BẢN CHÉP ÂM THANH 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.799
Imagine watching a dress rehearsal where half the cast is
2
00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:05.559
literally auditioning for their livelihoods.
3
00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:07.679
Oh yeah, high stakes, right, It's.
4
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.759
This incredibly high pressure mix of just you know, basic
5
00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:14.279
practice and pure survival. Welcome to the reality of an
6
00:00:14.359 --> 00:00:15.560
NFL preseason game.
7
00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:17.640
It's a completely different vibe.
8
00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:20.280
It really is. Today we're taking a deep dive into
9
00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:24.640
the Los Angeles rams incredibly dominant thirty four zero preseason
10
00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:27.559
Week two victory over the New Orleans Saints. This is
11
00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:29.640
from August twenty two to twenty twenty.
12
00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:30.719
Six, a massive shutout.
13
00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.640
Yeah, thirty four to zero. We're grounding our whole discussion
14
00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:36.200
today in a stack of official articles from the Rams
15
00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:38.600
dot com, and our mission here is to look past
16
00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:43.240
that massive scoreboard and extract the human stories and the
17
00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.320
strategic takeaways that just usually get buried in a blowout like.
18
00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:48.399
This, because there's always more going on than just the
19
00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:49.159
final score.
20
00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:53.399
Exactly. Okay, let's unpack this because watching preseason football, I mean,
21
00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.439
it often feels like a completely different sport than the
22
00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:56.159
regular season.
23
00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:59.920
It does. It requires a completely different analytical lens. Honestly,
24
00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:03.520
when the lights go on for these August games, the
25
00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:07.599
established stars you know the household names. They're just on
26
00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:08.799
the sideline wearing.
27
00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:11.000
Baseball caps, right, They're not risking injury.
28
00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:16.239
Exactly, the game script is intentionally vanilla. Coordinators aren't trying
29
00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.239
to trick anyone with complex blitz packages or exotic motions.
30
00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:21.599
They save that for September.
31
00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:24.959
Yeah, exactly what you're getting is just an unfiltered look
32
00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:28.879
at a team's baseline coaching culture. They're raw scheme execution
33
00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.719
and just unadulterated effort. You aren't watching to see if
34
00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:34.480
the Rams are going to win the Super Bowl based
35
00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:35.280
on this single game.
36
00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:36.519
That would be a stretch, right.
37
00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:39.599
You're watching to see how an undrafted guard handles getting
38
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:42.840
beat on a block, or you know, how a backup
39
00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:45.760
quarterback manages the geometry of the field when a play
40
00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:46.319
breaks down.
41
00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.799
I love that phrase, managing the geometry of the field. Yeah,
42
00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:51.840
so before we look at the guys fighting tooth and
43
00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.319
nail for a roster spot on defense, we first need
44
00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:56.079
to look at how the Rams built such a massive
45
00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:57.040
lead in the first place.
46
00:01:57.239 --> 00:01:58.920
Yeah, the offensive engine, right.
47
00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:03.040
The offense. Hey, coach Sean McVay very clearly segmented this game.
48
00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.599
He gave Stetson Bennett the entire first half, and then
49
00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.280
ty Simpson took the second half.
50
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.520
And Bennett's first half production, I mean, it certainly jumps
51
00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.000
off the stat sheet. He led four scoring drives on
52
00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:15.240
the five series he played.
53
00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:16.680
That's a great ratio, it is.
54
00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:20.199
He even rushed for two touchdowns. One of them was
55
00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:23.039
this really gritty one yard dive for the pylon.
56
00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.560
Oh right, the one where he was originally ruled short
57
00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:26.080
on the field.
58
00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:28.840
Yes, but McVeigh threw the challenge flag and the call
59
00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.599
was actually successfully overturned, which is always nice to see
60
00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:32.479
in a preseason game.
61
00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:35.919
Definitely, and then ty Simpson takes over midway through the
62
00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:38.879
third quarter. He's handed a twenty seven U lead, which
63
00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:41.520
it entirely shifts the context of the game.
64
00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.879
The urgency is completely gone at that point, exactly.
65
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:46.960
But he still went eight for twelve passing for seventy
66
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:50.039
three yards, and he orchestrated a drive that was capped
67
00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:53.639
off by a twelve yard touchdown run from Sharquez Hunter.
68
00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:55.919
Which brings them to thirty four points on the board.
69
00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:58.639
Right, But I have to push back a little here.
70
00:02:58.639 --> 00:02:59.560
Okay, let's hear it.
