Rams Linebackers

[RhodyRams]

To me, our coordinators are doing a good job preparing a gameplan. But when we get a large lead, the opposing teams are changing what they are doing, and we are struggling adjusting to that.

This..it was the same with Spags and Suckahan.. there were games when we were right there in the first half, and then proceed to get blown out in the 2nd half...lousy half time adjustments have been the achilles heel for this team for a decade at least

 

[Da-Rock]

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Come on man they just won, cant we have 1 day of just feeling good before picking apart the win

???

I opened with compliments and then looked at the one area that almost cost us the game..........this was just one win.......the Rams haven't fixed much with the problems they have, but I can now see that they are trying.

I stated I was happy with the win against Seattle. I was entertained with the game and if they lost I would still have enjoyed it. The Rams did their job this week.............now lets see if they can do it again.

 

[jrry32]

Our LBs have been putrid this year and Ogletree made me so angry with his lack of football IQ against Seattle.

 

[the zohan]

All I was saying is cant we have a night to enjoy the win before picking apart the bad stuff

 

[Prime Time]

It might be good to remember that Alec Ogletree is not yet a seasoned veteran. He's only 23 and just played in his 22nd game in the NFL under two different coordinators.

 

[AZRamsFan93]

LB play is the biggest problem right now with the defense, no doubt. And the Seahawks/49ers are two teams that require good LB play with their QBs being able to scramble.

The good thing is overall this defense has the pieces, just need Ogletree to get to the point where he's not thinking. It's coming, IMO. Then draft another OLB this upcoming offseason, the LB corps does need an infusion of some more talent and depth.

Poor basic tackling techniques - like breaking down the runner (what he did not do on the Romo run) and staying on the outside shoulder (today against Wilson) does not come from "thinking too much". Defensive players are taught these skills from pee wee football forward. Ogletree is just not fundamentally a sound tackler, which makes me doubt if he will ever be a top linebacker in this league. We shall see.

 

[Penguin.]

No matter who is coaching you or how experienced you are, outside linebackers hold contain on the outside. He should be kicked in the ass for letting Wilson score that TD.

Don't even get me started on his mistackle against Baldwin.

 

[Debacled]

Poor basic tackling techniques - like breaking down the runner (what he did not do on the Romo run) and staying on the outside shoulder (today against Wilson) does not come from "thinking too much". Defensive players are taught these skills from pee wee football forward. Ogletree is just not fundamentally a sound tackler, which makes me doubt if he will ever be a top linebacker in this league. We shall see.

Again, I've preached this since before the season started. This is still a very young team, and you are going to see a lot more thinking than natural playing from guys out there. We are seeing a TON of it from the LBs, and Williams's scheme may be the root of it. New scheme + new CBA rules (less practice time) will mean more mistakes. Can only hope its a temporary thing that does not linger.

Another thing to note is that Williams is hanging guys out to dry on a bunch of plays. His love for the blitz leaves plenty of plays with little to no help (such as the Wilson TD with Tree and NOBODY else on that side of the field). With that said, still a bad play by him letting Wilson get outside of him, but still never a good idea to put a guy 1 on 1 with someone like Wilson.

 

[Oldgeek]

AO may have more raw talent than any other LB on the team. That said, I'd take less talent and better judgement at the position. He has to hold the edge and contain Wilson.

 

[fearsomefour]

Alec Ogletree played terribly. One of the worst performances I've seen in a while by a LB. These linebackers have too much talent to be so bad.

Ogletree has been the biggest disappointment to me. I really think this guy has elite talent and showed that last year as a rookie. Maybe the new D he is struggling to grasp, maybe his role in the D.
To me, time to simplify the D a bit. Two things we know. The secondary is much improved from last year and stands to get better and deeper when Tru returns. We know our D line can get after the passer if given the opportunity. Simplify the D and let it be good at what it is good at. The run blitzes are working pretty well, the other stuff not so much. I agree the LBs are too talented to be scuffling so badly. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

 

[Penguin.]

James and Jo-Lun are not exactly speedsters. I don't know why we send all these exotic blitzes if they are too slow to hit home. Our LBers just don't have the speed to cover all that ground to get to the QB. And if we send Ogletree, who is a horrible zone coverage guy on a blitz, our LBs are too slow to cover the speed TEs like Vernon.

Darren Bates is a real good ST player. We should give him a shot at Tree or Jo Lun's position for a game and see how it works.

 

[Robocop]

???

I opened with compliments and then looked at the one area that almost cost us the game..........this was just one win.......the Rams haven't fixed much with the problems they have, but I can now see that they are trying.

I stated I was happy with the win against Seattle. I was entertained with the game and if they lost I would still have enjoyed it. The Rams did their job this week.............now lets see if they can do it again.

yea apparently we can't dare criticize our team after a win without getting heckled. I tried it even after giving compliment and ended up having my thread locked. some ppl can't be civil. if someone doesn't like a thread a mature person would just ignore it not throw out meaningless comments to start arguments.

 

[12intheBox]

I was a big Ogletree fan before the 2012 draft - and have been waiting for him to make me look smart. I'll just be sitting over here in the corner now if anyone needs me.

