Does Mikell help us Sunday like Blackburn did against the Giants?

[panthers55]

One of the things that fans may forget is that Quinton Mikell played for the Rams last year.  He was their third leading tackler garnering 114 tackles and 3 sacks. 

 

It seemed like Blackburn was in the backfield when we played the Giants because he knew their plays and what they wanted to do.  I wonder if that could help us Sunday given Mikell knows the Rams offense.

 

Sure I know folks will say that this happens all the time and it doesn't really make that much of a difference but if we were playing the Giants this weekend, would them having Beason make a difference?  Will the fact that Mikell knows what plays they run out of the formations help him know where to play.  Sure we know that coaches watch film and have already told folks what the Rams will do and how to respond. So the scouting aspect is not that big a deal.  Still when a player is very familiar with another team scheme they can individually play faster and respond instead of think about it and then responding. Plus he will be motivated to show them what he has left.

[CRA]

Rams have a new DC....so I would think that would rule him out knowing the inside and out like Chase with the NY D

Defending the Rams O....may help some. Mikell is a pretty savy

[PhillyB]

CRA is right, very little chance he can offer anything in the way of schematics. however he has faced most of those offensive guys before in practice, so he's going to be the guy most familiar with their personnel. hopefully he'll be able to offer a little bit there to give us an edge.

[SIGCHI222]

I think he helps whether we are playing the Rams or not.

[Peppers90 NC]

i think this is often somewhat overblown, but it doesnt hurt he has some insight

[Marguide]

Rams have a new DC....so I would think that would rule him out knowing the inside and out like Chase with the NY D

Defending the Rams O....may help some. Mikell is a pretty savy

I'm sure the OP was talking about him helping vs the Rams' offense. That's who he would be going against, not the defense.

[xerxes]

Vastly overrated notion. Blackburn helped us by not sucking at OLB like Beason had been.

[L-TownCat]

First off, it can not possibly hurt to have him back there.  He knows Bradford's tendencies and habits.  He may not know the calls but his play recognition should help in some way at least.

[jtnc]

We knew everything about the Giants not because of Blackburn, but because our linebacker coach was a defensive assistant with the Giants before he got hired here.

[TruCatzFan]

I think if anything Mikel is a liability for us going into the game. If anybody knows his tendencies and weaknesses it's the Rams!

There's a reason he's not a Ram, and I'm not buying the whole "salary cap" reason either.

It will be awesome to see Tavon Austin finally have a break out game against US of all people. (Huddle will implode about why we didn't draft Austin and why we still don't have a compliment to Smitty) Rams win this one in a blowout due to Mikel being burnt continuously in play action by Austin.

(Note: every win we have has been after I post something like this... So here's to hoping that it keeps working)

[CRA]

I'm sure the OP was talking about him helping vs the Rams' offense. That's who he would be going against, not the defense.

OP mentioned both sides....

Chase likely did help with both sides. He could aid Cam/Shula with what NY does defensively.

I mean traditionally, that is where former players aid the most. Helping provide insight on what they did on their side of the ball.

[panthers55]

I don't think that he gives us much of an edge in scouting information since honestly coaches have broken down game tape from this year and we know what they will do and this has been passed along to players in meeting and practice.  What I was mostly focusing on (or thought I was) was on whether playing every day against the Rams offense last year would give him a personal advantage in knowing what was coming and what Bradford would do or which guys he favors in what situations. Plus would he be especially motivated to play well and show the Rams what he had left.

[CRA]

I don't think that he gives us much of an edge in scouting information since honestly coaches have broken down game tape from this year and we know what they will do and this has been passed along to players in meeting and practice. What I was mostly focusing on (or thought I was) was on whether playing every day against the Rams offense last year would give him a personal advantage in knowing what was coming and what Bradford would do or which guys he favors in what situations. Plus would he be especially motivated to play well and show the Rams what he had left.

I would not be shocked to see him come up and step in front of some of Bradford short work for a INT.

Mikell is smart. I am sure he knows lots of Bradford's habits....Bradford has been playing small ball for some time.

[rayzor]

blackburn did help a lot with scouting the giants O. he knew what they were going to do pretty much at all times and he helped the rest of the D know it.

 

i fully expect mikell to help us know how to work the rams offense. the guy is smart. he may not know their O as well as blackburn did, but that's only because blackburn spent more time in NY.