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Couple interesting articles on Rams and Read option

jacobarch

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Posted by Michael David Smith on September 5, 2013, 5:14 PM EDT

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (L) scrambles under pressure from Atlanta Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel (C) and Sean Weatherspoon during the second quarter in the NFL NFC Championship football game in AtlantaReuters
Players on the Packers have been talking about hitting 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh is not happy about that. But the NFL has some bad news for Harbaugh: Taking hits comes with the territory of being a read-option quarterback.

In an officiating video distributed to the media, NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino says that read-option quarterbacks can be hit like runners, even if they don’t have the ball. If a quarterback who handed off or pitched the ball is still carrying out a fake in a running posture, he can be tackled the same way he would be if he still had the ball.

“He is still treated as a runner until he is clearly out of the play,” Blandino said. “The quarterback makes the pitch, he’s still a runner — he can be hit like a runner until he’s clearly out of the play.”

Blandino noted that if the offense is running a play designed to keep the defense guessing about who’s getting the ball, it’s only fair for the defense to be allowed to tackle both players who might have the ball.

“The quarterback and the running back, they’re both treated as runners. We don’t know who has the football, we don’t know who’s going to take it, so both players are treated as runners,” Blandino said.

For all the talk of the league office protecting defenseless quarterbacks, Blandino made clear that quarterbacks are only considered defenseless in certain situations, and running the read option is not one of those situations.

“The basic concept is, the quarterback position is not defenseless throughout the down. It’s the posture he presents that will dictate his protections,” Blandino said.

Still, that doesn’t mean defenders get unlimited free shots on quarterbacks on all read-option plays. If it’s obvious that the quarterback doesn’t have the ball anymore, he can’t get hit: The rules say that if a defender drills a quarterback after he has handed off or pitched the ball and isn’t taking a running posture anymore, it’s unnecessary roughness.

“If the quarterback is out of the pocket, he’s clearly out of the play, he cannot be unnecessarily contacted,” Blandino said.

The officials will have a tough job determining where the line is drawn between playing tough, physical defense on read-option quarterbacks, and unnecessarily contacting a quarterback who doesn’t have the ball anymore. It’s probably safe to say that the Packers and the 49ers won’t agree about where that line should be drawn on Sunday.

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NFC West bold prediction.

Ok, so opening day is here, and I'm ready to dole out my bold predictions.

I'll keep the predictions brief.

Superbowl - Denver vs. Atlanta, with Denver winning out in a cold one up in NYC/Jersey.

I think the Jets and Raiders will fight it out for the chance to draft Clowney, with the Raiders winning. Also think as a fallout to this Rex Ryan doesn't last the season with the Jets.

Ok, for some of the bold predictions -
RG3 - I don't think he lasts the season. I just think he's come back to early, hasn't played a single down in a game atmosphere yet, and is being thrown to the wolves so to speak by Shanahan. I think his knee will be an issue, his accuracy will be an issue, and he'll be a big target for defenses. I'm not wishing it on the guy, but I feel he'll get hurt again this season and not finish all 16 games.

Pistol offense - will suddenly falter. I think after a season of seeing how the offense operates and having TONS of tape on it now from Seattle, San Fran, Washington, etc... that defense and defensive coordinators will scheme better for it and they will find less success than they did last year, and I think what success they do see will also fade as the season progresses and more teams continue to adapt to defending it.

OK by biggest predictions - I think both Seattle and San Fran MISS the playoffs, and the Rams win the division. I know this is most likely the homer in me, BUT, I really feel that Seattle and San Fran have been SO overhyped by the media that this is all everyone ever talks about and if you really take a look at either team you see that there's alot of concern there.

First off, everyone is in love with CK and Wilson, which is fine, but per my first point, I think the pistol offenses won't have the same success they did last year, and I don't know how well San Fran or Seattle will do if they are forced to actually throw the ball more. Heck Wilson barely averaged more than 225 yards passing a game last season, and the ones where he did pass alot, the lost. The same is true for CK, he only passed for more than 250 yards once last season. I also think the injuries to San Fran's offense is going to be alot for them to overcome. Both of these teams found success on running the ball - ALOT - and playing very solid defense. And I'm just not sold on them being able to duplicate their success from last season on that formula, if teams can stack the line and stop them from running, I don't see that they have a lot of success - JMHO. And let's not forget in terms of Seattle, they actually had a gift win given to them from the replacement refs last season.