71
00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.800
Does score thirty four points in the preseason. Actually mean
72
00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:06.759
the offense is a well oiled machine, or were they
73
00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:11.479
just capitalizing on a disorganized Saints defense, Because when you
74
00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.680
look at the
Load full transcript
play by play, Bennett's drives faced some
75
00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:18.919
very specific, really frustrating adversity up front.
76
00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.599
That's a fair point. The offensive line definitely had some
77
00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:25.560
self inflicted wounds. Yeah, the penalties, right, Blake Hans committed
78
00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:29.520
a false start penalty that stalled Bennett's very first drive oouch.
79
00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:32.520
And then on the second series, Bill Murray had another.
80
00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.080
False start and that one was in the red zone. Way.
81
00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.080
Yeah, that one was particularly damaging because it happened right
82
00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.439
down at the Saints eight yard line. It ultimately forced
83
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.039
the Rams to settle for a twenty six yard field
84
00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:44.439
goal from Harrison MeVis.
85
00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:47.039
Settling for three when you're that close is tough.
86
00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:49.199
It is. And Bennett also had a moment where he
87
00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.120
nearly connected on a deep touchdown to Tyler Scott, but
88
00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.680
he slightly overthrew him. Scott had to stretch out his
89
00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:56.639
right arm and you know he could only get a
90
00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:57.199
hand on it.
91
00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:00.000
A false start in the red zone during the regular
92
00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.439
and can just be devastating, which makes me wonder what
93
00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.319
McVeigh is actually looking at on the film right, Like
94
00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:09.560
if an offensive explosion is nice but it includes these
95
00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.280
sloppy drive killing penalties. What is the coaching staff's real
96
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:15.319
takeaway there?
97
00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:18.319
If we connect this to the bigger picture, McVeigh isn't
98
00:04:18.360 --> 00:04:22.399
walking away thinking his offense is flawless. He is evaluating
99
00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:23.920
the response.
100
00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:25.519
To the flaws ah the bounce back.
101
00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.560
Exactly when alignment jumps early and turns a first and
102
00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.240
ten into a first and fifteen, the entire geometry of
103
00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:34.680
the drive changes, the playbook shrinks.
104
00:04:34.839 --> 00:04:36.199
Is a defense knows you're backed.
105
00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:37.920
Up, right, they can just pin their ears back and
106
00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:41.600
play incredibly aggressively. So seeing a quarterback like Bennett overcome
107
00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:45.680
those specific line penalties, reset the huddle, process the setback,
108
00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:47.680
and still produce points.
109
00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:49.079
Like he did later when he hit Tyler Scott for
110
00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:51.160
that really impressive fourth down conversion.
111
00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.839
Yes, exactly, Yeah, that is the real evaluation metric. The
112
00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.680
coaching staff wants to see if a mistake just cascades
113
00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.600
into a turnover or if the quarterback can run the ship.
114
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:04.759
So it's essentially a stress test. A perfectly blocked play
115
00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.240
where the primary receiver is just wide open, tells you
116
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.439
very little about a quarterback's.
117
00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:11.920
Mental resilience almost nothing.
118
00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:13.680
You want the messy drive to see if the guy
119
00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:15.360
panics when the check engine light comes on.
120
00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.560
Navigating a messy pocket after your lineman jumps early provides
121
00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.920
incredibly valuable tape. It proves the quarterback can actually manage
122
00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:26.759
the operational mechanics of the offense under duress.
123
00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:28.800
That makes a lot of sense. But you know that
124
00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.480
offense didn't build a twenty seven point halftime lead in
125
00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:34.480
a vacuum, not at all. They were heavily aided by
126
00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:37.439
a defense that just absolutely suffocated the Saints at the
127
00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:38.079
line of scrimmage.
128
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:39.279
You completely shut them down.
129
00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:42.839
Yeah, which provides an interesting contrast. While the offensive line
130
00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.639
was struggling with overthinking and false starts, the defensive front
131
00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:49.399
was doing the exact opposite. They were playing so fast
132
00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:53.399
and aggressive. And that brings us to outside linebacker Wesley Bailey.
133
00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.279
Bailey is a great story. He's an undrafted rookie out
134
00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.120
of the University of Louisville and his stat line for
135
00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:02.199
a rotational preseason player is phenomenal.
136
00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:03.240
What were his numbers again?
137
00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:07.079
He finished with five total tackles, one tackle for loss,
138
00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:10.720
three quarterback hits, a forced humble, and a sack on
139
00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:14.600
Zack Wilson in the first quarter. Wow yeah, he practically
140
00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:16.079
lived in the Saints backfield.
