[JackPMiller]

I hear Noteboom is out for the year.

[Curly Horns]

It's a real head scratcher. We've all heard how O Lineman love to be maulers and attack the defense with the run game. The line looked like a bunch of stud All-Pros on that opening drive. After McVay got stupid and tried to twice bust it up the gut at the goal line the OL was beaten and demoralized.

McVay is definitely not in tune with his OL. He doesn't seem to be putting them in positions to succeed. He needs to figure out what they can execute well at this point in their development. Instead he seems to be trying to fit them into the offense he wants to run.

[snackdaddy]

I think that relying on PFF's individual OL rankings is folly. An OL is a unit. If they're not working in unison and completing their assignments, the whole thing falls apart. So, while you can evaluate individuals (i.e. Whit isn't playing as well as last year, Saffold > Noteboom, etc.), in the end its a question of how the unit is performing.

You seem to be of the opinion that play calling is the bigger issue. While I agree that McVay's play calling has been questionable this year, I strongly feel that he's handcuffed by the inability to win the "battle of the trenches" on a consistent basis.

I agree PFF is not the be all end all source for the success or failure of players and positions. But face it, the line was good last year and they ranked our individual players high. They're bad this year and our individual players are ranked very low. Seems pretty cut and dry that PFF is right that our linemen are ranked near the bottom when you see the results game after game.

[phoenixrising]

My thoughts...

Whitworth: showing his age, about what I expected, still doing a decent job.

Noteboom: Still have high hopes for him, but he's not a guard. More finesse than agression.

Brian Allen: Not ready, not sure he'll ever be a guy that can root out big DL's.

Blythe: Very good, but undersized zone blocker and decent in pass pro. D's shutting down outside zone has neutralized his strong points and exposed weaknesses. Struggles with big, strong, athletic DT's but who doesn't?

Havenstein: I think Hav is getting a lot of undue criticism. When an edge rusher has to run 10 yards upfield to turn the corner, the OT has done his job. This should give QB 3 sec. to throw. Well, that's exactly what Dee Ford did to Hav and found a statuesque Goff who has regressed to his old habit of not stepping up in the pocket. But all I hear/read is Hav was badly beaten. No, turning the corner at 6 or 7 yds is getting badly beaten. Also doesn't help that the interior pocket is collapsing.

Demby: Hopeless in pass pro.

From a coaching/scheme standpoint:

Yes, offense was built around Gurley and the run game, but the passing game was built on having a long time to throw. The WR's get deep quickly and were often the first option. The slower develping patterns were run underneath and these secondary options were impossible to stop when given time.

So teams have learned to shut down the outside game--zone stretch plays, screens, jet sweeps, even bubble screens and checkdowns to Gurley. The Rams' bread and butter plays. Stacking the outside means the interior DL's don't have to move with zone blocking and the interior OL's have to block a stationary target one-on one. This is where they fail.

So how do the Rams adjust? Well the middle has been left open on defense. You can attack with an inside running game and I think that is the Rams' preferred option. But they don't have the OL personnel to execute. That was made plain in the SF game. You can attack with WR quick slants, but that is non-existent in the Rams arsenal and I'm not sure you want to send Cooks and Woods into waiting LB's. You can attack with slot, TE's, RB's. This is where the Rams have had some success--throwing to Kupp, Everett and Higbie. I would keep going to that well over and over until they stop it. But I'm not sure McVay is ready yet to make Everett the focal point of his offense. And it's pretty clear they aren't going to throw to Gurley downfield. So get Henderson some throws.

So obviously the OL is not playing well. But many teams have the same problem. Look at the Niners. Garapalo didn't have any more time than Goff. But he's given quick, underneath throws. Every team the Rams play does the same thing. McVay is going to have to change things up to give Goff more of those layups.

[aeneas1]

My thoughts...

Whitworth: showing his age, about what I expected, still doing a decent job.

Noteboom: Still have high hopes for him, but he's not a guard. More finesse than agression.

Brian Allen: Not ready, not sure he'll ever be a guy that can root out big DL's.

Blythe: Very good, but undersized zone blocker and decent in pass pro. D's shutting down outside zone has neutralized his strong points and exposed weaknesses. Struggles with big, strong, athletic DT's but who doesn't?

Havenstein: I think Hav is getting a lot of undue criticism. When an edge rusher has to run 10 yards upfield to turn the corner, the OT has done his job. This should give QB 3 sec. to throw. Well, that's exactly what Dee Ford did to Hav and found a statuesque Goff who has regressed to his old habit of not stepping up in the pocket. But all I hear/read is Hav was badly beaten. No, turning the corner at 6 or 7 yds is getting badly beaten. Also doesn't help that the interior pocket is collapsing.

Demby: Hopeless in pass pro.

From a coaching/scheme standpoint:

Yes, offense was built around Gurley and the run game, but the passing game was built on having a long time to throw. The WR's get deep quickly and were often the first option. The slower develping patterns were run underneath and these secondary options were impossible to stop when given time.

So teams have learned to shut down the outside game--zone stretch plays, screens, jet sweeps, even bubble screens and checkdowns to Gurley. The Rams' bread and butter plays. Stacking the outside means the interior DL's don't have to move with zone blocking and the interior OL's have to block a stationary target one-on one. This is where they fail.

So how do the Rams adjust? Well the middle has been left open on defense. You can attack with an inside running game and I think that is the Rams' preferred option. But they don't have the OL personnel to execute. That was made plain in the SF game. You can attack with WR quick slants, but that is non-existent in the Rams arsenal and I'm not sure you want to send Cooks and Woods into waiting LB's. You can attack with slot, TE's, RB's. This is where the Rams have had some success--throwing to Kupp, Everett and Higbie. I would keep going to that well over and over until they stop it. But I'm not sure McVay is ready yet to make Everett the focal point of his offense. And it's pretty clear they aren't going to throw to Gurley downfield. So get Henderson some throws.

So obviously the OL is not playing well. But many teams have the same problem. Look at the Niners. Garapalo didn't have any more time than Goff. But he's given quick, underneath throws. Every team the Rams play does the same thing. McVay is going to have to change things up to give Goff more of those layups.

well done, great post!