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THE TITANS GAME. I saw the
game from the stadium for the first time this year and had a chance to see Warner's
throwing options, when he saw them. Unlike previous games this year, what he saw down
field wasn't pretty and what was not what he was prepared to see. When the Titans
blitzed, which was frequently, they pressed our outside receivers and used an inside
outside double on the receiver in the slot. Warner was looking for inside receiver running
either a sharp breaking outside or inside cut, and that receiver was being taken away by
the double, but then it was not too late to throw a timing route to an outside receiver
who pretty well covered in the first place. The Titan linebackers in man tried, often
successfully, to keep an outside position on our backs when they were coming out of
backfield, knowing they had some inside help if needed. Except for when Faulk beat them to
the outside anyway on what was what was an incredible run after the catch, this work
almost flawlessly. The Rams are better than the Titans are, but there didn't play the best yesterday. Warner hadn't been in the habit of having to the pull the ball down, which ever QB has to do when forced to scramble. When he pulled it down he was not protecting the ball like he should---you could see his total concentration was still on his downfield targets, and he was not seeing much that looked good to him. He was not prepared to throw the ball away to avoid the sack---you could see this was not a programmed option that many passing coaches put in the QBs reading progression. If that is true, you can bet it will change. Warner is just too good and he is getting great coaching. It is Warner's job to place the ball in the ball pocket of the running back, since the runner is concentrating on the blocking and watching where the defensive weakness is. There is no question Warner was responsible for the fumbled hand off---he placed the ball above the ball pocket, making it almost impossible to control. Kearse's speed up field and Miller's inability to hear the snap count spooked Miller. The Rams coaches needed to help him out by placing a Tight End next to him, forcing Kearse to get in front of Miller and restricting his access to the hard outside speed rush. They could have at least chipped with a back, letting Miller know he had some outside help. That does not excuse Miller, but in the heat of battle, there some things that are hard for a player to adjust to. We are young team and a work in progress. The Titans coaches had two weeks to get ready and they came up with a great game plan, plus they played their heart out---as did we. The better team won the second half 21-3, and the Ram coaching staff made some great halftime adjustments. The road to the top is bumpy and not for the timid. A team that can't get off the ground and fight back will never be a champion. Stunned by the Titian early success, these Rams got refocused at halftime---in the second half the Titans were staring across the line of scrimmage at one tough bunch of SOBs who wouldn't go away. You don't have to win them all to become a great football team, but you better learn from every experience because your work goes out on tape every week to the rest of the league and if you not getting better, you are getting worse---of that I am sure. DETROIT. Bobby Ross's defensive coach is Larry Pecatello, who like Jeff Fisher, is a fine defensive coach. Inside noise is harder both to play in and coach in for visiting coaches and players. The Ram coaches will be seeing the same things in Miller's play, that Larry Peccatello sees, and you can bet, if Miller can't adjust to a hard outside speed rusher in a noisy stadium, we better have a well stocked list of plays for First and fifteen. |
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ADJUST OR FALL BACK, BY TOM RIVERS (Nov 1)