average quarterback with decent accuracy, decent arm strength, average mobility, and the ability to read coverages and make the necessary throws (if he has time, of course).

Bulger has always found success whenever surrounded with skilled teammates. Unfortunately for him, that is no longer the case. Steven Jackson is an outstanding receiver, but the rest of the receiving corps includes the like of Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, TE Randy McMichael, and the recently-departed Ruvell Martin. Avery has a little bit of speed on vertical routes, and Martin and McMichael have excellent size, but that's all that is notable about this group. As far as pass blocking goes, the Rams' success depends on three things: good line calls from center Jason Brown (their best lineman, but currently dealing with a knee injury), a motivated Alex Barron, and a healthy Jason Smith. They've already lost one of those, so protection will really be at a premium if Green Bay decides to bring heavy pressure.

Of course, that's if Green Bay can afford to bring pressure. The situation at safety is certainly a red flag for the Packers' pass defense. With Atari Bigby out and Nick Collins' availability (currently "day-to-day") unknown, and Aaron Rouse cut in favor of Matt Giordano, Dom Capers' playcalling figures to be much more vanilla than some of us would like. Cullen Jenkins and Clay Matthews both showed off their pass rushing skills last week by recording sacks, and Charles Woodson (2 INT, 1 TD) continues his quest to single-handedly carry the team when the offense isn't working.

Advantage: Green Bay. This defense can get to the quarterback, and no team is more vulnerable than this St. Louis squad missing its top draft pick. If they get a chance to blitz, expect another dominating performance.

GB rushing vs. STL defense: Ryan Grant was a huge disappointment in 2008, but his new contract, attendance at training camp, and a healed hamstring make it look like he's ready to shine again. He hasn't found much help up front, limiting him to 107 yards on 30 carries, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn't think he'd have better stats if he hadn't been limited to 3 carries in the second half of the Cincy game.

With Clifton out for the forseeable future with a sprained ankle, the offensive line is shuffled once again. The lineup, from left to right, will likely be Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, and Allen Barbre. According to Jason Wilde, there are several other options that the team is considering, including moving Barbre from RT to LT and promoting either Breno Giacomini or T.J. Lang to RT. This would keep the interior line of Colledge-Spitz-Sitton intact.

With so much uncertainty, Green Bay's chances of mounting an effective ground attack are up in the air. Fortunately, St. Louis is far from a stalwart run defense. As a team, they're giving up 146 yards per game. This is even more glaring when considering their first opponent (Seattle) is no longer a powerhouse rushing team. Still, despite giving up large chunks of yardage, the Rams' run defense did not allow Clinton Portis to score in Week 2. The addition of James Laurinaitis and return to health of Will Witherspoon more than makes up for the release of Pisa Tinoisamoa, and the tandem of Clifton Ryan and Jake Long are fairly strong against run blockers. However, Adam Carriker's trip to the I.R. promoted the undersized Gary Gibson to start alongside the aging Leonard Little, leaving the right side of their defensive line vulnerable to the run. Nobody in St. Louis' secondary can be described as a run-stopper.

Advantage: Green Bay, but only if they actually call run plays. If Grant sees less than five carries in a half, you'll know something went wrong. If there's a team vulnerable to a strong running game, it's the 2009 Rams.

GB passing vs. STL defense: Aaron Rodgers looked like a world-beater in the preseason...until teams started stepping up their pass rush and the offensive tackles forgot how to pass block. Allen Barbre made remarkable improvement from the first week to the second, but he will have his hands full with Leonard Little. The winner Barbre-Little matchup will likely determine the owner of the RT position for the rest of the season. On the other side, Jake Long is a capable pass rusher in the mold of Aaron Kampman before he got famous (unathletic but high motor, poor mechanics but determined, blah blah blah...) Whoever starts at LT (most likely Daryn Colledge) won't have as difficult of a matchup as the RT (Barbre), but still a matchup to pay attention to.

St. Louis' pass defense is ranked 25th in the league, giving up 258 yards per game. This is largely because of the average defensive backfield they employ. At CB, Ronald Bartell and Jonathan Wade are merely decent players with an average skill set. They're not lightning fast or amazing athletes or strong bump-and-run style corners; they're just guys who go out and try to execute whatever coverage is given to them.