141
00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:19.759
Here's where it gets really interesting though. The physical play
142
00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.560
is obviously impressive, but the emotional core of his game
143
00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:25.240
just gives it so much weight.
144
00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:26.480
The sack celebration.
145
00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:31.600
Yes, after Bailey sacked Zack Wilson, He's
celebrated by making
146
00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:34.920
a heart with his hands and pointing up to the sky.
147
00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:38.000
He revealed in his postgame interview that he has finished
148
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:43.800
every single sack with that exact celebration since twenty twenty one. Wow. Yeah.
149
00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:45.959
He does it to honor his late mother, who passed
150
00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:47.959
away when he was only five years old, and to
151
00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.279
honor his three sisters.
152
00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:51.439
Doing that on an NFL field, I mean it adds
153
00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:53.519
a profoundly human element to the game.
154
00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:54.240
It really does.
155
00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:56.519
When these athletes are just crashing into each other at
156
00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:59.439
high speeds, it's so easy to reduce them to jersey numbers.
157
00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:03.399
That sack celebration is a grounding reminder of the lifetimes
158
00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:07.040
of motivation, grief, and family history that these edge of
159
00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:08.959
the roster players carry on to the turf.
160
00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.399
It fuels the intensity you see on the field absolutely
161
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.000
and you could really see that intensity. Later in the game,
162
00:07:15.480 --> 00:07:17.600
the Saints are marching down the field. They're getting right
163
00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:18.639
down to the Rams four.
164
00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:21.000
Yard line, a critical moment right and.
165
00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:24.279
Bailey runs up behind the ball carrier and just punches
166
00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.199
the ball out for a force fumble. It was recovered
167
00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.120
by Rams defensive lineman Peyton z Droike. I look at
168
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.360
a play like that as a well, like a defensive.
169
00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:36.360
Hole on one defensive hole online.
170
00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:40.240
I like that, yeah, because erasing a guaranteed three points
171
00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:44.040
in the absolute toughest, most congested part of the field
172
00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:47.000
that changes the entire momentum of the game.
173
00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:50.800
The mechanics of that forced fumble speak volumes about his
174
00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.000
motor and his spatial awareness.
175
00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:54.279
Right to find the ball in that mess.
176
00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:56.360
Chasing a play down from behind and having the presence
177
00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:00.199
of mind to target the football in traffic requires relentless effort.
178
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:02.839
He was so focused on creating chaos that he didn't
179
00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:06.199
even realize Zdroik had recovered the fumble until like ten
180
00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:07.879
minutes before his locker room interview.
181
00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:09.480
That's hilarious. He was just in the.
182
00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:13.360
Zone totally, and that ability to constantly disrupt the pocket
183
00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:15.800
is exactly why Sean McVay said after the game that
184
00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.600
you quote felt Bailey's presence all day.
185
00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.879
The timing of Bailey's emergence is also incredibly critical for
186
00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:26.040
the Rams right now given their current roster situation.
187
00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:29.480
Yeah, they are dealing with significant attrition on the edge.
188
00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:33.120
Outside linebacker Kre Thomas, the second who brings experience and
189
00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:35.840
played well in the preseason opener, he was ruled out
190
00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:39.000
with a groin injury. Right, And Daniel Rickert, a free
191
00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.799
agent they signed on August seventh, was also ruled out
192
00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:45.799
with a knee injury. Suddenly, the depth chart was looking very.
193
00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:48.919
Thin, which creates a perfect next man up scenario for
194
00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:50.159
an undrafted rookie.
195
00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.559
Like Bailey exactly. And Bailey had a relatively quiet game
196
00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:54.840
against the Chiefs last week.
197
00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:57.320
Yeah, just two tackles and a couple of pressures. Right.
198
00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:00.080
So, making the leap from that performance to dominating the
199
00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:04.120
Saints in a single week shows tremendous rapid adaptation to
200
00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:05.120
NFL game speed.
201
00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:06.840
Did he talk about what changed for him?
202
00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:09.840
He did. He credited the defensive line coach, the outside
203
00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:13.519
linebacker coach, and the defensive coordinator for that rapid adaptation.
204
00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:17.759
He specifically noted that they allowed him to play free.
205
00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:20.720
Playing free seems like the ultimate goal for a defense.
206
00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:23.120
I mean, if a player is out there overthinking his
207
00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:26.320
gap assignment or worrying about the playbook, his feet are
208
00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:27.320
just going to slow down.
209
00:09:27.639 --> 00:09:30.440
When a coaching staff can simplify the reads and tell
210
00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:35.039
an athletic rookie to just trust his eyes, the hesitation vanishes.
