Where is our missing pass rush?

[DallasDomination]

It's in the lack of Blitz and the lack of blitz disguise.

When we're comming everyone knows it..Very easy to adjust and counter

 

[Sportsbabe]

We got plenty pressure in the first half. The Jags could do NOTHING!!! They adjusted and we didn't. That's on Zimmer. We were all over their tail in the first. In the second we got no pressure and our safety coverage was non-existence. It was almost embarrassing. This was suppose to be the strength of our team.

 

[gbrittain]

Just for Summerisfunner, here goes:

Number 1: IT'S ONE GAME .....don't be a fair weather fan - wait and see how it plays out as the season progresses.

Number 2: Who are the proven pass rushers on this team? You seem to think we have Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers, when what we really have is an older veteran LB (Ellis) who has had moderate success as a pass rusher while playing another postion, and a 2nd year player (Ware) who has yet to establish himself as a consistent pass rushing presence.

Number 3: Roy and some of the LB's did blitz yesterday, it just didn't garner much results.

Number 4: If the players can't beat opponents one on one on any semi-consisent basis, an elaborate blitzing package ends up being a smoke and mirrors attempt to mask deficiencies.

BOTTOME LINE: Perhaps the coaches could have done more and made some calls that would have helped, but the players still have to go out and make plays - and that didn't happen. The biggest impact in the game is player execution, not game time coaching decisions.

Who are the proven pass rushers on this team? You seem to think we have Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers, when what we really have is an older veteran LB (Ellis) who has had moderate success as a pass rusher while playing another postion, and a 2nd year player (Ware) who has yet to establish himself as a consistent pass rushing presence.

I do not see how this argument helps out Bill Parcells. This is not the defense he inherited...it is the one he created. Maybe it is the players or maybe it is the coaching and maybe even perhaps a little bit of both. When you are the architect though, you get the blame. If these same players were hitting the QB on every snap, we would be praising the players for sure and at the same time elevating Bill Parcells to defensive god status.

Roy and some of the LB's did blitz yesterday, it just didn't garner much results.

Watch the Pittsburgh Thursday night game and compare it to the Cowboys game and you will see that the only difference was not a simple case of execution. Those defenses played a vastly different style. One attacked and the other tippy toed around. That is how you play defense.

If the players can't beat opponents one on one on any semi-consisent basis, an elaborate blitzing package ends up being a smoke and mirrors attempt to mask deficiencies.

Assuming you are right for a second. We need the smoke and mirrors. You have to try to take it to the other team.

BOTTOME LINE: Perhaps the coaches could have done more and made some calls that would have helped, but the players still have to go out and make plays - and that didn't happen. The biggest impact in the game is player execution, not game time coaching decisions.

I agree, Bledsoe in particular made it nearly impossible to win. He stunk out loud. The defense in general did not play well. Now, I am really going to have to disagree. Coaching does matter, big time. Every single game. Let me call the plays then on Sunday. Afterall, they should execute the play regardless of who is calling it.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

To paraphrase Sam Jackson, "I want some m*fing blitzes from this m*fing defense!

 

[Stautner]

Just for Summerisfunner, here goes:

I do not see how this argument helps out Bill Parcells. This is not the defense he inherited...it is the one he created. Maybe it is the players or maybe it is the coaching and maybe even perhaps a little bit of both. When you are the architect though, you get the blame. If these same players were hitting the QB on every snap, we would be praising the players for sure and at the same time elevating Bill Parcells to defensive god status.

You are out of context on this point. The point was that the 3-4 scheme or the defensive game plan may not be the fault. I will readily concede that it remains to be seen whether Parcell's hand picked players work out as hoped. They are still young and we just don't know yet.

Watch the Pittsburgh Thursday night game and compare it to the Cowboys game and you will see that the only difference was not a simple case of execution. Those defenses played a vastly different style. One attacked and the other tippy toed around. That is how you play defense.

Pittsburgh's defense is full of established veterans who have played in the 3-4 for several years. We are a young team with a number of players still trying to establish themselves and with little 3-4 experience. This is not an apples to apples comparison.

Assuming you are right for a second. We need the smoke and mirrors. You have to try to take it to the other team.