Their situation at safety is better with James Butler and Oshiomogho Atogwe starting with our beloved Anthony Smith filling the backup role for both positions. Both Butler and Atogwe are young players with good experience starting in the NFL, they're both rangy athletes who can cover space, and Atogwe in particular has a knack for finding the ball. Neither one is particularly strong in run support, but they won't shy away from it either.

Aaron Rodgers' protection is priority #1 on offense, but catching passes is a close #2. In both games, the dependable cast of Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson have all had at least one dropped ball. Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant also have drops, but Finley is still maturing and Grant has never been a good receiver. The return of Brandon Jackson to practice on Wednesday might give Rodgers another weapon on passing downs, but that shouldn't matter. The talent is there, and Rodgers has done an excellent job keeping control of the ball despite getting batted around like a ball of yarn in the first two weeks. If the receivers can shake off whatever is keeping them from catching passes, Rodgers' punishment at least won't be in vain.

Advantage: Green Bay by a slight margin. Again, the talent is there; they just need to execute.

Preliminary Verdict: Green Bay has an excellent chance of bouncing back from the Cincinnati debacle and playing a dominant game against the Rams. But be warned, if the players are thinking more about Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and You Know Who than they are Steven Jackson, Jake Long, and Marc Bulger, expect another major disappointment (and even more Vikings fans coming to the site to let us know that the Packers failed.)

Let's put it this way: Neither team has very much momentum right now. Green Bay has higher aspirations for this season, so they could definitely use the boost. Hopefully, they don't overlook the Rams like some people feel they did the Bengals.

Poll

What outcome do you see for Week 3 vs. St. Louis?

Big GB win.

213 votes

Slim GB win.

149 votes

Too close to call.

32 votes

Slim STL win.

36 votes

Big STL win.

22 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Justin Forsett Saves the Season (Maybe)

John Morgan — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:12:25 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

We haven't seen much pass blocking by Justin Forsett, but last Sunday he picked the exact right time to step up.

Browse more photos »

Nate Burleson capped the half with a well-timed skinny post for the touchdown. Burleson stutter stepped to stall at the top of his route. That allowed the defender to finish his backpedal into a deep zone. Burly then cut in front, used his body to shield him out of the play and made a touchdown reception that looked easy. Maybe it was.

Seattle started the second half with the ball. It set in trips right, a wide receiver left and Julius Jones in the backfield. On the surface, that's a pass play, but the trips were comprised of Nate Burleson, John Owens and John Carlson. Another way to look at it is, Seattle started the half in a two tight end set. It didn't, but that's how it played it.
Jones ran off right end. Owens effectively sealed the inside. Burleson and Carlson moved into the second level and both did an excellent job lead blocking. Jones second gear betrayed him, and he didn't slingshot around the end. I think Seattle invests in a speed back this next offseason. Jones can turn the corner, but he doesn't break away when he does. The run went for seven.
The Seahawks motioned Jones out wide-right where he became the fourth wide receiver in an empty set. Empty sets seem aggressive, but often they are actually ultra conservative. Offensive coordinators spread the defense horizontally and direct the quarterback to take a three step drop and fire. An offense can't withstand a blitz from an empty set, so the goal is get someone free and get the quarterback out of danger. Carlson ran a short out from the slot and Hasselbeck hit him for five.
Owens sealed the inside and Sean Locklear pulled out and engaged Will Witherspoon. The execution of the blocking was almost flawless, and give Locklear credit for engaging Witherspoon and walking him towards the sideline, but two things kept this play from popping. Owens couldn't hold the inside and Rams defensive end James Hall narrowed the hole. The other is again on Jones. He turned the corner but didn't hit the hole with much speed. I think maybe Jones hasn't become fully confident in the system and is still a little hesitant picking his rush lane. I don't think he's slow.
Hasselbeck found Housh for six to end the drive. Seattle needed seven. It was a Justin Forsett block from disaster. Seattle overloaded the right. Greg Knapp had used this formation before. The first ended with a nine yard pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh on first and ten. It put Housh in the slot and matched him against a linebacker. The second converted a long first down by isolating Burleson on one side and getting him one-on-one cover. The third attempted the same, but Burleson didn't high-point the ball.
This time Hasselbeck went back to Houshmandzadeh attacking the middle, but Steve Spagnuolo was prepared. He assigned two corners to defend the middle. Hasselbeck waited a beat too long to throw, and Justin King and Jonathan Wade closed on Housh before he could run past the marker.
On that same play, Spagnuolo had another trick that almost trapped the Hawks. The Rams set with only two down linemen, both ends, one standing defensive end, Chris Long, and one linebacker, James Laurinaitis. The rush targeted Seattle's weak side -- the side only a wide receiver was aligned. It would have worked if not for an incredible block by Justin Forsett.
O.J. Atogwe timed his blitz perfectly and ran around left end untouched. The Rams were only rushing four, but with a free blitzer fractions after the snap, it was working. Forsett crossed in front of Hasselbeck and hit Atogwe in stride, holding him off enough for Hasselbeck to throw. With the pass targeting an area with two corners, Forsett's block didn't just stop a sack, it could have stopped a turnover. It could have stopped Hasselbeck from hobbling off the field holding his back.

