After a closer look: the saints prove that Rams' defense is far from perfect | NFL



[ad_1]

The Rams 8-0 were so explosive, so striking, so fun to watch, that it was easy to bring the star power to the defensive side of the ball.

Not so much with the 8-1 Rams. What the saints did to them at the Superdome Sunday, the 45-35 draw, six touchdowns and 487 yards, which froze American football at its seat … that could have been fun for those who were expecting a lot of the Rams defense. . And in retrospect, it's odd to think that the Rams' defensive power during the off-season was universally considered the last piece of the puzzle.

WATCH OUT: The best Alvin Kamara games against Rams

The agreement on the trade deadline concluded by them has had the same effect in this respect. Dante Fowler has been added to the list – just book them for Atlanta in February, right? Even with the match of the Saints coming, and that of the chiefs two weeks later. Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters added Aaron Donald, coached by Wade Phillips. Who even knew so many names on this high-octane offense, apart from Jared Goff and Todd Gurley?

The saints made known too many names Sunday. Peters, who was beaten like a drummer, was greeted by Joe Horn, the homage of Michael Thomas, and was called back at the end of the match.

Marcus Peters has been grilled lately ?#LARvsNO | #LARams pic.twitter.com/vcLOdbmXVw

– Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) November 5, 2018

Drew Brees has never been fired … which means that Donald, who led the NFL with 10 players earlier this week, has not had either, Suh, Michael Brockers or Fowler. The addition of the Jaguars has received a less flattering mention, in fact: it's the Mark Ingram blitzer who's overthrown.

And even if he is still missing the injured talib in high school, they miss a semblance of Peters for which they thought they had traded.

Even against the backdrop of rising scores, the rules that hinder the defenses and help the quarterbacks, and the general tone that wants, among the elite, the last team with the ball to prevail – the defense of the Rams looked bad at least as often as the Saints' offensive looked good.

Worst of all, though: it was not just the fact that the saints are able to do that to anyone. The Rams have dropped at least 27 points in four of their last six games – including last week at home against the Packers, when they were spared the potential return of Aaron Rodgers by the infamous fumble back Ty Montgomery.

There is still time for this defense to get in shape, especially if the Talib returns. But so far, instead of being the missing pieces, they just look like pieces.

Beginning of the end in Baltimore?

It's really an ugly and confusing statistic: Since their victory in the Super Bowl 47 on the 49ers after the 2012 season, the Ravens have scored 44 to 45 and have missed the playoffs four times. That's the mark after Sunday's defeat at home against the Steelers, their third consecutive loss, which brought them down to 4-5 and put another playoff trip in jeopardy.

The match also followed a morning report on the NFL Network that said coach John Harbaugh's job could be in jeopardy if Baltimore lost on Sunday. It's not a franchise that acts capriciously and that shoots in mid-season – or that often. Harbaugh is only the third head coach since the team left Cleveland in 1996, and two of those coaches won the Super Bowls. Only five current coaches have a longer term, and four of them (all except Marvin, of course) have also won the Super Bowl.

A change of coach, even after the season, would be relatively cataclysmic. Harbaugh did not dismiss the report, but he also did not credit it in the context of his years there.

"I've never been worried about keeping a job, it's always been the case for me," he said, adding, "I'm really happy with the way this team is trained. for 11 years, and since a few weeks, we are in the season. "

But when they come back from their start, the Ravens and Harbaugh have a lot of preparation to get ready to qualify for the playoffs … and for themselves a twelfth year.

An update of "Anyone But Kaepernick"

Colin Kaepernick turned 31 on Saturday; It was the second consecutive anniversary that he celebrated without work in the NFL. Now that he has pbaded the middle of the season, and considering his age and the time that has elapsed since the teams refused to sign him, the odds that he played for his last NFL game increase.

The NFL seems to live perfectly with all this. On Sunday, the day after Kaepernick's birthday, these players started at QB in regular season games: Nathan Peterman (Bills, three interceptions, defeat against Bears), Brock Osweiler (Dolphins, 139 yards, win over Jets) ) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (four touchdowns, two interceptions, defeat to the Panthers). On Thursday, the 49ers started Nick Mullens, who had one of the biggest matches in the history of the NFL, but who also did not play in 2017 and who was playing his first game in the NFL.

