THE INTENSITY INCREASES! A FAST EDDIE MACOMB REPORT (Aug 11)Add yourself to The HERD's Official Roster (guestbook), if you think you are man enough!
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Later, they used this back to back strategy again in an attempt to catch the defense anticipating. They sent Derrick Harris in motion wide to the left, almost to the sideline, then they hand it off to Faulk, who takes it off LT for a nice 7 or 8 yard gain. I'm sitting there thinking, 'Why do you bring your lead blocker all the way out to the edge of the field, and then run off tackle to the same side?' Then I saw where Harris had Todd Collins after the play. Collins was way out of position, because if he didn't honor Harris out there, Green could have killed them with play action. The MLB got sealed off by the guard and couldn't cover the hole before Faulk was in the defensive backfield. Now the cool part is that on the very next play, they do the same thing, running Harris in motion wide to the right side... the LOLB has to move out and the MLB anticipates the play this time, shifting into the gap because he thinks Faulk is coming off RT as he did on the other side. This time, however, they use play action with Faulk releasing into the flat on the other side and Green completing a quick slant over the middle to the wide receiver right where the MLB should have been--and would have been if he hadn't been thinking of the last play. Very cool:)
Harris is a decoy on both of these plays, but he could easily do a lot of damage if the defense doesn't adjust to cover him, but when they do, it spreads the field for a lot of other things to happen for guys like Faulk and Bruce. I'm not too concerned with Holcombe being out because, while you lose some options such as the fullback draw play (Harris is not as skilled taking the handoff out of the backfield--he doesn't have the quick feet to make a play at the line) you also gain some other options, and Mike Martz is very imaginative when it comes to taking advantage of the talent he puts on the field. Harris can absolutely engulf a linebacker as a lead blocker, and he's every strong safety's worst nightmare if he can get the ball in the flat with enough time to turn his shoulders upfield and get some momentum going.
Another unique formation that they used was 3 wide trips left (looks neat:) on the weakside with a single back. The tight end drives up field and Faulk releases into the right flat for the screen where he's the primary option. He has a only single linebacker to beat to turn it into a big play, since the secondary has all been cleared out to the left side of the field and the other LB and perhaps the SS have followed the TE up the field.
Faulk should be really dangerous in this offense due to his skills as a receiver and Mike Martz' predilection for play action. They use play action on the majority of pass plays (very different from Jerry Rhome). Faulk does something so well receiving the ball that a lot of other backs don't seem to be able to do when they are catching the ball from a standstill in space often behind the line of scrimmage--he gets his feet underneath him and has the quick feet to make a cut as soon as the ball arrives and so make the first man miss. That's the key. When London Fletcher was playing MLB, I think he was having flashbacks to Amp Lee, because he was getting noticeably pissed off. He prides himself on getting to the ball as soon as it arrives and making a hit, the way that Carpenter did to Shedd in the Raider game, but he could not get to Marshall Faulk-instead he got a lot of air. And remember we're talking about a linebacker with 4.45 speed and very quick feet.
The other thing that Faulk does very well in the passing game is pass protect and pick up the blitz. He locked up Todd Collins when they were scrimmaging and stopped him cold. He didn't just cut him, or deflect him, but locked up a guy who has about 40 lbs. on him and just neutralized him. I watched him in blitz pickup drills where the backs go one on one with a rushing linebacker, and I was amazed. The guy is a superstar and he gets the ball in various aspects of the game probably more than anyone else in the league, accounting for like 43% of the Colts total offense last year. So it boggles the mind that he could be this good as a blocker... much better than the other bigger backs that the Rams have in camp like Hodgins, Levitt, and Watson. So many of them just lunge and stab and try to knock back the usually much bigger linebackers, but then lose their feet and get beaten to either side. Faulk's technique is flawless-he locks them up with his hands and then uses his feet to compensate for the size disadvantage. He looks like a tiny little offensive tackle in his technique:) He was the only guy out there who didn't look thoroughly foolish when he matched up against Leonard Little.
Of course, we know what Faulk can do in the running game as well. The best thing about him is that it doesn't take much of a hole at all to spring him. The slightest seam and Marshall is through it untouched because he has such great vision and balance. He has the speed and the quick feet to cut it back to the outside whenever he wants, but unlike a guy like Greg Hill, he usually won't because he's much more patient than that. He'll get right in there in closed quarters and he'll wait, wait, wait on his blockers and then slips through after the play appears to be bottled up. The only other healthy tailbacks in practice were Levitt and Watson, so the contrast was incredible. These guys get into a tight space like that and they don't have the patience or the feet to get out of there--they just get creamed. Of course, in all fairness, you have to remember where they are. They are playing against their own team, so every defender is going to hold a little something back when the franchise is running the ball, whereas they have no remorse about teeing off on the Chad Levitts of the world.
Marshall Faulk and this offense is what has the players so excited. You could see the difference immediately on Tuesday and the coaches have raised the intensity level as well. They aren't coddling these guys anymore. Usually you can hear four or five position coaches and coordinators yelling at the different units and individuals...
Torry Holt lines up wide left and before the ball is even snapped, Al Saunders comes flying in... "Time out! What the hell are you doing Torry? Get your damn head in the game..."
He coaches Torry on some stuff I can't hear and when the ball is snapped, Holt runs a fly pattern and makes a spectacular fingertip catch on a perfect pass from Green with McCleon draped all over him. Saunders is in his face, slapping his helmet and yelling encouragement almost before Holt gets his back foot down.
