Are you ready for some FOOTBALL - Playoff Edition

[Imran Siddiqui]

The blitz is not always a failing strategy. If it was, no one would use it . For example, Denver uses blitzes on a ton of plays. Their entire defense is based on bringing pressure on the QB and they rely on blitzing to do it. They really rattled Brady with there defensive scheme.

And, of course, Pittsburgh used it to great success in recent years (hence the nickname "Blitzberg")

[pchang]

If you take a look at

http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9163271

You will see that Denver was the most successful against the blitz.

While Pittsburgh bliltzed the most by far and was moderately successful, Denver was not that successful when they blitzed.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by pchang
If you take a look at

http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9163271

You will see that Denver was the most successful against the blitz.

While Pittsburgh bliltzed the most by far and was moderately successful, Denver was not that successful when they blitzed.

That list in the article appears to be flawed. It measures only sacks and interceptions. Blitzes don't have to get a sack or int to be successful. A 'hurry' is just as good when it results in a pass that's thrown wildly off target or a pass thrown too quickly and knocked away by a defender.

[Arrian]

I seem to remember Denver's blitzes resulting in a lot of pressure on Brady. They didn't sack him a ton of times, but they were OFTEN in his face.

-Arrian

[reismark]

Let me be the first to congratulate Rod Marinelli - defensive line coach for Tampa Bay for the last ten years and assistant head coach under Jon Gruden - on his new job as head coach of the Detroit Lions.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/01/19/bc.fbn.lions.marinelli.ap/index.html

The Lions organization is getting an excellent football mind and a quality human being with the same ability to reverse the culture of losing that Marvin Lewis had for Cincinnati.

I can only hope that at this point that Millen is forced to shoulder his share of the responsibility for what transpires for Detroit at this point. Marinelli has been waiting years for this opportunity, and I want it to turn out well for him.

(At the same time, I also want to thank Monte Kiffin for turning down the St. Louis Rams. Like Marinelli, Kiffin deserves a chance as the top coach in a organization if he wants it... I'd just prefer that organization not be St. Louis or Philadelphia.)

[Kidlicious]

blitzes

If the defense hurries a QB but leaves a receiver wide open then the blitz will fail if the QB sees the open reciever.

[Frozzy]

Blitzes are a surprise tactic. Indianapolis has the best blitz/sack ratio in the league... they ran a total of 25 blitzes all year But if you run blitzes every other play, they are fairly pointless.

Thats why 3-4 teams are so "succcessful" because they can disguise their pass rush because the 4th rusher can come from 4 places. Add to that the possibility of a blitzer coming through in addition to the pass rushing LB, pass blocking gets confused.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Re: blitzes

Originally posted by Kidicious
If the defense hurries a QB but leaves a receiver wide open then the blitz will fail if the QB sees the open reciever.

The point is to get to the QB before the reciever is seen . Or even if the reciever is seen, get to the QB, before he can make a decent throw to the reciever.

[Kidlicious]

Re: Re: blitzes

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


The point is to get to the QB before the reciever is seen . Or even if the reciever is seen, get to the QB, before he can make a decent throw to the reciever.

Or you can play call in timing routes designed against blitzes that the defense throws. It comes down to play calling alot. The defense can get interceptions too, but if the offense calls the right play it ends up as a TD.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Arrian
I seem to remember Denver's blitzes resulting in a lot of pressure on Brady. They didn't sack him a ton of times, but they were OFTEN in his face.

-Arrian

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
They really rattled Brady with there defensive scheme.

If Brady throws for 341 when he's rattled, I'd hate to see what he does when he's composed.


The purpose of a five man blitz is pretty clear, and it works if it's a surprise.

What I don't get is the "blitz on third down" thing. Why the hell do teams make a tradition of blitzing in a particular situation? If it's no surprise, then it's silly. If it's an uberlong down, like 3rd and 18 or so, then the rushers have a very good chance of getting to the QB before the WRs have run their long routes, but in other situations it's silly to do exactly what they expect you to do.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Because getting pressure on the QB is much better than not getting pressure on the QB. If the QB can stand there for 5 seconds, he'll usually find someone. If he has 2 seconds less (say), there is a better chance of rushing the throw, even if a WR is open.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Btw, one thing that amuses me greatly is that the Broncos were ripped HARD for signing 4 ex Browns to play on their defensive line, but they've been very solid (especially Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren). I guess that goes to show that coaching DOES make a difference!

[Kidlicious]

Some QBs can throw under pressure, off of one foot even though, especially to uncovered recievers. That's why blitzing is a gamble and shouldn't just be used all the time, or be predictable.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Some QBs can throw under pressure, off of one foot even though, especially to uncovered recievers. That's why blitzing is a gamble and shouldn't just be used all the time, or be predictable.

I don't think anyone uses blitzes all the time, but plenty of teams used it quite often (Pittsburgh is known for it). If you have a top notch secondary, it is far easier to blitz. And if you have a great front four, you don't have to do it as much.

[Kidlicious]

The new Rams head coach will probably be Scott Linehan, the offensive coordinator for Miami. Miami did better than a lot of people thought this year offensively. I think Linehan should get some credit for that. I don't know though. We'll just have to see.