So the Cover-2 was designed to stop the spread-option zone-read, eh?

I normally don't bite on the Tebow-baiting that goes on in the media. If I did, I would be posting rants all the time. However, with that said, I'm going to bite right now.

Once in a while, you hear an argument so fallacious, so flawed, so egregious, so odious, so counter-factual, so conspicuously bad that you just can't let it pass. Such was the case this week. A number of commentators, including my own dear Marshall Faulk, seem to think the disciplined and deep Tampa-Two defense is designed to stop the Spread-Option Zone Read offense.

Say wahhhhh...??? WTF?!?!?

Specifically, several dudes including Merril Hodge and Marshall Faulk seem to think the Chicago Bear defense can thump Tim Tebow and the Broncos today. That is the specific context we're talking about today.

Folks, nothing in the world could be further from the truth. The Tampa-Two is essentially the same defensive philosophy the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers played. It is a base 4-3 defense in which the MLB drops back deep in the zone on passing plays. The two safeties split left and right and cover the side-lines. If you have a linebacker as great as Jack Lambert, Derrick Brooks, or London Fetcher, it works very well... against the passing offense.

The entire notion of the scheme is to stop the deep pass. Chuck Noll invented the defense because his chief enemies on AFC side of the fence were the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders ran an aggressive Gillman-Coryell vertical passing attack. They threw towards the end zone, not the sideline. A slightly shorter version of this defense has been employed very effectively by Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith to thump the West Coast offense.

Now, I can assure you that Tom Landry never had the Zone-Read Spread Option (ZRSO) offense in mind when he invented the 4-3. I know for a fact he never saw this thing in his entire life. I can also assure you that Chuck Noll never had the ZRSO in mind when he tweaked Landry's 4-3 to produce the Steel-Curtain defense. I can further assure you that Tony Dungy didn't have the ZRSO in mind when he (slightly) modified it for use against the WCO. I can assure you Tony never taught Lovie how the Tampa-Two could be employed to stop the Urban Meyer ZRSO.

No folks, the ZRSO is almost nothing like the deep-strike Gillman-Coryell offense. Neither is it the West Coast Offense. It is a option running assault in which the QB is the prime ball carrier. He can also throw, but he is primarily a runner. I cannot comprehend how this disciplined pass defense, in which the MLB is dropping back into coverage, can automatically be employed to defeat a running QB. This makes no sense.

On the contrary, I see the ZRSO as putting incredible pressure--breaking pressure--on a disciplined cover-2. The MLB cannot drop deep and handle the middle. If he does, the QB goes up the middle. If the MLB comes up to stuff the running QB, he throws the football over his head, jump-pass style.

This offense was designed to piss Brian Urlacher off like no other offense Brian has ever faced before. I think he is going to be one hell of a frustrated man today.

Do you need evidence instead of reason? How about the game last week? You know and I know that the Vikings run the Tampa-Two. You do know that right? Most of commentators showed how the Viking safeties were biting on the inside routes rather than going to the side-lines against the Broncos last week. These 'mistakes' resulted in several of Tim Tebow's big passes to Demaryius Thomas.

Unfortunately, these were not mistakes. They were trap plays. The Broncos were over-loading the zone, sending receivers on matched-pairs of deep 8 and 9 routes. That is a bitch for the Safety. He has to bite on one of the routes. He can't let them both go. If the QB is good, which ever choice the safety makes, he will be wrong. The QB will go to the other receiver. I am sure the Viking Safeties were coached to take the shorter 8 route, as the DCs of this league don't think much of Tim's passing abilities. That's what they did. Tim busted them on the 9 route.

Anyway, I am getting far too specific. Understand this: The Tampa-Two was designed to stop high-flying passing attacks. It was never designed to stop QB-Option running attack. Those who say it is are absolutely and completely crazy. It just 'taint not so.

The Greatest Show on Turf

Many will complain that I should not put the Greatest Show on Turf in my series covering the NFL's greatest all-time teams. They will protest that I am being a homer. Don't do that until I skip the Patriots. Then you can call me a homer.