The Little Man with the Big Hands

John Morgan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:04:33 -0000

Steve Spagnuolo wanted to jam the outside receivers and flood the middle. He didn't count on tiny Deon Butler slapping Justin King away like a ho that couldn't pay. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Seattle followed the first down with a stretch right out of a three receiver set. The line pushed the Rams off the ball, but for no apparent reason, a crease never formed. Julius Jones ran nearly four yards behind his front five, but before he could break through, the backside caught up and Will Witherspoon tackled him. It wasn't a flashy play, but it was encouraging.

The Seahawks next ran one of those red-zone specials. A play without a purpose until things get crammed and picking up three is an accomplishment. It started two wide, but T.J. Houshmandzadeh motioned from right wide to left tight. That drew St. Louis' linebackers and safeties left.

Matt Hasselbeck ran play action, Justin Griffith released into the flat, the line pulled left and Julius Jones submarined unblocked end, Leonard Little. It was the beginning of a nifty little designed pass, but it ended with a familiar flub. Hasselbeck reset and threw a pass to Griffith. The ball hit him as he was breaking, but hit his back shoulder, against his momentum. Griffith jumped, kicked, twisted and attempted to reroute, but the delay was too much and David Vobora closed and knocked him out after one.

Third and five has the feel of third in long in the red zone. The shallow safeties and typically stacked box means a run is inadvisable. A team can run, but they better be good at it, and they better be prepared to go for it if they fail to convert.

Seattle had played itself into third down again, and in the old school world of the NFL, that meant convert or kick. Spags and Knapp were about to engage in a battle of wits.

Steve Spagnuolo wanted to jam the outside receivers and flood the middle. Greg Knapp wanted to overload the first down marker and create a mismatch for John Carlson in the end zone. As is often the case in the mismatched chess match that is the NFL, scheme canceled out and talent prevailed.

Seattle sets three wide, tight end, shotgun with Justin Forsett to Hasselbeck's right. St. Louis sets in a 4-2 nickel with man coverage on the outside. Before the snap, Houshmandzadeh motions in to behind the center and then back out to the left slot. Nickelback Jonathan Wade does not show man cover. Then things get complicated.

St. Louis rushes three, but Will Witherspoon is ready to delay blitz if necessary. The corners are up to jam. Ron Bartell jams Nate Burleson on the right and Justin King attempts to jam Butler on the left. Right defensive tackle Clifton Ryan drops into cover and along with Jonathan Wade, the two blanket T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Housh is running a quick in that doubles as a pick to free John Carlson. It does, but it doesn't. Carlson is covered by James Laurinaitis. Houshmandzadeh gives Carlson separation, but the Rams have strong safety James Butler playing over top ready to double team.

Burleson hasn't escaped Bartell. Witherspoon stops his blitz when he sees Forsett leaking into the right flat. He doesn't pursue Forsett, but looms. A pass to Forsett is sure to be tackled short. Hasselbeck can't scramble with Witherspoon so close. Carlson and Houshmandzadeh are double teamed. That leaves King the small task of jamming Butler to break the play and likely force a throw away.

But he doesn't. Butler takes two choppy steps up and left. The move forces King's hips open as he attempts to get inside position and a chance to jam Butler out of bounds. Butler raises his right arm and takes a long, low, almost kneeling step with his left leg. King bites on the motion and begins sidestepping to shadow. Butler torques his waist and swats King's left shoulder pad, knocking him towards the sideline and helping Butler drive into a hard slant right. He's wide open and Matt knows it.

Hasselbeck finds Butler for seven and the first. Deon, I see slants in your future.

