An Independent Patriots Blog
Pressure Scheme: Blitzing With Rush Lane Integrity – Inside The Pylon
Really good read breaking down the nuance of pass rush and how it works in conjunction with coverage. It’s complex rushes like this that the Patriots can manufacture this year with so many athletes in the front seven.
It’s an interesting question that will be something to really monitor this season because BB has never had the quality of corners on paper that he has right now.
One thing about defense though is that you never want to have to blitz. You want to get pressure with four. Of course that’s easier said that done. And really, the mainstream definition of a blitz is sending more than four guys, but some would tell you a real blitz is only when defensive backs are getting sent, which we saw occasionally with Arrington and Ryan last season.
Belichick is and will likely always be a fairly conservative defensive coach and it’s hard to argue with the results. But now that his theoretically has multiple corners who can man-up receivers and take them out of the equation, does he start sending more blitzes? Certainly seems like there’s a good chance.
But if I was a betting man I’d bet his blitz rate remains nearly unchanged.
Here’s the percentages of blitzes from last season. While some of it is dependent on how the games unfolded, the Pats are unlikely to ever blitz more than 30% of the snaps.
Team Blitzing | ProFootballFocus.com
This is a critical article if you want more insight into the Patriots pass rush. The Pats are ranked 25th overall in blitz percentage, obviously meaning that they really don’t blitz very much at all compared to the rest of the NFL.
When the Pats do blitz, they were fairly effective, ranking 13th in the NFL for pass rush productivity when sending more than four guys. But again, it didn’t happen very often.
Finally comes the real measure, and that is measuring the ability to get pressure with just their front four. In this the Pats were ranked 23rd.
I think in Bill Belichick’s world this is the most telling stat. When the Pats had a dominant defense this ranking would’ve been much higher because they had the ability to get pressure with just four guys, which would be their front three in the 3-4 and whichever LB they felt like sending on that play.
If you’re a conservative defensive team and you don’t blitz a lot, getting pressure with just four is critical to your defense. It might be the single most important element. This is why, for all the excitement the signings of Revis and Browner bring, it’s all about the front seven as I see it if this defense is going to be truly elite.
Also, here’s MMQB’s last pressure points ranking which similarly has the Pats in the early-20s for pass rush. Just not good enough. If Wilfork/Kelly can re-enter the rotation they will definitely help, but how limited will they be. Hopefully Armstead helps too.
Pass Rushers More Important Than “Elite” QBs?
New post up on Sportsblog, making the case that elite pass rush has become more important than the traditional “elite” quarterback.
Give me a mistake-free game manager and a consistent pass rush from the edges and interior and they’ll beat any team.
[E]xpect the Patriots to use man pressure often with the amount of depth they have at the cornerback position. Look for five- and six-man pressure schemes out of both nickel and dime packages.
Patriots’ Secondary Additions Prove Bill Belichick’s Ability to Adapt
I guess here’s one answer to my complaining about the lack of a defensive end signing thus far. Can two lockdown man corners like Browner and Revis push BB to send more blitzers in general?
Usually he’s pretty conservative, content to send only three or four and play coverage behind that. But if you have two corners eliminating two receivers it does open up options.
So maybe just maybe the Pats will be less reliant on getting to the QB with fewer guys this year, i.e. winning one-on-one matchups.
Let’s not forget that both Arrington and Ryan are pretty good off the edge. Might be on answer to the “no DE depth problem”, though things can change quickly with a couple signings.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/expect-the-patriots-to-use-man-pressure-often/
Sack numbers can often mislead. Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and Chris Jones are great examples of this. Their comparatively low pressure totals, combined with the fact that they rarely come off the field, reveal that these are three guys who spend a lot of time producing a whole lot of nothing. The solution is more simple than it seems, if the team just rotates more along the defensive line and finds some guys who can fill situational roles.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/sack-numbers-can-often-mislead-rob-ninkovich/
Thus, the biggest issue I saw with pressure was up the middle, which is the best way to get to Manning. Defensive tackle Sealver Siliga is more of a run-stuffer and his presence was important to protect against the draw play, but rookie defensive tackle Chris Jones (more of a penetrating 3 technique) really only showed up once in the pass rush, drawing a hold. That’s the one area where I thought the injuries finally caught up to the Patriots.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/thus-the-biggest-issue-i-saw-with-pressure-was-up/
Awesome Bruschi Throwback pic!