211
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:38.080
It's all instincts at that point exactly. That is how
212
00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:41.559
you get a player to successfully use his leverage rip
213
00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:44.320
under a right tackles pads and flatten the arc to
214
00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:45.879
get to Zach Wilson.
215
00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.840
And that kind of front seven pressure. When you're disrupting
216
00:09:48.879 -->
00:09:51.440
the quarterback, it has a direct ripple effect on the
217
00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:52.360
rest of the defense.
218
00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:53.399
Oh completely.
219
00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:56.720
When the defensive line forces the issue, the secondary doesn't
220
00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:59.799
have to cover receivers for five or six seconds. Defensive
221
00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:03.279
back can take risks and jump routes, which sets up
222
00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:04.960
the most electrifying moment of.
223
00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:09.320
This deep dive safety Alex Cook's one hundred yard interception return.
224
00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:14.080
Yes late in the third quarter, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler
225
00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.000
is operating out of the shotgun at the Rams six
226
00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:19.480
yard line. He tries to thread the needle to his
227
00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:22.799
tight end Traton Welch, but Alex Cook picks it off
228
00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:26.080
Wee's pass rattler and just takes it one hundred yards
229
00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:28.600
the other way for a pick six. Incredible point it was.
230
00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.759
And it wasn't just Cook shining back there either. Cornerback
231
00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:34.559
Alzillian Azy Hamilton grabbed an interception at the start of
232
00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:37.639
the second quarter, and Cam Lampkin had a great fourth
233
00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:38.639
down pass break up.
234
00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.080
Ohll secondary was eating Yeah.
235
00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:43.799
But Cook's journey to this moment is something out of
236
00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:44.600
a movie script.
237
00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:47.720
He has definitely taken the scenic route to the NFL.
238
00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:50.639
He's a California native from Sheldon High in Elk Grove,
239
00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:54.200
and he went undrafted in twenty twenty three. He spent
240
00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:57.679
time bouncing around the practice squads of the Giants, Panthers,
241
00:10:57.720 --> 00:10:58.759
and Bears.
242
00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:00.200
Just trying to stick somewhere exactly.
243
00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:02.360
And just two months ago he was playing in the
244
00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:05.399
UFL for the Birmingham Stallions, where he ended his season
245
00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.840
with a thirty yard pick six. He came to the
246
00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.399
Rams hoping to get one more pick six in the NFL,
247
00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.279
and then he goes out and runs one back one
248
00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:12.919
hundred yards.
249
00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.600
You can't write it any better, You really can't.
250
00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:18.360
So what does this all mean. It's one thing to
251
00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:20.440
get a lucky tipball that just kind of falls into
252
00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:22.759
your lap, but to read a play from the snap,
253
00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:25.200
secure the interception in the end zone, and run it
254
00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:27.519
back one hundred yards? I mean, is this a sign
255
00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:32.159
of superior football IQ? Or was Cook just in the
256
00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.799
right place at the right time because of a bad
257
00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:36.039
read by Spencer Ratler.
258
00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:40.120
What's fascinating here is Cook's post game breakdown of the play. Yeah,
259
00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:43.840
it completely answers that question, and it highlights immense processor speed.
260
00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:45.240
Really, what did he say?
261
00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:48.799
He literally walked reporters through the exact mechanics of what
262
00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.080
he saw. Because the rams were in cover, for Cook
263
00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:55.320
had responsibility for his deep quarter of the field at
264
00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:57.879
the snap, he felt the running back push out to
265
00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.240
the flat. Okay, instantly he died diagnosed the route combination.
266
00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:04.519
He felt the tight end pushing a vertical and breaking
267
00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:07.159
toward the sideline on a corner route which is often
268
00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:08.519
called a seven route right.
269
00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.399
And a lesser safety might panic and chase that deep
270
00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:13.679
corner route, which would then just open up the middle of.
271
00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:18.159
The field precisely, but Cook knew the overarching route concept.
272
00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:20.960
The Saints were running. He knew that the tight end's
273
00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:24.440
corner route was designed as bait ah to clear him
274
00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.320
out yeah, and that there would be a spot route
275
00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:28.840
coming underneath it to sit right at the goal line.
276
00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:32.720
So instead of taking the bait, Cook held his inside leverage.
277
00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:36.639
He stayed slightly inside the receiver, keeping his eyes firmly
278
00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:40.320
locked on Stencer Rattler's helmet, just reading the quarterback exactly.
