Clay Matthews on plan vs Kapernick, hit the QB

[ivotuk]

"One of the things that the referees have told us is that when these quarterbacks carry out the fakes, they lose their right as a quarterback, a pocket-passing quarterback, the protection of a quarterback," Matthews said Monday on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike. "So with that, you do have to take your shots on the quarterback, and obviously they're too important to their offense.

"If that means they pull them out of that type of offense and make them run a traditional, drop-back, pocket-style offense, I think that's exactly what we're going for. So you want to put hits as early and often on the quarterback and make them uncomfortable."


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...ay-matthews-green-bay-packers-plan-hit-the-qb

 

[pmedic920]

From a defensive stand point that makes perfect sense. Based on the current climate (rules). Does that mean I want guys like him hitting RW. Heck no. I'm not convinced that the commish and other powers to be think these rule changes out, fully.

 

[Marvin49]

Sigh.

Players keep saying this stuff as if it's a new idea.

This isn't just a Kaep post BTW because Seattle runs the Read-Option some as well.

IT DOESN'T WORK. You can never really get a clean hit on the QB because the ball is gone before you get there. The offense can run a FB to hit the DE at the mesh point. It also does nothing to stop play action.

I'm sure teams will come up with some strategy at some point to slow it down...but just going after the QB on every down isn't the answer. It still leaves huge holes in the run game as well.

Now, if the DE ALWAYS crashes and forces the QB to keep the ball on every down....that might be interesting.

 

[ivotuk]

Sigh.

Players keep saying this stuff as if it's a new idea.

This isn't just a Kaep post BTW because Seattle runs the Read-Option some as well.

IT DOESN'T WORK. You can never really get a clean hit on the QB because the ball is gone before you get there. The offense can run a FB to hit the DE at the mesh point. It also does nothing to stop play action.

I'm sure teams will come up with some strategy at some point to slow it down...but just going after the QB on every down isn't the answer. It still leaves huge holes in the run game as well.

Now, if the DE ALWAYS crashes and forces the QB to keep the ball on every down....that might be interesting.

yes it's an every mobile QB plan but Green Bay's focus has been on Kaep ever since he set an NFL record for rushing with 181 yards and they beat the Packers. That and their first game this year, versus SF.

I've seen some of this strategy in preseason and it's not the first time I heard about it, and there were a few hits on the QB, albeit pretty light ones. I think defensive players will have a hard time with this plan because it will require them to think, "is he in the read option?" which will slow them down.

 

[AbsolutNET]

There's a reason so many teams run this option, and that's because it gives the QB choices without getting him hammered every play. This isn't the old school triple-option veer, where the QB is reading the play side DE right at the gap and the DE could be told "forget the FB, hit the QB." He's 5 yards away from the guy he is reading and the ball is going away from the read., not right at it. So "hit the qb every play" isn't viable like it was with a triple option because the defender isn't right on the QB at the snap.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

Sigh.

Now, if the DE ALWAYS crashes and forces the QB to keep the ball on every down....that might be interesting.

Then assign the FB to come outside with the QB and hit the LB at the point of attack. That's just giving away yards as long as your FB is assignment-correct and knows what to do.

 

[mretrade]

As a 49er fan, I don't really care because Kaepernick can beat you as a traditional pocket passer. He did it against Chicago, @NE last year etc.

 

[Coug_Hawk08]

Seems like Clay is simplifying a bit. From what I heard during the broadcasts in pre-season (interviewing new head officiating?), if the QB chooses to hand off, and then stands up/back, he is still protected under standard QB rules. They will get roughing/personal foul if they rail him of the ball in those situations.

I was actually surprised at how much Kaep got hit in the superbowl when he was clearly out of the play. I think the new rules would only help protect the QB in those situations.

If he fakes the keep and runs up the field, yeah, nail 'em if you want. He is a blocker at that point.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

The Niners in particular like to send TEs in arc-blocks across the formation to scrape LBs when DEs crash in on the runner. I know players like to simplify things and psyche themselves up, but of course the Packers are going to have to actually figure out how to beat one-on-one blocking, especially in their LB core, to stop the 49er read option.

 

[mikeak]

If the qb is backpedaling from the play and setup as a defenseless player the flag will come

If the qb is lets say a 49er and gets hit way late, didn't hold the ball and there is no flag then lets say it happens again and MAYBE even again.

Then I ask - how do you think the 49er defense will handle this? I expect three guys to pummel the crap out of the opposing teams qb and not care one lick about if there is a flag or not. There is a hockey / baseball mentality that will step in and close this issue very quickly.

You will not get the qb a bunch of undeserved hits just because you want to

 

[Marvin49]

Seems like Clay is simplifying a bit. From what I heard during the broadcasts in pre-season (interviewing new head officiating?), if the QB chooses to hand off, and then stands up/back, he is still protected under standard QB rules. They will get roughing/personal foul if they rail him of the ball in those situations.

