motife
10-13-2006, 07:16 PM
THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2006, 6:44 p.m. Week 5 analysis
The offensive line was much better, but is still inconsistent. Primarily in the first half, the Rams' down linemen were slanting and moving, and the Packers were able to get a good push on them. In the second half, the Rams didn't move their linemen as much and the Packers didn't have as much success. Third-and-one, zero push. Even on (Noah) Herron's 1-yard touchdown, he got a good kick-out block from William Henderson, but the center part of the line got washed backwards. For the most part, though, they got off the ball better and this was the first time all year where you saw a defined push. I thought (Daryn) Colledge had his best game. Came off the ball low, good pad level. I thought (Scott) Wells had good pad level most of the time and sustained his blocks well. I think Chad Clifton is hurt more than anybody's letting on. He's really inconsistent. He stands up. He's getting beat on the pass. He's not getting downfield on the run blocking. It's almost sad to watch from the player he was to the player he is now.
I thought Noah Herron had a pretty good game, but anybody could have run through some of those holes. Then, you're waiting for the extra gear to kick in and he just doesn't have it. Some of those runs could have gone for big yards. This game shows that he's assignment sure. He hung onto the ball. Those were the good things. But he doesn't have the burst that special guys have.
Maybe (Brett) Favre needs to work on some of those mechanics and slow down a little bit. I don't know if it's age. It's probably a little bit of everything. A little bit of age. Now, that he's getting a little older maybe he needs to pay a little attention to his mechanics. Another thing was he didn't practice during the week and he had a little ouey on his shoulder. I think he commanded the offense. I think he willed the offense as much as he could. But he has to have guys who can make plays for him and block for him. This isn't 1998 or 1999, where he could just walk out there and win games because he's Brett Favre and he wears No. 4 on his back. On that last play, just block for him. That's what makes the difference in games. (Leonard) Little just got the corner on (Mark) Tauscher. Tauscher didn't bucket-step far enough. The guy just got him on speed. I think Little just came too fast. Could Favre have stepped up in the pocket? I mean let's face it, probably the only two guys on the offensive line that Favre has confidence in are the two guys who have been with him for years and years, the two tackles. He expects them to do their job. And when you're relying on those guys and afraid of what's going to happen to the guys in front of you, I don't know if I'd want to step up, either.
Jennings had a decent game. He and Favre must really be clicking because he's getting a lot of balls coming his way. And Jennings was a second-round pick beating a first-round pick (Tye Hill). What does that tell you? But I don't think Jennings is going to be a special player. I think he's going to be a guy like Muhsin Muhammad. Jennings isn't as big as Muhammad, but he uses his body well. He doesn't let D-backs push him around. He gets off the line of scrimmage well. But he doesn't have blazing speed and he doesn't have that burst out of his cuts that those really special guys have. Jennings plays strong. He doesn't play like (Donald) Driver. Did you notice Driver alligator-arm one of those passes? There were two safeties bearing down on him, but Driver didn't go after the ball like he normally does. (Koren) Robinson looked to the inside on one, too, and that could have gone a long ways.
On the first Rams' touchdown, the one Torry Holt caught on an inside slant, I was surprised to see Al Harris line up almost like an outside shade. When you're that close to the goal line, most teams line their cornerbacks up to the inside to take away that slant. Holt played possum. He came off the ball like it was going to be a running play. He didn't fire off the ball and Harris just kind of tagged him. But then at the last second, Holt turned on the jets and caught the ball for a touchdown. I just couldn't believe that Al Harris allowed an inside release. That's not the Al Harris we've seen. I don't know if age is creeping up on him or what. But he just isn't pressing guys like he used to. He used to stun guys on the line. Boom! Knock them and it was over with. So I've been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. After this game, I think there's something wrong there. I don't know if he's frustrated, not happy or if he's physically just not getting it done. At this point, I'd have to say maybe he's lost a step because last year I don't think that play goes to Torry Holt.
I didn't think (A.J.) Hawk had one of his best games, either. He kind of got pushed around again. Orlando Pace just pancaked him on one play. Hawk just kind of wrestles people to the ground. He doesn't run through the blocks and put somebody on their back. I don't think those running backs and offensive linemen are looking at him and wondering, "Oh (bleep), is anybody going to block this guy?" He doesn't have that. He needs to get stronger.
I thought Brady Poppinga played decent but missed a couple plays. There was one, I think in the third quarter, where he just whiffed. It should have been a big play for him and the running back just squirted away. Poppinga's hips seem stiff. He looks like a D-lineman who switched to linebacker. I think what you see with Brady Poppinga is what they're going to get. He plays downhill. Unlike (Nick) Barnett and Hawk, he doesn't run around blocks. He blows them up. But he's going to be susceptible to pass and he's going to be susceptible to the edge if he doesn't get off his block right way. And I don't think he's going to run anybody down if he has to change direction. A.J. Hawk can run people down. I think Poppinga is going to be just a solid player. And because of his stiff hips, he's going to have a hard time turning and running on pass.
That punter (Jon Ryan) blasts an 80-yarder or whatever it was and then he sends the other ones. ... I don't know. If they're going to play Forrest Gregg are they going to bring in another punter? That's kind of been the M.O. out there this year.