 

[12intheBox]

I was a big Ogletree fan before the 2012 draft - and have been waiting for him to make me look smart. I'll just be sitting over here in the corner now if anyone needs me.

 

[BonifayRam]

Snead & Fisher will be looking to add some serious talent to this LB'er cadre in the 2015 draft. Would not surprise me to see several selected on the second day.

Rams older two Vets like 31 yr old Herring & 29 yr old Dunbar have very little upside & certainly will be in need of being pushed. 2nd yr Lb'ers Bates & Ogletree have some upside but have been mistake prone & as stated above Tree has been MIA. JL is our best LB'er but his cap cost of 10 million this season will cause some pause but he will remain a Ram for a long time. Rams have two Lb'ers on the PS Marshall McFadden ex Raider & Steeler & Denicos Allen.

Overall this area is not in all that good shape.

 

[BriansRams]

Beating the hawks was very very very awesome indeed. Celebrate all week for sure. But listen, I agree with many here. Our LB crew is below average. I'm worried.

 

[Athos]

Need a mass influx of LB talent.

I'm still a sad panda about missing out on Luke Kuechly, Dont'a Hightower, Mychal Kendricks, Bobby Wagner, Zach Brown, Lavonte David...2012 was such a good LB class.

 

[Mikey Ram]

Two things to ponder:

1) Schotty is dialing up an awesome game plan all the way to the 2nd half. Then he gets conservative
2) Williams has the D on point, holding the Hags to 6 points, then the half hits and we get conservative.

Does anyone here think that quite possibly the reason we start to tank in the second half is because they're both told to dial it back and play it safe? Just curious because it seems like they were both in a much better rhythm before the half. JMO

I wouldn't really think they're forced to back it off, but I don't know that...It looks to me like more a matter of not being to answer adjustments by the other team with their own...My point of contention has been for quite some time that if they can somehow find a way to play a 45-60 minute game as opposed to the 30-minute effort they seem to be able to muster, they can play with anybody in this league...I look forward to seeing what they bring to a very hostile environment against a real solid football team this week...

 

[BonifayRam]

Our Linebackers play this year has been one of the more disappointing things about the season. There is much to be desired........

Not so sure about what I am about to say here so I may need some assistance on this specific comment but I was of the understanding that the 2014 DC Gregg Williams defense placed Jo Dunbar & Alex Ogletree in opposite roles some from the roles they played in 2013 under Walton? That Tree would be more involved with the strong side & more involved with the TE's coverage. ????? The 2013 left side right side junk trashed and a new inserted strong/weak standard alinement lineup?

Bottom line we have certainly not seen Tree as the playmaker as he was as a rookie...same could be said about Dunbar who also has had less of an impact. One could also think that the Rams have been in a position where injuries to our CB's before the season began placed much more responsibilities on the LB'er cadre??

I need to remind myself that our defense was newly inserted this season. Our DC has been forced heavy to rely on four rookies in his defense since the season began. On Aug 16 our DC lost our top reserve CB Brandon McGee. McGee had been working as the Nickle & also on the outside CB post before injuring that foot. McGee is still unable to fully practice to this date! McGee is still listed week to week. This is a nagging oozing sore now for two yrs. Thus the Nickel post was turned over to a free safety rookie Joyner. One week later DC lost his best starting CB Trumaine Johnson to a knee injury. TJ is still limited in practice but may be closer to return than McGee. Thus we have another rookie who was a late third day draft pick EJ Gaines starting the season as a starting CB post! Thus the four current healthy Ram CB's playing since the season began has been THREE ROOKIES & Jenkins. Loss of Chris Long forced rookies Donald & Westbrook onto the field early.

Once the more experienced DB's young vets Johnson & McGee return to play we could also see another rookie enter. Our 2014 4th rd selection Mo Alexander who missed all of the OTA's after surgery on a knee he was also slow to be involved with the defense in camp too. So this rather large safety ex Lb'er 6-1 223 pounder could begin to show up on the field close to the LOS in certain defenses could help out the LB'er cadre some.

 

[Robocop]

Ogletree is playing like crap and Dunbar is old and slow but also I have no idea wtf GW is doing on defense so hes not exactly helping the situation. for God sakes I saw JL split out to the sideline covering a receiver last game!

 

[AZRamsFan93]

Snead & Fisher will be looking to add some serious talent to this LB'er cadre in the 2015 draft. Would not surprise me to see several selected on the second day.

Rams older two Vets like 31 yr old Herring & 29 yr old Dunbar have very little upside & certainly will be in need of being pushed. 2nd yr Lb'ers Bates & Ogletree have some upside but have been mistake prone & as stated above Tree has been MIA. JL is our best LB'er but his cap cost of 10 million this season will cause some pause but he will remain a Ram for a long time. Rams have two Lb'ers on the PS Marshall McFadden ex Raider & Steeler & Denicos Allen.

Overall this area is not in all that good shape.

Here's an idea - let's use some cap $$$ to get some proven veteran leadership in the LB corps. Throwing more rookies at the problem is not always the answer, unless your goal is to be the perpetual "youngest team in the league". My goal is to win.