'99 Rams DEFENSE (okay, STs too) discussion

[74_75_78_79_]

Anything BUT Faulk, Warner, Bruce, 'Greatest Show', etc, etc, etc.

The other side of the ball instead (Carter, Lyght, Farr, (coaches) Giunta, Bunting, Hairston, etc); and, yes, special teams (Horne, Hakim, Wilkins...Gansz) as well!

[CSKreager]

11 return touchdowns….. 11!

7 pick sixes, 4 kick/punt returns

[74_75_78_79_]

11 return touchdowns….. 11!

7 pick sixes, 4 kick/punt returns

Yes, the easy schedule. But its not just a case of "you can only play who's on your schedule". Rams destroyed all those bad teams in the very way that a Champ ought to destroy a bad team. Yes, losing to both playoff teams that they played against - Ten & Det - and it'd be nice if they would have at least won one of them, but both were on the road and each one easily could have gone the other way thus they very well could have been 15-0 going into that meaningless finale (Vermeil vs Reid) at the Vet.

Doing it the pro-equiv of those '80s Nittany Lions NCs is still very legit with me! I've really warmed-up to those '72 Dolphins (placing them over '73) as of very late. Many ways to skin a cat. But, again, these Rams did blow-out those bad opponents as a Champ ought to.

The 'jewel' of that Historically underrated defense has to be that 11-6 NFCCG win over Tampa Bay when that other unit, for whatever weird reason, took the day off of all possible days (THAT'S a true Champ for you - others stepping in when needed)!

[SeahawkFever]

I’d say the 99 Rams had a pretty darn good defense overall. The names themselves might not jump out at you, but they were top five in points and had several defensive scores.

Also, Mike Jones who made the tackle on the one had three return touchdowns that year.

The question I have is did they have injuries in 2000 on defense?

[JohnTurney]

Yes, the easy schedule.

That is part of the equation. But when you watched them, they did play well. They stopped the run .. and at the time people said it was because teams stopped running in 2nd half when they got behind. That wasn't true. Rams YPC vs run got better in 2nd half.

Also, good packages --- Clarlie Clemens as a rush LBer in nickel. Thei would move starting CBs to slot when the nickle and dime back came in. Oppotunisitic, teams had to throw so there was some ball-hawking going on you might not be able to do in closer games.

They basically quit playing in NFC PO game when up 49-17 ... Mike Jones missed an INT that would have made it 56-17, just dropped a pick 6.

After than, they played pretty soft, and Vikings took advantage and scored a few touchdowns ... I didn't like that letdown.

But while the schedule was like that of 72 Dolphins, but it's not like it was first good defense to play bad teams.

They played the run tough, technique wise --- got penetration and tackles for loss. had alter active Lbers ... and a good nickel defense ...

better than people give them credit for ... but not like the 2000 Ravens, either

[SeahawkFever]

11 return touchdowns….. 11!

7 pick sixes, 4 kick/punt returns

Yes, the easy schedule. But its not just a case of "you can only play who's on your schedule". Rams destroyed all those bad teams in the very way that a Champ ought to destroy a bad team. Yes, losing to both playoff teams that they played against - Ten & Det - and it'd be nice if they would have at least won one of them, but both were on the road and each one easily could have gone the other way thus they very well could have been 15-0 going into that meaningless finale (Vermeil vs Reid) at the Vet.

Doing it the pro-equiv of those '80s Nittany Lions NCs is still very legit with me! I've really warmed-up to those '72 Dolphins (placing them over '73) as of very late. Many ways to skin a cat. But, again, these Rams did blow-out those bad opponents as a Champ ought to.

The 'jewel' of that Historically underrated defense has to be that 11-6 NFCCG win over Tampa Bay when that other unit, for whatever weird reason, took the day off of all possible days (THAT'S a true Champ for you - others stepping in when needed)!

For the record, if we go by opposing win percentage, the 99 Rams schedule is easier than every team in the NFL since at least 1936 except for the 1975 Vikings.

But as you said, it's not just who you are facing, it's also how well you played against them and those Rams dominated.

Not that schedule isn't worth noting, but I think some teams are noted for having easy schedules like the 1972 Dolphins and 1999 Rams but others whose opponents were also easy (such as the 1984 49ers) don't get knocked by the same people for that.

[74_75_78_79_]

11 return touchdowns….. 11!

7 pick sixes, 4 kick/punt returns

Yes, the easy schedule. But its not just a case of "you can only play who's on your schedule". Rams destroyed all those bad teams in the very way that a Champ ought to destroy a bad team. Yes, losing to both playoff teams that they played against - Ten & Det - and it'd be nice if they would have at least won one of them, but both were on the road and each one easily could have gone the other way thus they very well could have been 15-0 going into that meaningless finale (Vermeil vs Reid) at the Vet.

Doing it the pro-equiv of those '80s Nittany Lions NCs is still very legit with me! I've really warmed-up to those '72 Dolphins (placing them over '73) as of very late. Many ways to skin a cat. But, again, these Rams did blow-out those bad opponents as a Champ ought to.

The 'jewel' of that Historically underrated defense has to be that 11-6 NFCCG win over Tampa Bay when that other unit, for whatever weird reason, took the day off of all possible days (THAT'S a true Champ for you - others stepping in when needed)!