279
00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:43.639
He waited for Rattler's eyes to progress from his first
280
00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:47.360
read to that underneath spot route. The split second Rattler's
281
00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:50.679
eyes shifted, Cook drove on the ball, jumped the route,
282
00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:52.600
caught it in stride, and took off.
283
00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:57.120
That is just wild. Processing the running back's flat route,
284
00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.799
identifying the tight end's corner route as bait, anticipating the
285
00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.679
underneath spot route, and reading the quarterback's helmet progression, all
286
00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.840
happening in the condensed space of the red zone in
287
00:13:06.879 -->
00:13:09.360
about what two and a half seconds barely even that.
288
00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:11.399
That is incredible processing speed.
289
00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:15.039
Doing all of that successfully requires a deep understanding of
290
00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.600
the offensive coordinator's intent. But what is even more remarkable
291
00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.440
is how seamlessly Cook transitioned into this defense, considering he
292
00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:23.919
only arrived on August seventh.
293
00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.480
That fast integration has to be aided by the familiar
294
00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:26.960
faces in.
295
00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.320
The building, though, Oh without a doubt, the.
296
00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:33.240
Rams' pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach is Jimmy Lake,
297
00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:36.759
who coached Cook at the University of Washington, and he's
298
00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:41.200
also reunited with his former college teammates, wide receiver Pukainakua
299
00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:42.960
and cornerback Trent McDuffie.
300
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.039
Having your former college head coach running your current NFL
301
00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:50.080
meeting room flattens the learning curve tremendously. They already share
302
00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:51.320
a football vocabulary.
303
00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:53.320
You don't have to translate everything right.
304
00:13:53.320 --> 00:13:56.639
The defensive concepts aren't entirely foreign, which allows a journeyman
305
00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:00.240
off a UFL roster to bypass the overwhelming fase of
306
00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:03.720
learning a new playbook and immediately transition to playing fast
307
00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:05.240
and instinctual football.
308
00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.759
Cook actually mentioned that from his very first day he
309
00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:11.080
felt like he was part of the family. The way
310
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.600
the entire defense swarmed him in the end zone after
311
00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.360
that one hundred yard return is a clear testament to that.
312
00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.879
It synthesizes the core message hidden within these sources. Really,
313
00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:23.960
we all know preseason games don't count in the official
314
00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.919
NFL standings, and years from now, nobody is going to
315
00:14:26.919 --> 00:14:30.000
recall the box score of this specific Rams Saints matchup.
316
00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:32.000
Probably not, but these.
317
00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:35.039
Games are incredibly meaningful for the players on the field
318
00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:38.320
and for evaluating the broader organizational philosophy.
319
00:14:38.519 --> 00:14:42.399
The culture Sean McVay has established in Los Angeles empowers
320
00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:46.480
players who might be overlooked elsewhere. A UFL practice squad,
321
00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:50.320
journeyman or an undrafted rookie can step into that facility
322
00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:52.399
and immediately feel trusted.
323
00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:54.679
They don't feel like outsiders exactly.
324
00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:57.840
They are put in a defensive system that encourages them
325
00:14:57.879 --> 00:15:02.799
to play free, which directly to the game changing, highly
326
00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.240
intellectual football plays we saw in this blowout.
327
00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:06.120
It's all connected.
328
00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:08.559
It really is. So to you listening right now. The
329
00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.559
next time you turn on a preseason game in August,
330
00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.840
don't just look at the final score or you know,
331
00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:15.399
focus on the starting quarterback wearing a headset on the sideline.
332
00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.559
Look deeper, yeah, Look for the undrafted rookie making a
333
00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.759
heart with his hands after a sack, fighting for a
334
00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:23.200
roster spot to honor his late mother. Look for the
335
00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:27.279
UFL call up diagnosing a complex red zone passing concept
336
00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:29.200
in two seconds to make the play of his life,
337
00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:33.039
because that is where the real raw football story lives.
338
00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:36.080
It really leaves you with a fascinating thought to ponder
339
00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:38.240
long after the final whistle blows.
340
00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:38.759
What's that?
341
00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.399
Well, if an undrafted UFL safety and an undrafted rookie
342
00:15:43.480 --> 00:15:47.039
linebacker can completely dismantle an NFL offense when they are
343
00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.519
finally put in a system that trusts them and allows
344
00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.919
them to play fast and free. Yeah, how much untapped
345
00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.879
game wrecking talent is currently sitting outside the league right now,
346
00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:59.120
driving ubers or playing in spring leagues, just waiting for
347
00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:01.720
the right coaching staff and the right defensive scheme to
348
00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:02.320
unlock them.