I believe I conceded that this MAY prove to be true, but this was just a first game. I believe that Parcells thought and hoped that we had enough talent that we didn't have to expose ourselves by blitzing too much, and he may be wrong about that and we may have to adjust. Then again, as I said, this was the first game and not necessarily indicative of the entire season.

I agree, Bledsoe in particular made it nearly impossible to win. He stunk out loud. The defense in general did not play well. Now, I am really going to have to disagree. Coaching does matter, big time. Every single game. Let me call the plays then on Sunday. Afterall, they should execute the play regardless of who is calling it.

You completely pulled this one out of context - I didn't say coaching didn't matter. All I said was that execution mattered more. There are always going to be bad coaching decisions and bad on field execution at times, but this time we had multiple opportunities to either score or sustain long drives that we killed with penalties, overthrows and bad decisions by the QB. I don't deny that some coaching decisions may have helped, but the bottom line is we had the chances on the field - we were in position to succeed - and the players didn't execute and take advantage of those opportunities.

Keep this in mind: Bad coaching decisions can be overcome good execution on the field, but good coaching decisions cannot overcome bad execution.

 

[jwhardin]

Part of the problem is Ware and Ellis are the best pass rushers, so when they drop back in coverage they are taken out of the rushing equation. The D linemen run no stunts, the blitzes are ususally right into the blocking, making a log jam with the blitzers running into each other backs. What I say is that there isn't in imagination in our defense.

 

[Cbz40]

Part of the problem is Ware and Ellis are the best pass rushers, so when they drop back in coverage they are taken out of the rushing equation. The D linemen run no stunts, the blitzes are ususally right into the blocking, making a log jam with the blitzers running into each other backs. What I say is that there isn't in imagination in our defense.

There you go. The blitzes are as vanilla as I am old.

 

[gbrittain]

You are out of context on this point. The point was that the 3-4 scheme or the defensive game plan may not be the fault. I will readily concede that it remains to be seen whether Parcell's hand picked players work out as hoped. They are still young and we just don't know yet.



Pittsburgh's defense is full of established veterans who have played in the 3-4 for several years. We are a young team with a number of players still trying to establish themselves and with little 3-4 experience. This is not an apples to apples comparison.



I believe I conceded that this MAY prove to be true, but this was just a first game. I believe that Parcells thought and hoped that we had enough talent that we didn't have to expose ourselves by blitzing too much, and he may be wrong about that and we may have to adjust. Then again, as I said, this was the first game and not necessarily indicative of the entire season.



You completely pulled this one out of context - I didn't say coaching didn't matter. All I said was that execution mattered more. There are always going to be bad coaching decisions and bad on field execution at times, but this time we had multiple opportunities to either score or sustain long drives that we killed with penalties, overthrows and bad decisions by the QB. I don't deny that some coaching decisions may have helped, but the bottom line is we had the chances on the field - we were in position to succeed - and the players didn't execute and take advantage of those opportunities.

Keep this in mind: Bad coaching decisions can be overcome good execution on the field, but good coaching decisions cannot overcome bad execution.

Look the bottom line is and I will continue to say it. I will not give the coaches a free pass. I have seen this before. It is always the players fault and never the coaches. If you want to give them a free pass, be my guest. We are all entitled to our opinions.

I readily and strongly agree that the players did not execute greatly. I also believe that many times the coaches are not putting the players in the position to succeed.

I have a hard time believing that BP is doing a great job on gameday and I am not alone.

 

[Chuck 54]

I'd be looking for more teams, including Washington, to kill our pass rush the way Jax did...namely, dumping balls to the RB again and again to make Ware and Ellis cover...Fred Taylor killed us because even when we looked like we had pressure, they were always ready to dump it to him, and he made lots of plays that way.

 

[Clove]

I'd be looking for more teams, including Washington, to kill our pass rush the way Jax did...namely, dumping balls to the RB again and again to make Ware and Ellis cover...Fred Taylor killed us because even when we looked like we had pressure, they were always ready to dump it to him, and he made lots of plays that way.