As we have heard many times, and many more this past weekend, the Greatest Show on Turf was probably the greatest offense the NFL has ever seen. It's the only offense to score more than 500 points in 3 consecutive seasons. Although it only resulted one world championship, we did make it to two Super Bowls. We should have won that second one.

Cheating bastards...

What was the secret behind that amazing and astounding chemistry? How could they be that dynamic? Well, why don't you just have a good look at the general synastry picture here. I know my Pentecostal brethern Kurt Warner and Issac Bruce would not approve of this analysis, but let's set that aside for the moment.

Look at the number of key players who are water signs:

1. Kurt Warner (Cancer)
2. Marshall Faulk (Pisces)
3. Issac Bruce (Scorpio)
4. Ricky Proehl (Pisces)
5. Orlando Pace (Scorpio)

Let's not forget about Dick Vermeil who is also a Scorpio. What about the rest? Well, Roland Williams, our much forgotten Tight End, is a Taurus. He goes great with everybody.

The most interesting fact about this unit is that Az-Zahir Hakim and Torry Holt are both Geminis, and they both had tremendous chemistry with Kurt Warner.

Sirus 1.1 says Kurt and Torry are totally compatible. Consider the following numbers.

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 257

2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 103

3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 164

4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 119

5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 0

6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 172

7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 92

The story with Az Hakim is pretty good, too.

1. Similarity of Interests and Temperament: 371

2. Mutual Success and High Achievement: 31

3. Problem Solving, Communication, and Mutual Understanding: 9

4. Mutual Kindness, Friendliness, Pleasantness, and Peace: 192

5. Aggressiveness, Competition, Power, Success, or Violence: 39

6. Adventurousness, Surprises, Disturbances: 122

7. Shared Creativity, Imagination, and Inspiration: 36

What is the key to Kurt's outstanding chemistry with Gemini? First, Water and Air can mix with some difficulty. Second, Kurt is a 1st day Cancer. He was born right on the edge of Gemini. Finally, Kurt has a considerable amount of Air in his chart.

The offensive line is a remarkable mixture when you look at it. Gruttadauria and Nutten are 180 degree opposites, and you know the story about opposites. They attract and complement one another tremendously. Likewise, Fred Miller and Adam Timmerman are 180 degree opposites. Orlando was actually the odd man out on this unit, although he is all the more compatible with everyone else on the team.

Consider Coach Dick Vermeil (Scorpio) and Mike Martz (Taurus). They too are 180 degree opposites, and there was incredible dynamism between them. We were never the same after we lost Coach Vermeil. It was when these two were together that we had the best of the motivational disciplinarian and the mad scientist. Incidentally, both are super-compatible with their skill position players.

One more point: Martz (Taurus) is side-by-side with Hakim (Gemini) and Holt (Gemini) in spring time. This usually leads to good relations.

One of these days I am going to write a piece about what 1999 meant to me. It's crazy. It's so crazy, I still wonder if some of you will believe me. This is why I hesitate to blog about it.

So we are agreed that the Rams should take Suh at the top of the first

Ah the media... will they never cease to rumor mill in the name of having something to talk about during the off season? Absolutely not!

I felt bad for Michael Lombardi this evening. He drew the shortest straw before they recorded NFL Total Access today. He was forced to advocate Sam Bradford as the #1 pick. Our panel of experts did not agree. Marshal Falk declared that Bradford is damaged goods and Suh should be the man. Takeo Spikes was emphatic that Ndamukong Suh is a team changing force.

It was interesting that the real Michael Lombardi came out at the end of this discourse. He openly cast doubt on the notion of who is a franchise QB by raising the spectre of Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers. As he stated, if this draft were held over again, Aaron Rodgers would be the overwhelming #1. This was his little suggestion to us all that true franchise blood can be found lower than the #1 pick.

Unless the media is intentionally trying to help the Rams run a trickeration on the rest of the league, effectively conning the Redskins into making a deal with us, they are simply talking themselves into a position which is empirically unfounded. D'Marco Farr has already busted the NDA. The Rams are going to select disregarding need. It is going to be on the basis of a strict mathematical grade. Anyway you slice it, that has to be Ndamukong Suh. Unless...