For the record, if we go by opposing win percentage, the 99 Rams schedule is easier than every team in the NFL since at least 1936 except for the 1975 Vikings.

But as you said, it's not just who you are facing, it's also how well you played against them and those Rams dominated.

Not that schedule isn't worth noting, but I think some teams are noted for having easy schedules like the 1972 Dolphins and 1999 Rams but others whose opponents were also easy (such as the 1984 49ers) don't get knocked by the same people for that.

I guess the '84 Forty Niners should be discussed a bit more in such a case. Should at least be brought up which I haven't done. Many close wins like the '03/'04 Pats. But their wins over Wash on MNF, Wk#2, 31-10 at NYG to make it 6-0, and finally their walloping of the Rams in LA, 33-0, along with other lopsided wins down the stretch albeit soft competition ought to make them a bit stronger than both '72 Mia & '99 StL.

Destroying a Browns team in Cleveland that now had Schottenheimer (4-4 finish with him) and then schlacking Bum's still respectable-enough 6-6 Saints in NO both blowout victories to not sneeze too hard about. I still place them in the 'Holy Trinity' of '80s Champs alongside their '89 Installment and '85 Bears which sure says a lot.

And then you got they outscoring their playoffs foes by a combined 82-26. Yes, win over Giants not lopsided, and yes over Fuller instead of McMahon the following week, but still. And yes with the Dolphins not being multi-dimensional but they really weren't a pushover. Their lesser version the following year did beat the Bears. Beating a 14-2 team coached by Don Shula with a tour de force Marino at QB, 38-16, is beating a 14-2 team coached by Don Shula with a tour de force Marino at QB, 38-16.

[Brian wolf]

The Rams were terrible in 1998, with Vermeil's job on the line. Didnt matter their schedule for 1999. They did a miraculous job.

[CSKreager]

Yes, the easy schedule. But its not just a case of "you can only play who's on your schedule". Rams destroyed all those bad teams in the very way that a Champ ought to destroy a bad team. Yes, losing to both playoff teams that they played against - Ten & Det - and it'd be nice if they would have at least won one of them, but both were on the road and each one easily could have gone the other way thus they very well could have been 15-0 going into that meaningless finale (Vermeil vs Reid) at the Vet.

Doing it the pro-equiv of those '80s Nittany Lions NCs is still very legit with me! I've really warmed-up to those '72 Dolphins (placing them over '73) as of very late. Many ways to skin a cat. But, again, these Rams did blow-out those bad opponents as a Champ ought to.

The 'jewel' of that Historically underrated defense has to be that 11-6 NFCCG win over Tampa Bay when that other unit, for whatever weird reason, took the day off of all possible days (THAT'S a true Champ for you - others stepping in when needed)!

For the record, if we go by opposing win percentage, the 99 Rams schedule is easier than every team in the NFL since at least 1936 except for the 1975 Vikings.

But as you said, it's not just who you are facing, it's also how well you played against them and those Rams dominated.

Not that schedule isn't worth noting, but I think some teams are noted for having easy schedules like the 1972 Dolphins and 1999 Rams but others whose opponents were also easy (such as the 1984 49ers) don't get knocked by the same people for that.

I guess the '84 Forty Niners should be discussed a bit more in such a case. Should at least be brought up which I haven't done. Many close wins like the '03/'04 Pats. But their wins over Wash on MNF, Wk#2, 31-10 at NYG to make it 6-0, and finally their walloping of the Rams in LA, 33-0, along with other lopsided wins down the stretch albeit soft competition ought to make them a bit stronger than both '72 Mia & '99 StL.

Destroying a Browns team in Cleveland that now had Schottenheimer (4-4 finish with him) and then schlacking Bum's still respectable-enough 6-6 Saints in NO both blowout victories to not sneeze too hard about. I still place them in the 'Holy Trinity' of '80s Champs alongside their '89 Installment and '85 Bears which sure says a lot.

And then you got they outscoring their playoffs foes by a combined 82-26. Yes, win over Giants not lopsided, and yes over Fuller instead of McMahon the following week, but still. And yes with the Dolphins not being multi-dimensional but they really weren't a pushover. Their lesser version the following year did beat the Bears. Beating a 14-2 team coached by Don Shula with a tour de force Marino at QB, 38-16, is beating a 14-2 team coached by Don Shula with a tour de force Marino at QB, 38-16.

I have the 1986 Giants in that 80s Holy Trinity as the NFC IMO was more rugged in 86

[JohnTurney]

The Rams were terrible in 1998, with Vermeil's job on the line. Didnt matter their schedule for 1999. They did a miraculous job.

Two things fell out of the sky: Warner and Faulk

The defense had talented players in 1998 --- but had backs against the wall a lot with one of worst-ever offense but the development of players
made a difference -- guys getting better and with an offense that overperformed.

Kevin Carter was "blue" in 1998 -- by PSI, Farr was close. Todd Lyght was good, the safeties good. London Fletcher was a find and Wistrom went from backup.nickel rusher to a good player. Defense was simply underrated.

But the only reason they won was Warner and Faulk which is not news, of course. I maintain defense was poised to be good going into 1999.