Monday, December 13, 2010

Blitz of the Week #12

The welcome back Blitz of the Week is actually 2 blitzes. Both are 5 man "Dogs" from the Pittsburgh Steelers arsenal. Both also utilize Cover 2 as the coverage concept behind them. The first was used by the Steelers two weeks ago in the big showdown with the Ravens.



The concept is a modified version of the tradional NCAA blitz.
  • Non-Blitzing Linebackers - Vertical Hook (VH), matching vertical and inside releases
  • Corners - Soft Squat
  • Safeties- Deep 1/2
Video of this pressure can be seen here. Based on the eyes of the Nose (#96), I think he has a spy technique on the back releasing on screen.

The 2nd Cover 2 in this post was used by the Steelers against the Bengals this week.

The pressure concept is very similar to #1 but without the long stick.
  • Left DE (or OLB depending on how you classify him) - Stand up 3 tech, drop Vertical Hook
  • Tackle - 3 technique, working weak to balance the pass rush
  • Non-Blitzing Backer - Sugared alignment near LOS over the Nose, drop Vertical Hook
  • Down Safety - Curl-Flat (acts like a soft squat corner)
  • Deep Safety and Weak Corner - Deep 1/2
  • Strong Corner - Soft Squat
Video of this pressure is available here.

The coverage behind both pressures is almost man under 2 deep in nature. In both pressures it appears the DL (#96) that is looping away from the pressure to balance the pass rush also has his eyes on the RB as a weak side spy.

3 comments:

  1. 2nd looks similar to this on pg 251

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  2. You got it. This blitz is very similar to Storm 2Z from the Lebeau Bengal days. Many of the concepts the Steelers run currently have deep roots in the concepts in that playbook. Overall the only difference is who is blitzing and where they line up. I think that is how Lebeau has managed to have such sustained success with the same blitz concepts. He changes the disguise or the personnel week to week and VOILA pressure on the QB. I saw the Steelers run basically the Blitz of the Week again vs. the Jets from a totally different disguise package pre-snap and it forced an incompletion.

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