DMN Blog: Bob Sturm: A look inside the Cowboys' 'fire zone' blitz

[WoodysGirl]

Posted at 5:55 PM on Wed., Sep. 29, 2010 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Let's take a look at a huge defensive moment in the game on Sunday. I wish I had more time to dedicate to the defensive X's and O's, but since I focus on the offense - defense gets short-changed quite a bit.

But, as the opportunity presents itself, I think we should occasionally spend some time looking at how Wade Phillips gets pressure.

Since he has an absolute elite pass rusher in DeMarcus Ware , Wade doesn't have to dip into the "exotic" blitzes as often as guys like Gregg Williams in New Orleans or Rex Ryan in New York. It seems that defenses that bring risky pressure regularly do it partly because they don't have a 20-sack guy who can beat you straight up on a routine basis. There is no reason to take chances when you don't have to. And make no mistake - bringing 7 or 8 on a blitz is taking a major chance at this level. If you are good enough to be a starting QB in the NFL then you are good enough to beat a Cover 0 opportunity at least some of the time.

But, here is a look that is an evolution of the zone blitz known as the "fire zone" blitz. With the "fire zone", the objective is to bring pressure from one side and drop the weakside defensive end into a zone coverage on the opposite side. Blitzing 7 is too risky for most, but what if you can make the offense react like you are blitzing more guys than you really are.

Read more Bob: http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/09/bob-sturm-a-look-inside-the-co.html

 

[Marktui]

Good think Brooking didn't miss the "lay-up" cause Jones was going to be wide open in the back of the endzone. If that was Vick or McNabb and was able to elude that pressure it would be a sure touchdown.

But I guess Wade knew Schaub is not an escape artist is why he called that blitz.

 

[JBell]

Good think Brooking didn't miss the "lay-up" cause Jones was going to be wide open in the back of the endzone. If that was Vick or McNabb and was able to elude that pressure it would be a sure touchdown.

But I guess Wade knew Schaub is not an escape artist is why he called that blitz.

Isn't this the case with all blitzes though?

During most blitzes there's usually a guy that comes open after a while. But it's usually too late.

 

[sonnyboy]

Isn't this the case with all blitzes though?

During most blitzes there's usually a guy that comes open after a while. But it's usually too late.

That's why I'm not a big an of it. I think Wade makes real good use of it, blitzing just about as often as I'd like.

We're too good to be a blitz heavy team. We have too many elite pass rushers....Ware, Ratliff and Spencer.

We send 5 guys quite often. That is a blitz, but just barely. For me that's enough. If we send more than 5, 2-4 times in a game, that's plenty.

I want to make the opposition earn it. Go 8-10 plays for a score which gives us plenty of shots at making a drive stopping play. Draw that holding call that sets up 2nd and 20 or that big sack that sets up 3rd and 15.

 

[Red Dragon]

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/09/bob-sturm-a-look-inside-the-co.html


See if you can catch that concept as DeMarcus Ware (who has the full attention of the Left Tackle) fakes his pass rush but then drops to the left flat. This idea is great because the chance that Ware rushes is enough to occupy the left tackle even though he doesn't really rush. So, you get the benefit of taking the LT out of the play, but still get Ware to cover a zone in coverage.






This is genius. I love it - the chess battle. Never thought of it.

 

[Future]

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/09/bob-sturm-a-look-inside-the-co.html


See if you can catch that concept as DeMarcus Ware (who has the full attention of the Left Tackle) fakes his pass rush but then drops to the left flat. This idea is great because the chance that Ware rushes is enough to occupy the left tackle even though he doesn't really rush. So, you get the benefit of taking the LT out of the play, but still get Ware to cover a zone in coverage.






This is genius. I love it - the chess battle. Never thought of it.

I feel like the Cowboys have done that a lot of times...it never really works. In theory that's nice but no LT is so slow and so terrible at knowing where DeMarcus is that he won't be able to move a foot to the right or left.

 

[sureletsrace]

I feel like the Cowboys have done that a lot of times...it never really works. In theory that's nice but no LT is so slow and so terrible at knowing where DeMarcus is that he won't be able to move a foot to the right or left.

But when you've got the LT standing there staring nobody in the face and the heat is coming from the other side of the line, he is effectively taken out of the play as if Ware were on him.