I heard a rumor that Suh had not one but 2 knee surgeries. I could only find evidence of 1. Evidently, he had one before spring practice began in 2009. It kept him out of Spring drills, but did not result in any missed playing time. He played in all 13 games, and a was a crushing force. I would have a close look at that knee, but I suspect it is nothing. If he had a minor Athroscopy he will pass all the medicals. Since no one is talking about it, and he busted a tremendous 40 time, I suspect he passed all the medicals.

So why is the football media speaking as if the Rams may draft Sam Bradford? They are simply talking themselves into it. Of course, verdict they reach has nothing to do with the verdict the Rams reach. They can decide that the Rams will select Brandford as often as they please. They may be shocked come draft day. It is interesting to watch them wander so far away from the empirical indicators the organization is flashing at them.

So why don't I want the organization to draft Bradford? Well, I will tell you once more:

1. Bradford has a surgically repaired throwing shoulder
2. We do not have an offensive line that can protect him
3. There will be no plugin play rookie QB solution for the Rams in 2010
4. If we select Bradford, he may well become the next Jim Plunkett story
5. I want to trade a condition 2011 pick to the Eagles for Michael Vick
6. I want to Draft Tim Tebow with the #33 pick in 2010
7. I want to fire Pat Shurmer
8. I want to tap Mike Leach as our new OC

There you have it ladies and germs. I am all in favor of drafting a QB in 2010. I just want to do this in the 2nd round, not the first. Fixing our QB problem is very important to me. I just need you media guys to come off it and recognize that Sam Bradford--good as he is--is not workable fit for the St. Louis Rams. Once again, I don't like criticizing Bradford. I think he is one hell of a good kid. I just know he is going to die if we draft him. If you love the kid, you don't want that for him. Neither do I. It doesn't advance our cause to kill Sam Bradford, and it sure doesn't do him any good does it?

Marshall Faulk is basically right

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2010/2/19/1317497/marshall-faulk-gets-it-wrong-on

VanRam just took major exception to a few statements Marshall Faulk made in his recent Sporting News power-rankings piece. Specifically, Faulk said the following:

They've earned the No. 32 spot. It's well-deserved. The Rams are more worried about firing their trainer and their equipment manager than they are worried about the coaches responsible for their play on the field. That says a lot. When the first offseason move you make is to fire your trainer? Perfect. Maybe the draft will help. But at no point last season did I see anything that made me think they were turning the corner. It's painful to watch.

What is wrong with his statement? Let me think... ghee... I can't really find much if anything wrong with that statement.

• Did we earn the 32 spot? Yep. We went 1-15
• Did we fire our trainers? Yep.
• Did we fire Pat Shurmer? Nope. I guess we are more concerned with firing the trainer than fixing the offense.
• Did we show signs of turning the corner last season? Hell no.
• Is our offensive line worse now than last season? Yes. Icognito is gone. Barron is sure to follow. Jacob Bell will likely return with a hell of a hamstring problem. Our OL is worse, not better.
• Have we come off the bottom? Nope.
• Was it painful to watch? Nope. It was beyond painful. It was excruciating as fuck.

So Marshall is right, isn't he? Yep. I will grant that VanRam is correct about our defense. Our defense is looking better and better. They have bought into Coach Spag's system. They are playing like a unit. They are trusting each other, working together, and covering their personal responsibilities. I like what I saw defensively most of the season. However, I doubt Marshall was ripping the defense.

Marshall is charter member of the Greatest Show on Turf. Watching that pathetic excuse for a Lombardi running offense must have just about killed him. God knows it just about killed me. I am certain that Marshall was thinking first and foremost about our offense, which was a hopeless basket case yesteryear. We need a major offensive overhaul, and that includes the Offensive Coordinator position.

I don't believe Marshall has any ax to grind, any grudge, or any hidden agenda. Also, I would love to see him back with the organization.

The off-season is young. We have some time to do some work. However, I must acknowledge that it is strange that our first move was to fire the training staff, rather than Pat Shurmer.