MORE: The decisive choice around the athletes' activism

In addition, Kap's anniversary day, Sam Bradford – with $ 15 million guaranteed by the Cardinals in the last offseason, while Kaepernick had tough conditions to test – was eliminated after just three games .

Opportunities are rare. Some who get them get the best, others get the worst. The NFL teams have just decided never to give another one to Kaepernick, and they do not care what we think about it.

In this spirit, EJ Manuel, the former bust of the first round of Bills who played for the Raiders in 2017, also has some questions to ask.

? #gobilles pic.twitter.com/FqeC227R5i

– Stephie Tweets Sports ? (@stephietweets) November 5, 2018

Chargers still can not eliminate bad habits

The Chargers this year had apparently decided not to live as they did last year: 0-4, 9-7 and a little less than the AFC West series and crown. With their win in Seattle, they went to 6-2.

However, they have not quite abandoned their old habits. They lost their first two games last year because of bad kicks and they finally used four kickers throughout the season. This season, Caleb Sturgis started fragile (four points missed and three missed in five games), missed two games with a wounded quad when his replacement was perfect, then came back Sunday … and missed two extra points and one placement. .

The Seahawks ended the game on the Chargers' 6-yard line as they failed to score and give the opportunity to tie the match and force overtime.

The coach of the loaders, Anthony Lynn, was not in the mood to relive a repeat of last season, claiming that Los Angeles had to "re-evaluate the situation".

Shippers suffer a loss more than first-clbad leaders; and their only losses are the tos of the chiefs and rams. It was their third victory by eight points or less. In two of them, Sturgis missed at least one kick.

The Jets bet on Darnold costs them in the short term

This is the agreement reached between the Jets and 2018. The QB options for the training camp were Josh McCown, the career driver, a healthy Teddy Bridgewater on the way back and the future of the franchise, Sam Darnold. They left with Darnold as a starter, and this season and Sunday's defeat in Miami are growing pains.

Head coach Todd Bowles had a grace period last year when the Jets canceled the lineup. It was not possible for him, and they, to expect to win this year more than they were last season. On the other hand, if they stay at 3-6 (with three consecutive losses), they stay on that track, pleading to keep Bowles, or general manager Mike Maccagnan, or both, would be difficult.

The dolphins were beatable. The Jets' defense did what it had to do against Osweiler and the others … but Darnold and the attack were atrocious. The pick-six he pitched in the fourth quarter was the only touchdown of the match.

Of course, many Jets fans have taken up the requirement of Bowles' head, but how he can mature Darnold more quickly, especially with what hardly pbades for offensive weapons, remains a mystery.

MOCK DRAFT 2018:
The jets improve the precipitation in the round 1

Bowles said this after the game about the season in a downward spiral, and it's hard to say: "It's not a thing" spiraling. "It was a tough defeat we let's go back to the drawing board and fight, our team is together, we understand where we are and we have to get back to work tomorrow. "

It's the opposite of how the veterans left the team two seasons ago. The Jets are far from being contested, but all in all, they are much better off than other players in the AFC East sub-Patriot division. A slight problem, of course: their next build around Darnold will not include the three second-round picks they gave the Colts to move to get Darnold.

They have the choice of third round that they chose to exchange Bridgewater with the Saints. Frowning glances at Bridgewater and improving immediate results for Darnold's long-term gain have resumed with the latest skid of the Jets. At the moment, it's too difficult to see the money moving away.

Julio Shutout is over

The Falcons and Julio Jones needed to lose that albatross around the neck, and finally, with 3:45 to go, they managed their 38-14 win in Washington and they did it: Jones scored his first touchdown this season and its first since November last season.

It was not a touchdown in the red zone, which would have completely exonerated the demons, but the Falcons got two touchdowns and a goal placement for their three trips to the red zone on Sunday. Between that and Jones to finally get into the end zone, the televised television disaster of the opening night in Philadelphia has receded in the past. And, remember, this match was a result of the failures of the red zone in the loss to the Eagles in the playoffs, which ended the previous season.

All this has been suspended all season, even after the wave of injuries and frustrating losses. Now they have rebounded after their 1-4 start with three straight wins. They scored their most points of the season (after only 12 points) and Julio did not touch Touchdown Watch.

[ad_2]
Source link