Fans have grown frustrated seeing the Rams’ defensive backs standing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage on third-and-5. It’s allowed quarterbacks to hit quick, underneath passes for easy gains, making even limited players such as Jimmy Garoppolo look above average.
It’s all part of Raheem Morris’ defensive game plan. It’s all about limiting big plays and forcing offenses to sustain drives all the way down the field. For the most part, it works. But this season, it’s caused fans to question Morris’ approach and has played a part in the Rams’ struggles to pressure quarterbacks.
During a media session on Thursday, Morris was asked how the Rams can generate pressure while not sacrificing big plays down the field.
“I think that’s a great question, it’s fair. I don’t think you can do that without protecting the whole team. We live and die off not giving up explosives, and I think how we’re living and dying right now is if we’re able to not give explosives, we got a chance to win that game,” he said. “I think the story of the game last week was the explosive play in the first half, the double pass, the explosive play in the second half, the 58-yarder. Those things were the separators in the game and if you can limit those things and you can find a way to get off the ball and make people snap it one more time, that’s got to be the way we’ve got to win. There’ll be times where you’ve got to take your chances, you’ve got to take your shots, and you don’t want to be in those times a lot because that usually means you playing from behind. But when you can get in those spaces where you can create some energy, create some pass rush, those are the times you’ve got to be able to do it, and it’s just a little bit difficult right now.”
It’s essentially the definition of “bend, don’t break.” The Rams have bent at times this season, but they’ve also done a decent job limiting big plays. There’s plenty of room for this group to improve, seeing as they rank last in the NFL in total pressures and give up the eighth-most net yards per pass attempt, but the Rams have given up the fifth-fewest yards per game.
A lot of the quick pass attempts the Rams are facing have to do with Aaron Donald being in the middle of the defense rushing the passer, too.
“Aaron Donald. He’s the boogeyman,” he said. “You are going to come in with the ability to get the ball out fast, and that’s something that we’ve dealt with, it’s not new. It’s something that just goes on and then you’ve got to play a little coverage, you’ve got to drop back off them a little bit, you’ve got to make them get impatient. The things that we’ve been able to do is how we play as a team. When you get those leads, you’re not able to be that patient.”
The soft coverages and heavy dosage of zone coverages are likely to continue, even if fans are frustrated by them. It’s worked for the Rams in the past and Morris is confident it will continue to.