I was actually surprised at how much Kaep got hit in the superbowl when he was clearly out of the play. I think the new rules would only help protect the QB in those situations.

If he fakes the keep and runs up the field, yeah, nail 'em if you want. He is a blocker at that point.

Even in those cases tho..."hit" is too strong a word. More like "shoved". LOL.

 

[themunn]

Sigh.

Players keep saying this stuff as if it's a new idea.

This isn't just a Kaep post BTW because Seattle runs the Read-Option some as well.

IT DOESN'T WORK. You can never really get a clean hit on the QB because the ball is gone before you get there. The offense can run a FB to hit the DE at the mesh point. It also does nothing to stop play action.

I'm sure teams will come up with some strategy at some point to slow it down...but just going after the QB on every down isn't the answer. It still leaves huge holes in the run game as well.

Now, if the DE ALWAYS crashes and forces the QB to keep the ball on every down....that might be interesting.

It doesn't really work?
Sure seemed to work against RGIII

 

[Trenchbroom]

I just hope that Russell's days as a downfield blocker for Marshawn are over...

 

[rideaducati]

As a 49er fan, I don't really care because Kaepernick can beat you as a traditional pocket passer. He did it against Chicago, @NE last year etc.

There might be a slight problem with your theory mretrade. Kaep relied on Crabtree getting open and he has no more Crabtree. Instead, he as an old, slow guy that has never been a good number one receiver. Kaep doesn't throw the ball until after he sees the receiver open, so he may have trouble this year.

 

[Marvin49]

Sigh.

Players keep saying this stuff as if it's a new idea.

This isn't just a Kaep post BTW because Seattle runs the Read-Option some as well.

IT DOESN'T WORK. You can never really get a clean hit on the QB because the ball is gone before you get there. The offense can run a FB to hit the DE at the mesh point. It also does nothing to stop play action.

I'm sure teams will come up with some strategy at some point to slow it down...but just going after the QB on every down isn't the answer. It still leaves huge holes in the run game as well.

Now, if the DE ALWAYS crashes and forces the QB to keep the ball on every down....that might be interesting.

It doesn't really work?
Sure seemed to work against RGIII

You mean the guy with a busted knee before the game started?

As for HOW he busted his knee...that was stupidity on his part. The sideline and the slide are your friend. Kaep knows that. Wilson knows that. RGIII...not so much.

 

[themunn]

You mean the guy with a busted knee before the game started?

As for HOW he busted his knee...that was stupidity on his part. The sideline and the slide are your friend. Kaep knows that. Wilson knows that. RGIII...not so much.

And how do you think he busted his knee in the first place? Teams took shots at him all season long, and they'll do the same to Wilson and Kaepernick whenever they get the chance. Both guys are good at avoiding the hit, so it might not work as well as hoped, but the strategy is sound

 

[hawker84]

That guy with a busted knee didn't seem to have any problems against Dallas?

 

[Marvin49]

You mean the guy with a busted knee before the game started?

As for HOW he busted his knee...that was stupidity on his part. The sideline and the slide are your friend. Kaep knows that. Wilson knows that. RGIII...not so much.

And how do you think he busted his knee in the first place? Teams took shots at him all season long, and they'll do the same to Wilson and Kaepernick whenever they get the chance. Both guys are good at avoiding the hit, so it might not work as well as hoped, but the strategy is sound

Re-read my second line.

 

[Thunderhawk]

Bottom line is that the read option exposes a QB to more contact. Matthews is correct. Perhaps the big shot won't come on every down or every running play but over the course of a season Kap and Wilson will absorb more punishment than Brady or Manning.

Now one could argue that blindside hits in the pocket produce a higher probability of injury than designed runs where the QB can see and prepare for the hit, but I'd like to see some stats to confirm that.

 

[Scottemojo]

You mean the guy with a busted knee before the game started?

As for HOW he busted his knee...that was stupidity on his part. The sideline and the slide are your friend. Kaep knows that. Wilson knows that. RGIII...not so much.

And how do you think he busted his knee in the first place? Teams took shots at him all season long, and they'll do the same to Wilson and Kaepernick whenever they get the chance. Both guys are good at avoiding the hit, so it might not work as well as hoped, but the strategy is sound

There was a video posted on here of all RG's runs. Go watch it. Count how many hits he takes behind the line running the read option. That is not how he got hurt.

This stuff from the Pack is saber rattling. Same thing the Ravens did before the SB, talk about hitting the QB. I thought they actually followed through on that, but then I watched again and no, the Ravens barely touched Kaep as he executed handoffs and fakes.

That said, Russell WIlson is the RO guy most affected by this, because he is the guy who actually holds the ball the longest on these fakes.