You know I noticed that. But also what I saw is that, when Ware and Ellis goes, our ILB'rs are backing too far into zone, too deep I might say, and so they just have a back block for a second and squeeze out to the middle right or left and it's always around 7 yards in gain. That needs to be fixed soon.

 

[PullMyFinger]

It stayed on the bus.

 

[Stautner]

Look the bottom line is and I will continue to say it. I will not give the coaches a free pass. I have seen this before. It is always the players fault and never the coaches. If you want to give them a free pass, be my guest. We are all entitled to our opinions.

I readily and strongly agree that the players did not execute greatly. I also believe that many times the coaches are not putting the players in the position to succeed.

I have a hard time believing that BP is doing a great job on gameday and I am not alone.

You obviously only read what you want to.

I clearly did not and have not given the coaches a free pass. In fact, I've clearly said that the coaches probably could have done a better job.

On the other hand, you have never responded at all to the fact that we had touchdowns and long drives called back or stalled due to penalties, bad throws and bad decisions. You refuse to recognize that we were in position to have success and that poor execution derailed that success. You act as if execution is a non-factor.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

What are you folks talking about? In the first quarter we had one of the most intimidating pass rushes I have ever seen. Leftwich had a fraction of a second EVERY down. Ware was getting to the QB in record time, chasing the freaking running back from behind because he had already gotten there so fast! We were DOMINATING in the first quarter.

Now 2nd through 4th quarter, don't know what happened. : But don't act like we didn't have a pass rush because it was definitely there for about 25 straight plays!

 

[Cbz40]

What are you folks talking about? In the first quarter we had one of the most intimidating pass rushes I have ever seen. Leftwich had a fraction of a second EVERY down. Ware was getting to the QB in record time, chasing the freaking running back from behind because he had already gotten there so fast! We were DOMINATING in the first quarter.

Now 2nd through 4th quarter, don't know what happened. : But don't act like we didn't have a pass rush because it was definitely there for about 25 straight plays!

Now TBC .... 1 quarter will not cut it.

The fact is they made adjustments we didn't.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Now TBC .... 1 quarter will not cut it.

The fact is they made adjustments we didn't.

I also think they found a weak point with Henry and Watkins. They kept throwing over there for success with kind of surprised me because I always pictured those two having a lot more success against the slower 6'5" type receivers on Jacksonivlle. Would think Roy and Newman would have more problems.

 

[ZeroClub]

And as time wore on, the defense simply was on the field too much.

This bunch needs a little more help from their own offense than they got yesterday.

 

[jackrussell]

Not having read the entire thread, my apologies if this has been asked.

But.

Does the title in this thread really say "Where is our missing pass rush?"

Makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

 

[dwmyers]

It seems like Pittsburgh and San Diego blitz like every other play.

Last year, we blitzed on 11.8% of all our defensive plays. San Diego blitzed on 5.3% of all their plays, and Pittsburgh blitzed on 5.7% of all their plays.

The only team that blitzed less than SD and Pittsburgh was the Colts (0.8%).

Denver (22.2%), New England (17.0%), and Philadelphia (16.8%) blitzed the most.

These data come from Pro Football Prospectus, 2006, page 458, table 7.

David.

 

[Clove]

Last year, we blitzed on 11.8% of all our defensive plays. San Diego blitzed on 5.3% of all their plays, and Pittsburgh blitzed on 5.7% of all their plays.

The only team that blitzed less than SD and Pittsburgh was the Colts (0.8%).

Denver (22.2%), New England (17.0%), and Philadelphia (16.8%) blitzed the most.

These data come from Pro Football Prospectus, 2006, page 458, table 7.

David.

Maybe we should blitz less, but blitz better then.

 

[dwmyers]

Maybe we should blitz less, but blitz better then.

The article I quotes is entirely about what blitzes actually work and which ones do not. They calculated that we blitzed 11.8% of the time and 7.2% of those were what they called "smart blitzes". Eyeballing the stats, that's a fairly high ratio.

I'm just back from the hospital (kidney stone, it turns out) and if I can't work I might scan the article and post it. It's the "Stop Me Before I Blitz Again!" article by Aaron Schatz. pp 455-458 of Pro Football Prospectus.

I'm curious if the article is posted on their web site (footballoutsiders.com).

David.