Two plays later, Bartell busts coverage and Seattle scores it first touchdown of the season. The drive was over. It hung by a highwire more than once, but it was bold, smart and it never hanged itself with safe plays.

Seattle Seahawks First Scoring Drive: From Stretch to Screen

John Morgan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:32:59 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Julius Jones can receive and he has three level speed.

Browse more photos »

Julius Jones ran for one to start The Drive. The drive, the Seahawks first scoring drive of the season -- why did it work? Where did it falter? What can we learn about this team and this coaching staff by studying it?

The first play wasn't a mystery. Sean Locklear attempted a cut block and then rolled on his back like an upended beetle. His assignment, Clifton Ryan, closed the cutback lane and tackled Jones in the crease. Locklear slowed Ryan and stalled backside pursuit. He didn't stop Ryan and that stopped Jones.

The next play was a screen pass to Jones. That's when things got interesting.

Seattle's duplicates it previous formation but flips John Carlson to the left. St. Louis is in a 4-3, but in Spags fashion, the middle linebacker is challenging the left "A" gap.

Ray Willis and Sean Locklear allow the ends to cave the exterior pocket, but neither loses control of their defender. The interior line holds position until Justin Griffith can pass Max Unger's right shoulder. That's the signal to pull. Rob Sims throws a wicked push block on Clifton Ryan and uses that separation to run towards the left flat. Steve Vallos drops his double team with Unger and runs a more vertical route into the second level but towards the third. Will Witherspoon drops coverage from Carlson and attempts a tackle. Matt Hasselbeck retreats right and away from Locklear and targets Jones just as he clears the right defensive end.

Sims cut blocks Witherspoon and Jones is sprung to the second level. Vallos flattens his angle and drops O.J. Atogwe. Nate Burleson stands up Jonathan Wade. Jones runs behind the downed Sims, weaves behind Vallos and must only navigate James Laurinaitis and Wade to take a head of steam into the third level. Carlson moves up to block Laurinaitis, but can't control or even stagger him. Laurinaitis keeps Carlson out of his body, shades towards Jones and disengages to hit him head on and wrap. Jones lowers his shoulder and carries the play another two yards. It's a nine yard gained marked as eight.

Essential details: The offensive line is coordinated.

Steve Vallos executes impeccably.

Rob Sims shows power, quickness, agility and an ability to cut block in the open field.

Carlson's receiving presence draws Witherspoon and takes him out of position, but his blocking ends the play.

The Origin of SeaCat: Matt Hasselbeck to Seneca Wallace for 24

John Morgan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:29:08 -0000

Matt Hasselbeck was hitting his receivers out of their cuts and that helped turn some iffy decisions into complete passes. It's a high stakes game, but with the kind of separation the Deion Branch-less receiver corps was getting, it was a game Hasselbeck sometimes had to play. Seattle ran Edgerrin James from the four and then Hasselbeck connected with Burleson to get Seattle out of jail.

Burleson then ran a wide receiver screen. He had good lead blocking by Sean Locklear and Rob Sims. An effort that reinforced my belief Spencer and Sims are not slow or swamp-footed, just not exacting enough to pull off Mike Holmgren's scheme. Beck hit Houshmandzadeh with a quick hitter for nine and then James picked his hole in a flash for two and the first. Efficient football, yes, but no kind of preparation for the SeaCat.

There's not a lot I can tell you a .gif cannot show you, but here are a few observations.

1. The play is not unbalanced, as the left side has two people and the right side has three.

2. It does feature a funky cluster on the right that should have tipped St. Louis off.

3. Oh yeah, and Hasselbeck at wide out.

4. Edgerrin James was free on the right, but you do not improvise in the middle of a trick play.

5. John Carlson was running into triple coverage. That's the power of a playmaker away from the ball.

6. There wasn't a key block. The closest thing to a key block was Rey Willis blocking right corner Jonathan Wade, but Wallace was likely to pass Wade anyway.

7. Max Unger cut blocked. James chipped and Steve Vallos fell on O.J. Otogwe, but to little effect.

Deception and Seneca Wallace netted a 24 yard gain.