One more play is run and Mike Martz is yelling at Roland Williams, "No don't go back INSIDE! What are you doing, TRYING to get yourself covered? You have to bend that outside. Now run it again..."
Meanwhile, Peter Giunta is yelling at the defense from the endzone (he sounds like Teddy Kennedy), "Let's get it right. Come on Todd Lyght, get him up on the line where he's supposed to be. You've been around a lot longer than he has. We keep making the same damn mistakes OVAH and OVAH!"
Kevin Knox, who is really coming on and got a little chance to shine in this practice with both Mac Cody and Tony Small sitting out, has excellent speed for his size, but is not real physical. He beat Clifton Crosby in the back of the endzone and Saunders critiques Knox as Steve Brown yells at Crosby... "Drag that back foot every time Kevin... there's no reason to chance it!"
Jeff Robinson catches a touchdown in the goalline set. It's one of two TD catches for Jeff on the day and I'm starting to think he may be more than just a casual experiment at TE. Much later he catches a deep pass from Kurt Warner with his hands in the air, using his body to shield off Ron Carpenter... very impressive. But this time, his performance at the goalline earns Mike Morton some choice words from Peter Giunta... "Gawwd Dammit Mike Morton! What the hell are you doing out there? That's Awwwful! It's ridiculous!"
Giunta's mood swings quickly on the very next play when Dexter McCleon uses the sideline beautifully in coverage against Ike Bruce, denying the touchdown, "Great job Dex! Now we're starting to look like a defense! Much bettuh!" McCleon is growing in leaps and bounds. He's always right there and it usually takes a perfect pass and a great catch to beat him. After watching Ryan McNeil's 8 yard cushions on Monday Night Football, I really appreciated Dexter's tight man coverage on Tuesday morning. Later in the afternoon, Ricky Proehl would come all the way across the field on a crossing pattern and extend himself to make a great sideline catch, just over Dexter's outstretched arm. "No! NOOOO! F--- NO!" McCleon screams in rage, and he slaps the sideline yardstick marker out of some poor boy's hands in disgust. It's hard to believe it's only practice.
Proehl, by the way, finally took center stage during one session of the afternoon practice and looked like he belongs here. He gets open and sees the ball coming his way on 4 out of five passes. He dropped one stone handed and bobbles another, but also made the great catch over Dex. I think he has been miscast by Rams fans. He's a very precise route runner with average speed and average to below average hands. He gets open on occasion but does not have nearly the hands that many of us thought originally.
Back to the coaches for one more round of fireworks. Marshall Faulk gets the ball on a draw play and shreds through the line and into the defensive backfield. Carl Hairston, who is usually stoic and quiet in comparison to a lot of these guys like Saunders, Brown, and Martz who rarely shut up, absolutely explodes after seeing this. When he does have something to say, he has no trouble getting his point across. "Gawd dammitt, Your F---ing up again! All ya'll mother F---ers are fired! Get the F--- outta here. All of you! Dammit I told you to get the F--- out of here!"
I have some more notes on the tight end, the middle linebackers, and a lot on special teams play (which I watched with earnest for the first time yesterday) and something about the defensive schemes, but now I have to go to work.
But first, the way the two practice sessions ended says something about the level of competition that these guys are playing at every day and the intensity of these practices...
As I said, the offense has made great strides in the last week and a half. Watching the practice sessions, both sides are seriously competing. The offense wants to score badly and the defense takes great pride in denying them. Most of the plays are run from predetermined down and distance scenarios, so there is not the continuity of a game. They closed out the morning session with a two minute drill, however, with offense starting back at it's own 30, and kept track of the yardage and downs like a real drive. This is Trent Green at his best. The defense is in nickel the entire time. Green opens up with a 20 yard slant to Torry Holt, who snatches the ball out of the air between tight double coverage by McCleon and Lyle. 1st and ten... 1 minute 15 sec. Green overthrows Hakim on a deep slant... 2nd down. Green finds his 3rd or 4th option--Marshall Faulk--on a screen to the right side with the TE clearing the zone. Faulk makes Fletcher miss and gets upfield for about 15 yards and out of bounds. 1st and 10... 52 seconds from about the 35. Green overthrows Ike intentionally in the end zone, good coverage all around and there was nowhere catchable to put it... 2nd down 38 seconds. Green overthrows a double covered Ricky Proehl at the goalline and the ball is nearly picked off by Jenkins... bad decision by Trent... 3rd down, 33 seconds. Next, Green slightly underthrows Ike Bruce fading to the corner of the endzone and Dexter McCleon with great 1 on 1 coverage wrestles the ball away from Bruce. Interception. Practice over... the defense gives high fives and "Great job Dex!" all around. London Fletcher can be heard over the celebration taunting, "Don't be mad offense! Don't be mad because the defense stopped you! HA HA HA!"
Late in the afternoon practice a similar scenario unfolds. This time Green is done for the day and Warner is guiding the offense. They take it down to the 4 yard line and the goalline package is in. Warner rolls out right with the middle stacked with linemen and LBs as the Rams do. He's looking for Chad Lewis in the endzone, but Jenkins gets back fast in great coverage on the backside and Fletcher in pursuit speeds to cut off the passing lane at the goalline... Warner pulls it down and Fletcher puts on the afterburners, beating him to the corner of the endzone and forcing him out of bounds. Defense wins again. Fletcher thinks he just won a game... he runs over to the crowd and hams it up, waving his arms like an umpire calling a runner safe. The 100 or so in the stands cheer... "No Way, not in my house!" London laughs.
It was hard to remember these were just practices.