The offensive line was much better, but is still inconsistent. Primarily in the first half, the Rams' down linemen were slanting and moving, and the Packers were able to get a good push on them. In the second half, the Rams didn't move their linemen as much and the Packers didn't have as much success. Third-and-one, zero push. Even on (Noah) Herron's 1-yard touchdown, he got a good kick-out block from William Henderson, but the center part of the line got washed backwards. For the most part, though, they got off the ball better and this was the first time all year where you saw a defined push. I thought (Daryn) Colledge had his best game. Came off the ball low, good pad level. I thought (Scott) Wells had good pad level most of the time and sustained his blocks well. I think Chad Clifton is hurt more than anybody's letting on. He's really inconsistent. He stands up. He's getting beat on the pass. He's not getting downfield on the run blocking. It's almost sad to watch from the player he was to the player he is now.
I thought Noah Herron had a pretty good game, but anybody could have run through some of those holes. Then, you're waiting for the extra gear to kick in and he just doesn't have it. Some of those runs could have gone for big yards. This game shows that he's assignment sure. He hung onto the ball. Those were the good things. But he doesn't have the burst that special guys have.
Maybe (Brett) Favre needs to work on some of those mechanics and slow down a little bit. I don't know if it's age. It's probably a little bit of everything. A little bit of age. Now, that he's getting a little older maybe he needs to pay a little attention to his mechanics. Another thing was he didn't practice during the week and he had a little ouey on his shoulder. I think he commanded the offense. I think he willed the offense as much as he could. But he has to have guys who can make plays for him and block for him. This isn't 1998 or 1999, where he could just walk out there and win games because he's Brett Favre and he wears No. 4 on his back. On that last play, just block for him. That's what makes the difference in games. (Leonard) Little just got the corner on (Mark) Tauscher. Tauscher didn't bucket-step far enough. The guy just got him on speed. I think Little just came too fast. Could Favre have stepped up in the pocket? I mean let's face it, probably the only two guys on the offensive line that Favre has confidence in are the two guys who have been with him for years and years, the two tackles. He expects them to do their job. And when you're relying on those guys and afraid of what's going to happen to the guys in front of you, I don't know if I'd want to step up, either.
Jennings had a decent game. He and Favre must really be clicking because he's getting a lot of balls coming his way. And Jennings was a second-round pick beating a first-round pick (Tye Hill). What does that tell you? But I don't think Jennings is going to be a special player. I think he's going to be a guy like Muhsin Muhammad. Jennings isn't as big as Muhammad, but he uses his body well. He doesn't let D-backs push him around. He gets off the line of scrimmage well. But he doesn't have blazing speed and he doesn't have that burst out of his cuts that those really special guys have. Jennings plays strong. He doesn't play like (Donald) Driver. Did you notice Driver alligator-arm one of those passes? There were two safeties bearing down on him, but Driver didn't go after the ball like he normally does. (Koren) Robinson looked to the inside on one, too, and that could have gone a long ways.
On the first Rams' touchdown, the one Torry Holt caught on an inside slant, I was surprised to see Al Harris line up almost like an outside shade. When you're that close to the goal line, most teams line their cornerbacks up to the inside to take away that slant. Holt played possum. He came off the ball like it was going to be a running play. He didn't fire off the ball and Harris just kind of tagged him. But then at the last second, Holt turned on the jets and caught the ball for a touchdown. I just couldn't believe that Al Harris allowed an inside release. That's not the Al Harris we've seen. I don't know if age is creeping up on him or what. But he just isn't pressing guys like he used to. He used to stun guys on the line. Boom! Knock them and it was over with. So I've been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. After this game, I think there's something wrong there. I don't know if he's frustrated, not happy or if he's physically just not getting it done. At this point, I'd have to say maybe he's lost a step because last year I don't think that play goes to Torry Holt.
I didn't think (A.J.) Hawk had one of his best games, either. He kind of got pushed around again. Orlando Pace just pancaked him on one play. Hawk just kind of wrestles people to the ground. He doesn't run through the blocks and put somebody on their back. I don't think those running backs and offensive linemen are looking at him and wondering, "Oh (bleep), is anybody going to block this guy?" He doesn't have that. He needs to get stronger.
I thought Brady Poppinga played decent but missed a couple plays. There was one, I think in the third quarter, where he just whiffed. It should have been a big play for him and the running back just squirted away. Poppinga's hips seem stiff. He looks like a D-lineman who switched to linebacker. I think what you see with Brady Poppinga is what they're going to get. He plays downhill. Unlike (Nick) Barnett and Hawk, he doesn't run around blocks. He blows them up. But he's going to be susceptible to pass and he's going to be susceptible to the edge if he doesn't get off his block right way. And I don't think he's going to run anybody down if he has to change direction. A.J. Hawk can run people down. I think Poppinga is going to be just a solid player. And because of his stiff hips, he's going to have a hard time turning and running on pass.
That punter (Jon Ryan) blasts an 80-yarder or whatever it was and then he sends the other ones. ... I don't know. If they're going to play Forrest Gregg are they going to bring in another punter? That's kind of been the M.O. out there this year.