Then Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception. The blame can be spread. Seattle sets with Burleson left, Houshmandzadeh right, Carlson right and in an "I" formation. The Rams are 4-3 neutral. Hasselbeck runs play action. Seattle keeps seven blockers in, and that leaves Hasselbeck with only three receivers. The Rams defensive line cuts left and Ron Bartell runs a corner blitz. That means Houshmandzadeh is not covered by a corner. Chris Long works to Willis' inside shoulder and is the defender that eventually pressures Hasselbeck into his throw. Burleson ran a hook route that didn't feature much hook.

Houshmandzadeh could have adjusted his route, maybe. Willis could have won his battle. Hasselbeck could have checked down to Justin Griffith open in the left flat. Greg Knapp could have called something other than max-protect. Burleson could have come back farther. The throw was the killer, though. Hasselbeck looked down Houshmandzadeh, didn't see anything he liked, looked quickly to the left, saw Burleson breaking, presumably saw Long coming free, and whipped it off his back foot. It floated towards Burleson and Otogwe broke back nearly five yards to catch it.

Nate Burleson Barely Avoids an Interception

John Morgan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:05:52 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Burly, you're awesome. Now finish your routes.

Browse more photos »

Seattle motions T.J. Houshmandzadeh from right to left and sets in a two wide left, two tight end right, single back formation. The Rams are 4-3 man and flash their outside linebackers in "A" gap blitz before the snap. David Vobora blitzes, Will Witherspoon drops back. Seattle gets good push. Only Sean Locklear sags. The Rams match defensive tackle, playing end, Darrell Scott against Locklear and the bull rush bullies him back. Then a funny thing happens. A crease appears between Locklear and Rob Sims, but Jones idips behind Locklear and takes a circuitous path to the outside. He rushes for eight. Bad decision/good outcome?

Seahawks stretch right, but Steve Vallos is driven deep into the pocket and Jones must break a tackle well before reaching the line. Vobora and Chris Long finish for a loss of one.

Nate Burleson slants but stops before contacting Jonathan Wade. Matt Hasselbeck throws to the spot instead of the man and only Wade's bobble prevents Burleson from creating a pick.

Punt.

Seattle Seahawks Recover Fumble, Flip Odds Through Failure

John Morgan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:56:42 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Seattle flipped the odds in its favor by recovering a forced fumble off the opening kickoff. Three plays later, it would repay the turnover and flip the odds back to the Rams.

Browse more photos »

Lance Laury shoved David Roach aside and speared the football from Donnie Avery's grasp. The ball caromed to Will Herring and he fell on it for an easy recovery. It was all easy. Seahawks recover on the St. Louis 19. Without hardly an effort, their win probability shot up to 65%.

Ease cheapened the victory for many. The Rams were 2-14 in 2008 and nearly as bad per play as the winless Lions. Of course, Seattle was 4-12. Had it lost a slim victory against St. Louis in week 15, it would have been 3-13 and in a virtual tie with the 3-13 Rams. If Super Bowl contender is the beginning standard, a satisfying victory versus the Rams is unattainable. If 4-12 is the standard, yesterday was a hoot.

Seattle is not guaranteed to be a good team. It reinforced that doubt in the resulting offensive series.

John Carlson motioned out of tight end and Seattle aligned in a three wide receiver, "I" formation. The Seahawks attempted to stretch right, but Rob Sims and Max Unger struggled to sustain their blocks and the hole collapsed around Julius Jones.

Cameron Morrah motioned on the next play. He sprinted from right-tight to left wide out and turned an ultra-conservative, two tight end, single receiver, "I" formation into a moderately conservative two wide receiver-"I". The motion worked. Cornerback Jonathan Wade moved off wide receiver Nate Burleson and over to Morrah. Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe moved left to cover Burleson. Matt Hasselbeck ran a weak play action and gunned it to Burleson. The accuracy and timing were on. The pass targeted Burleson in the numbers, but between the ball and Burleson was Atogwe, the best player in St. Louis' secondary and likely the best defender on the Rams. If it were a decision, it was a bad decision, but the play was planned and Hasselbeck didn't read, he reacted. The motion moved the man and Burleson was functionally one-on-one.

A second before the snap, a shadow crosses the field. Seattle has turned a gimme turnover into third and ten. It splits three wide, tight end and matches Justin Forsett to Hasselbeck in the shotgun. Seattle sends out five to receive. The Rams drop seven. It's nickel-man defense with a two-deep zone. Underneath receivers Forsett and Carlson are open, but short of the first. Deon Butler is covered on the right. Burleson has separation out of his cut, but Hasselbeck's read is T.J. Houshmandzadeh running a seam route out of the slot. He takes a three step drop and fires high to Housh. He is double covered. Wade tips it and James Butler recovers.

