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Sacking him is not enough
Pressuring Manning essential for Bears
By John Mullin
Tribune staff reporter
January 31, 2007, 10:17 PM CST
MIAMI -- Maybe Greg Blache is right after all.
The former Bears defensive coordinator, who's now defensive line coach with the Commanders, was ripped repeatedly for maintaining that sacks are overrated. But in the matter of Bears vs. Peyton Manning, Blache may be prophetic.
Flattening Manning does not equate into flattening the Indianapolis Colts.
Of the 20 sacks of Manning this season, 16 came in games the Colts won. Manning was sacked multiple times in seven games and the Colts won five of those.
"The sack sometimes can be overblown and in this game it definitely can be," Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "The thing for us with Peyton is just to be pressuring him into throwing the ball somewhere else, sooner than he wants to, that he knows we're coming."
The Patriots sacked him three times twice and lost both games, one in the AFC championship game.
But none of five sacks of Manning in the three playoff games came on a third down. Those sacks effectively stifled drives, but the Bears have noticed that sacks on early downs are not necessarily the ones that turn games, particularly against Manning.
"The problem with the Colts is that most of the sacks have come on first and second downs," Ogunleye said. "If you get a sack on first down, he still has two downs to convert. But if we can have three straight plays where he has to get the ball out faster than he wants to, that's probably going to be bigger than a sack."
The game may not turn on the number of times Manning has to pick himself up off the Dolphin Stadium sod. But defensive coordinator Ron Rivera came into the NFL under Buddy Ryan, who had 10 rules of defense and the first eight were get the quarterback.
"I don't care who you play; you hit the quarterback and drive him into the ground, it makes a difference," Rivera said. "If you can get him into a situation where frustration sets in, you can take charge."
The Bears are not a blitzing team by choice and have noticed teams that have blitzed Manning have left themselves vulnerable.
"What did they give up to get those sacks?" Rivera said. "Were they impact sacks? If you get a sack at third-and-20, to me that's not an impact sack. When it's just before the half and they're driving, trying for a field goal or a score and you get a sack to take them out of field-goal range, that's an impact sack."
Sounds like someone I'd want in my staff or as a HC! Did you guys know he came into the NFL under Buddy Ryan? Interesting.
Pressuring Manning essential for Bears
By John Mullin
Tribune staff reporter
January 31, 2007, 10:17 PM CST
MIAMI -- Maybe Greg Blache is right after all.
The former Bears defensive coordinator, who's now defensive line coach with the Commanders, was ripped repeatedly for maintaining that sacks are overrated. But in the matter of Bears vs. Peyton Manning, Blache may be prophetic.
Flattening Manning does not equate into flattening the Indianapolis Colts.
Of the 20 sacks of Manning this season, 16 came in games the Colts won. Manning was sacked multiple times in seven games and the Colts won five of those.
"The sack sometimes can be overblown and in this game it definitely can be," Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "The thing for us with Peyton is just to be pressuring him into throwing the ball somewhere else, sooner than he wants to, that he knows we're coming."
The Patriots sacked him three times twice and lost both games, one in the AFC championship game.
But none of five sacks of Manning in the three playoff games came on a third down. Those sacks effectively stifled drives, but the Bears have noticed that sacks on early downs are not necessarily the ones that turn games, particularly against Manning.
"The problem with the Colts is that most of the sacks have come on first and second downs," Ogunleye said. "If you get a sack on first down, he still has two downs to convert. But if we can have three straight plays where he has to get the ball out faster than he wants to, that's probably going to be bigger than a sack."
The game may not turn on the number of times Manning has to pick himself up off the Dolphin Stadium sod. But defensive coordinator Ron Rivera came into the NFL under Buddy Ryan, who had 10 rules of defense and the first eight were get the quarterback.
"I don't care who you play; you hit the quarterback and drive him into the ground, it makes a difference," Rivera said. "If you can get him into a situation where frustration sets in, you can take charge."
The Bears are not a blitzing team by choice and have noticed teams that have blitzed Manning have left themselves vulnerable.
"What did they give up to get those sacks?" Rivera said. "Were they impact sacks? If you get a sack at third-and-20, to me that's not an impact sack. When it's just before the half and they're driving, trying for a field goal or a score and you get a sack to take them out of field-goal range, that's an impact sack."
Sounds like someone I'd want in my staff or as a HC! Did you guys know he came into the NFL under Buddy Ryan? Interesting.
By the way, Chicago also had trouble mostly with 3-4 teams. Folks out here in Chicagoland definitely didn't want to see the cowboys in the playoffs. That was back when we had a good defense and we were the 'team to beat'.