Good News. The D is Blitzing More

[Mad Dog]

Is blitzing more really good news? I mean the best teams create pressure with 4 rushers and have everyone else in coverage to create chances on the ball.

Blitzes should be used sparingly as a blitz that fails to get home leaves open spaces for QB's.

The good news is that we were a cheap ass PI call and busted coverage from blowing the Panthers out. Otherwise we got pressure, stopped the run and defended a lot of passes. The only problem I see from this defense is 3rd downs. And I don't know the answer. No way you should be so good on first and second downs but completely fall apart on third down. There needs to be a philosophical check amongst Pete and Clint.

 

[GGotskill]

Brisket is ridiculously overrated. Overly expensive and easy to not do well, it's like a beef marketing gimmick that people have fallen for.

Costco prime brisket is ridiculous cheap. As for "not easy to do well"... salt/pepper, bring up to temp, rest for 4+ hours in a cooler and Bob's your uncle. It's the rest that is crucial and a lot of people mess up, but it honestly couldn't be easier.

I make it all the time on a basic ass Weber grill, if I can do it, anyone can.

 

[Scout]

Well if the team insists on play soft coverage then yes they need to blitz. That is how it is because if the team wants only the front four to get there they you need to play tighter m2m coverage.

You are not going to obtain coverage sacks with soft coverage and only four rushers rushing in the modern NFL. The rule changes favor the offense in this regard which is why playing cover 3 and just rushing four is an artifact of a previous era of the NFL that is no more.

This is because you could punish receivers that try to exploit the middle but that is no longer possible due to the rule changes. Hence why that style of play is no more.

 

[Jerhawk]

This is the type of response to a post that keeps knowledgeable people from posting on here. Whether you like him or not, Fade is a knowledgeable forum member, and posts like these are what drove guys like Kearly away. Grow up!

Exactly. It's as if some posters here lack the insight and/or knowledge to engage in a football conversation. It's typically the same posters too. Not sure why this behavior continues to be allowed. Another poster typically laugh reacts to what I say out of condescension, but it is what it is. Must give these folks a sense of pride to respond with one word after someone else took a good chunk of time to share their thoughts and type them out for us. It's okay to be a critical fan, a concept that some on here struggle with.

In regards to the OP, the point I wanted to touch on is in regards to blitzing more. I was relieved to see Hurtt dial up some blitzes, if anything for the sake of mixing it up. Sitting back in soft zone is easy pickings for these veteran QBs like Stafford and Dalton. Allowing the other team to go on these 10+ play, 7+ minute drives skews the TOP in the opponents favor and subsequently makes it challenging for the offense to establish any sort of rhythm when they're on the sideline like that.

If they could've blitzed, successfully and wisely, against the Rams, that at least would've given the Seahawks a chance of forcing Stafford off his spot. While Dalton didn't have any turnovers, at least they were getting pressure on him and forcing incompletetions rather than routine 7 yard plays over and over.

With the addition of Adams, I expect Hurtt to dial up some more pressure packages, which should help with forcing Jones to get rid of the ball quicker next week. Just disrupt the QBs timing and get him off his spot.

I think they're getting this ship turned in the right direction.

 

[Mad Dog]

Well if the team insists on play soft coverage then yes they need to blitz. That is how it is because if the team wants only the front four to get there they you need to play tighter m2m coverage.

You are not going to obtain coverage sacks with soft coverage and only four rushers rushing in the modern NFL. The rule changes favor the offense in this regard which is why playing cover 3 and just rushing four is an artifact of a previous era of the NFL that is no more.

This is because you could punish receivers that try to exploit the middle but that is no longer possible due to the rule changes. Hence why that style of play is no more.

But if you vacate the middle to send a blitzer, have you not made that zone even softer? My feeling is that the coverage has to be tighter on a Blitz to make the QB hold the ball a split second longer. You need to especially cover the primary target and the hot read.

Blitzes and Dogs used sparingly are important to set up fake blitzes and dogs. Keeping the QB guessing is important. But if you can get pressure with 4, you stick with getting pressure with 4. Just like, if you can run the ball down a teams throat, you run the ball down their throat and don't dial up a ton of finesse passes.

The fact that we are blitzing more is a sign that Pete doesn't think we are getting adequate pressure with 4 and that's actually bad news not good.

 

[jammerhawk]

It’s good to see more blitzing b/c all things considered to pass rush is still pretty anemic as there seemingly just isn’t that guy as yet on the team, or if he’s here he hasn’t shown up much yet.