Win probability, 52% -- Rams.

Chapter 1, Game 4 - v. Kansas City Chiefs (Sept. 3rd)

3k — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:01:38 -0000

The History of the Governor's Cup, as told by 3k

In 1764, two French fur traders, Pierre Laclède and René Auguste Chouteau, arrived on a junction of two mighty rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi.

Pierre said to René, "My gud frien, we shall cull zeez pless 'St. Louis.' And one day zey shall 'ave for zemselves a football teem. Zey shall be zee 'Rams.' And every yee-er, zey shall play a teem from zee oowest. And we shall call zeez gehm zee 'Coupe du Duché.'"

"But Pierre," René said, "Certainement, zees is not zee American way, no? I propose to name zee game, "La Coupe de la Gouverneur."

Twenty-five short years later, France went a little kooky and went from this:

to this:

I'm still not really sure if that counts as a victory.

And that was how we came to tonight. Preview of the battle for the Governor's Cup after the fold.

For game-specific info, check out the SBN event page for this game. For Chiefs news leading up the game, check out Arrowhead Pride.

BTW, I'm going to be concise this time out. Beware....KC

St. Louis Rams, 2-1, 3rd - NFC West

Kansas City Chiefs, 0-3, 4th - AFC West

STL pass v. KC pass D

KC doesn't have a whole lot to be worried about. Brandon Flowers is decent, but the fact that he is IMO the best pass defender (along with Mike Brown) says a lot about KC's pass defense. In short, it's exploitable. Keep an eye on Keenan Burton who should get plenty of reps against a defense that is not top level.

STL run v. KC run D

This is all about depth. Samkon Gado? Kenneth Darby? Or even Antonio Pittman? I don't have the answers. What I do have is questions. In between those questions and answers lies (or is it lay?) Derrick Johnson. Johnson is a beast, but around him, it's pretty ugly. Could ActionJackson take advantage of this matchup? Easily. Can the guys behind him? We'll see.

STL O-line v. KC D-line

I'll be concise: this is the weakest D-line the Rams have faced / will face all preseason. Sure, Glenn Dorsey and Tamba Hali shows some promise. But if our O-line doesn't dominate their D-line as long as the tops are in, it should be viewed as a failure. Keep an eye on Tyson Jackson too see if he's a prospect or a nowspect.

KC pass v. STL pass D

This is an interesting matchup. I'm VERY high on Dwayne Bowe; at the same time, I'm very low on the rest of this passing attack. With Tye Hill gone, can Jonathan Wade step up? If not, who challenges him for PT? There's a ton to pay attention to with these two units for both teams. Keep an eye on the replays.

KC run v. STL run D

Yeah, Larry Johnson is a beast. But he won't get much of a look in this contest. For Rams fans, this should be another examination of the James-es; Laurinatis and Butler. Dealing with a team as poor as this (in all aspects) shouldn't be a barometer -- it should be a baseline for domination. Anything less is a failure.

KC O-line v. STL D-line

This is strange; for the Rams to see a unit that they can completely outplay is rare. Enjoy it before the game. If we don't see domination, we'll have something to yak on Wednesday on Turf Show Radio.

This week's top 3 storylines brought to you by famous people from St. Louis:

1.) Maya Angelou: Angelou famously penned I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It was soon followed by a sequel written by 3k titled I Don't Know Why the Tye Hill Sucked. In any case, this is a chance for the rest of the CB corps to step up and earn the reps that Hill had been handed.

2.) T.S. Eliot: Eliot brought poetry into the 20th century with The Waste Land, which despite what you might assume is not a poem about the Edward Jones Dome from 2005-2008. The pieces on offense will all be on the field in week 1 (barring anything wacky tonight); we could see an offense this season that deserves to don the blue and gold.

3.) Scott Bakula: Scott Bakula is widely regarded as the finest actor in human history. Bakula played the fundamentally significant part of Dr. Sam Beckett in the popular tv show Quantum Leap. To say this team has made a quantum leap from its dismal recent past would be premature. To rule it out would be shortsighted.

Tonight's game closes out the first chapter of the 2009 season. It's almost time to enjoy what drives Turf Show Times: regular season (and post-season, but let's not get ahead of ourselves) football. GO RAMS!