I think the Rams win on a 10-6 record and get into the playoffs, while both Seattle and San Fran miss out. I think Bradford has a big year, but I also think, someone that no one is really talking about, Daryl Richardson, has a big year. I think he'll surprise ALOT of people and be one of the top backs in the league by the end of the year. He just has that same look and feel as Chris Johnson did to me, with his speed and quick decision making, he cuts up the holes so fast and I think he'll be WAY more productive than people are giving him credit for. I think he's a sleeper. Also think our defense will be even more improved than last year, and our coverage will be better, JJ will be more mature and step his game up, and I still stick by my assessment back in the draft that TJ MacDonald will be one of the steals of the draft and will surprise alot of people with his play.

Ok, go ahead and blast away.

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I think this guy could be right on the money of course he could probably be wrong but being a Ram homer I hope he's right.

You guys remember the "Wild Cat" ya.......either do I. Lets hope the "read option" goes that direction.

discuss
 

ozarkram

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I believe Denver vs Atlanta is a good pick. Also agree that read option QBs could be in trouble this year. RG3 is a good example running QBs dont last long in the NFL. I have been blasted many times over the past few years because I dont believe college style running QBs last very long in the NFL. But I think history bears me out on this. Defenses will adapt and these guys (the QBs) are one hit away from the bench. The Rams are improved how much we will see, much rides on Sams play.
 

jacobarch

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I believe Denver vs Atlanta is a good pick. Also agree that read option QBs could be in trouble this year. RG3 is a good example running QBs dont last long in the NFL. I have been blasted many times over the past few years because I dont believe college style running QBs last very long in the NFL. But I think history bears me out on this. Defenses will adapt and these guys (the QBs) are one hit away from the bench. The Rams are improved how much we will see, much rides on Sams play.

Agreed about Sams play, and I don't want to make excuses for him so I wont. But there will be a lot of mistakes by young players this year and we have to realize that and not jump all over Sams back when things go wrong.

Indeed defenses will scheme against the read-option this year and who knows teams could use that to their advantage. I honestly think it will go the way of the Wildcat and die out when teams try it this year and it doesnt have the same results.
 

ozarkram

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I am not a Sam basher although I was not high on taking him in the draft. All in all I think the kid has done a fair job all things considered. Having said that the team is being put in place for him to shine. Its time for him(Sam) to step up and take the reins. SJ is gone its Sams team to make or break. Just my take.
 

Vitamike

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Agreed about Sams play, and I don't want to make excuses for him so I wont. But there will be a lot of mistakes by young players this year and we have to realize that and not jump all over Sams back when things go wrong.

Indeed defenses will scheme against the read-option this year and who knows teams could use that to their advantage. I honestly think it will go the way of the Wildcat and die out when teams try it this year and it doesnt have the same results.
Many Rams fans posters on these boards will call this an excuse, sorry about that its just how it is, none the less I agree with what you are saying.

I am not a Sam basher although I was not high on taking him in the draft. All in all I think the kid has done a fair job all things considered. Having said that the team is being put in place for him to shine. Its time for him(Sam) to step up and take the reins. SJ is gone its Sams team to make or break. Just my take.
I think he will go as far as this young team around him goes. They struggle, Sam struggles, they soar, Sam soars! I keep going back to the fact that we were a very, very young team last year and this year we are younger. That said, a lot of guys both offensively and defensively will be playing their first NFL game ever. Never played 4 quarters of NFL football nor a 16 game schedule. Those factors will come in to play, like it or not.
 

Red_Chaos

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Atlanta keeps finding a way to screw its changes in the playoffs. i doubt this year is any different
 

shopson67

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SJ is an improvement over Turner, but is he enough of an improvement? Not a lot of tread left on those tires.
 

Retroram52

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I watched Peyton Manning take-out his frustration on the Ravens the other night throwing 7 dingers and I thought to myself that our offense is nowhere near that type of explosiveness. And I get there are a number of complex factors involved but the analytical side of me just was flabberghasted that here we are, four years into Sammie's contract and we still have not seen that kind of performance from Sammie or this offense. There is something fundamentally wrong here and I hope all that changes this year beginning tomorrow afternoon.
 
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