Nwosu and Mafe seem to the only guys getting a force on the QB regularly, unfortunately have been disappointed in each one of the rest.

The D is still getting beaten over the middle although Witherspoon was forcing those plays again and again with noticeable success. Excellent work from a rookie in his second game and better still he is not shy about tackling.

The D has improved since game one but still is looking soft and is certainly frustrating to watch on 3rd downs. At least they can stop the run at times. A better pass rush would sure help slow opponents passing game.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

The fact that we are blitzing more is a sign that Pete doesn't think we are getting adequate pressure with 4 and that's actually bad news not good.

Not necessarily. Blitzing is situational first and foremost, and yes sometimes it's done out of situational desperation because your front 3 or 4 aren't applying enough pressure.

But for the most part the Hawks are blitzing because they're confident with their back end and LB's to hold up if the blitz doesn't get home. The past two games their front has been very good at pressure.

It's good because it means we're attacking, and not reacting like so many years in the past. Hopefully as more guys get healthy it'll be even better.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Walker is getting too many carries and will inevitably get injured if they don't lighten his load. Zach needs more. It feels good knowing if the starting RB gets injured, they will not skip a beat. Zach's physical style to me should make him the starter. And K9 would be the change of pace back. But whatevs, they're both good so... split the carries.

I love their complimentary and different styles, and the 1-2 punch of the RB combo - particularly after the Panthers game.

And, I appreciate your posts. Don't know why you take heat for some of them - I find all your stuff quite informative. Some of it goes above my head - but I like that too.

 

[Hockey Guy]

Brisket is ridiculously overrated. Overly expensive and easy to not do well, it's like a beef marketing gimmick that people have fallen for.

None of this is true except the "easy to not do well" part. The easiest way to screw it up is by slicing it incorrectly.
As long as you have a proper meat thermometer & the time/patience to slow cook on a smoker, you're good to go.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Young Team
Rams are Tanking, book it
Thielan is a crappy player
Fire Pete

It never ends..........

For the record, my Ribs vs. Brisket comment was to change the subject on another bad Fade take

 

[keasley45]

Cool that they are getting more pressure. Not cool that they have to blitz to do it. It creates an additional liability in the secondary which the scheme has struggled to cover up.

Great that Woolen and Brown will be back eventually to improve the secondary, but we routinely get beat in the middle, in front of and behind LBs. One less backer in coverage because hes blitzing means a bigger hole for even average qbs to exploit.

 

[RolandDeschain]

None of this is true except the "easy to not do well" part. The easiest way to screw it up is by slicing it incorrectly.
As long as you have a proper meat thermometer & the time/patience to slow cook on a smoker, you're good to go.

A lot of people agree with me. I get that to an extent, it's subjective, but logically my statement stands well on its own. Just Googling "is brisket overrated" and reading through results / comments from people, there are tons of people who do think it's overrated.

Why brisket is overrated - The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.

Why brisket is overrated Q-talk

www.bbq-brethren.com

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Cool that they are getting more pressure. Not cool that they have to blitz to do it. It creates an additional liability in the secondary which the scheme has struggled to cover up.

Great that Woolen and Brown will be back eventually to improve the secondary, but we routinely get beat in the middle, in front of and behind LBs. One less backer in coverage because hes blitzing means a bigger hole for even average qbs to exploit.

Not true, at least for the Panthers game. Hawks led the league in pass rush pressures, and Nwosu I believe was #1 in the entire league.

https://x.com/PFF_Seahawks/status/1706687348128256291?s=20

 

[bileever]

Blitzing is a complicated aspect of NFL defenses. If you look at the blitz rates of teams, you find that there are good defenses that blitz a lot and bad defenses that blitz a lot. The teams with the lowest blitz rates last year were the Jets (14.9%) and the Seahawks (15.2%). The Jets were a good defense, the Seahawks, no. On the other side, good defenses like the Packes (32.5%) and the Broncos (32.9%) blitzed a lot, but bad Ds like the Cardinals (34.5%) and the Lions (31.2%) did too.

So there isn't an easy answer to the question, to blitz or not to blitz? Getting pressure on the QB is one of the most important facets of the game. It is one sure-fire way to affect the passing game. It also keeps the O-line guessing about protection responsibilities, and whether an additional player has to be kept back for pass protect.

It really depends on how you blitz, who you blitz, what you're sacrificing and how successful the blitzes are at applying pressure.

Edited to add link to blitz stats:

2022 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Check out the 2022 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[renofox]

When you're getting NO pressure, it's better to blitz and chance the coverage than continue to be methodically picked apart.

 

[Jerhawk]

Blitzing is a complicated aspect of NFL defenses. If you look at the blitz rates of teams, you find that there are good defenses that blitz a lot and bad defenses that blitz a lot. The teams with the lowest blitz rates last year were the Jets (14.9%) and the Seahawks (15.2%). The Jets were a good defense, the Seahawks, no. On the other side, good defenses like the Packes (32.5%) and the Broncos (32.9%) blitzed a lot, but bad Ds like the Cardinals (34.5%) and the Lions (31.2%) did too.

So there isn't an easy answer to the question, to blitz or not to blitz? Getting pressure on the QB is one of the most important facets of the game. It is one sure-fire way to affect the passing game. It also keeps the O-line guessing about protection responsibilities, and whether an additional player has to be kept back for pass protect.

It really depends on how you blitz, who you blitz, what you're sacrificing and how successful the blitzes are at applying pressure.

Edited to add link to blitz stats:

2022 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Check out the 2022 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics including AFC and NFC results and standings on Pro-football-reference.com

www.pro-football-reference.com

Great post. Spot on.

And just to reiterate on my prior point, I don't want Hurtt sending 5, 6 every play. That's a surefire way to get torched.

What I want to see though is them doing a better job of disguising their looks and sending an extra pass rusher when its not expected.

I'm curious what their blitz rate was vs the Rams. I'd expect it to be rather low.

Blitzing is definitely a gamble, but I'd personally like to at least see our linebackers and safeties lurking around, disguising their coverages, acting like they're blitzing then backing out, etc. Just rushing 3 or 4 and having our guys sit back in soft zone is frustrating and a slow march for the opposing offense.

Just keep mixing it up Hurtt. Time those blitzes and keep the offense on their toes guessing, not the other way around.

 

[BlueTalon]

Costco prime brisket is ridiculous cheap. As for "not easy to do well"... salt/pepper, bring up to temp, rest for 4+ hours in a cooler and Bob's your uncle. It's the rest that is crucial and a lot of people mess up, but it honestly couldn't be easier.

I make it all the time on a basic ass Weber grill, if I can do it, anyone can.

I promise you, I can screw it up.

 

[Lagartixa]

A lot of people agree with me. I get that to an extent, it's subjective, but logically my statement stands well on its own. Just Googling "is brisket overrated" and reading through results / comments from people, there are tons of people who do think it's overrated.

Why brisket is overrated - The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.

Why brisket is overrated Q-talk

www.bbq-brethren.com

They don't know how to prepare brisket right either

I had traumas from having to eat brisket prepared on a stove when I was a little kid and not liking it, so just the name bugged me. Some unbelievably great brisket barbecue changed my mind, and I am so glad I gave it the chance.
And in case you're thinking it, yes, I do also now see little-kid me as an annoying little $#!+ for complaining. I suspect adult me would actually love stovetop brisket.

FWIW, I myself don't know how to do barbecue brisket and have no interest in even trying. But when somebody who knows how to do it (or I have some good reason to believe that somebody knows, even if I'm not completely sure), I'm very interested in having some.

 

[Hockey Guy]

A lot of people agree with me. I get that to an extent, it's subjective, but logically my statement stands well on its own. Just Googling "is brisket overrated" and reading through results / comments from people, there are tons of people who do think it's overrated.

Why brisket is overrated - The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.

Why brisket is overrated Q-talk

www.bbq-brethren.com

Just perusing that thread you linked, more than 50% who posted, at least on the first few pages, disagreed with the OP's statement.

I concede that if we're talking the time to taste ratio I'm with you since I'd much rather tackle a 1.5 inch thick AAA bone in ribeye than going thru the trouble of doing a brisket on the smoker for my wife & I. But if we're talking having a backyard BBQ party, with several guests, than a brisket is well worth the trouble.

When I go to a BBQ place I'll get brisket every time because it's, to me, better than ribs(beef or pork), pulled pork or anything else on the menu & that means it's not overrated to me at least.

 

[bileever]

And just to reiterate on my prior point, I don't want Hurtt sending 5, 6 every play. That's a surefire way to get torched.

What I want to see though is them doing a better job of disguising their looks and sending an extra pass rusher when its not expected.

I agree, it's picking your spots and keeping the offense guessing. Last year, when we hardly ever blitzed, it was too predictable and made it easy for the offense. Just worrying about the blitz can screw up the o-line.