Great Breakdown of how the Ghost of Jim Johnson Blitzed the Steeelers on SNF

[Mojouw]

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/12/fi...ss-protection/

Interesting how a combination of bad approach by the players, poor plan by the coaches, and excellent execution by the Bills creates pressure.

[tube517]

First time I ever saw Ben just plain helpless in that 2008 game. Jim Johnson made the Steelers look like the Bungles that day and they had a terrible OL.

Makes sense now and McDermott was on that 2008 staff.

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First time I ever saw Ben just plain helpless in that 2008 game. Jim Johnson made the Steelers look like the Bungles that day and they had a terrible OL.

Makes sense now and McDermott was on that 2008 staff.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Good film breakdown, but a lot of the issues there are poor communication by players, a couple bad blocks by Samuels and Feiler and Hodges not getting rid of the football quicker in the face of blitz.

Play 1. Samuels reads the A gap blitz and steps up to pick it up, but the ILB drops out and he then looks inside-out correctly, but just runs by Shaq Lawson. Basic principle is you protect the QB from the inside-out of the pocket, as the blitzer from the Outside has the longest path to the QB.

-Feiler understands the protection as the RB has the ILB, so he is 1 on 1 with Lawson....and its possible to block both the DE and the blitzing corner, but Feiler needs to deliver a solid punch to the DE, in order to slow his rush before leaving to the outsize blitzer. Instead Feiler delivers a love tap and leaves Lawson to have a free run at the QB. Samuels once he reads the ILB drop out, should take the most dangerous rusher, the free running Lawson in C gap, not the outside blitzer. IMO.

Play 2. Bills show 7 man pressure and Conner is staring down the ILB on a potential A gap blitz. When the ball is snapped, he immediately looks outside at the blitzing DB and the only reason I can think that he discounts the ILB blitz is that he thinks Foster is going to step down in A gap to block the ILB and AV has the rusher in B gap and Vannett the DE.

I don't know the protection scheme called, but IMO Conner needs to read the blitz from Inside-out and pick up the ILB as first priority. Let the DB make the longest run to the QB and Hodges needs to find a receiver in the face of the 5 man rush, or potentially step up into the throwing/running lane that would be created by a Conner block of the ILB.

Play 3. Its just the same as Play 1 in this series. Feiler again plays "pattycake" with Trent Murphy instead of delivering a solid punch to his chest plate, before looking to pick up the blitzing DB and Conner checks inside for the ILB blitz, but when the ILB bails out, Conner looks outside and picks up nobody.

IMO, its Feiler playing soft and not delivering a good punch, before moving to pick up blitz and the RB looking inside-out in pass protection, but choosing not to block anybody, despite a rusher coming C-gap towards the QB.

The Kozora breakdown assumes that its the responsibility of the RT to stay on his rusher and ignore the blitzing DB, while the RB movement shows that the protection is that the RB has A gap blitz. If the RT does it multiple times a game, I believe that it is by scheme and this "combination block" in pass protection is taught and schemed by the Steelers and Sarrett. Its not an uncommon technique, but Feiler never negates the rush of the lineman before going to pick up the blitzer.

[Mojouw]

Good film breakdown, but a lot of the issues there are poor communication by players, a couple bad blocks by Samuels and Feiler and Hodges not getting rid of the football quicker in the face of blitz.

Play 1. Samuels reads the A gap blitz and steps up to pick it up, but the ILB drops out and he then looks inside-out correctly, but just runs by Shaq Lawson. Basic principle is you protect the QB from the inside-out of the pocket, as the blitzer from the Outside has the longest path to the QB.

-Feiler understands the protection as the RB has the ILB, so he is 1 on 1 with Lawson....and its possible to block both the DE and the blitzing corner, but Feiler needs to deliver a solid punch to the DE, in order to slow his rush before leaving to the outsize blitzer. Instead Feiler delivers a love tap and leaves Lawson to have a free run at the QB. Samuels once he reads the ILB drop out, should take the most dangerous rusher, the free running Lawson in C gap, not the outside blitzer. IMO.

Play 2. Bills show 7 man pressure and Conner is staring down the ILB on a potential A gap blitz. When the ball is snapped, he immediately looks outside at the blitzing DB and the only reason I can think that he discounts the ILB blitz is that he thinks Foster is going to step down in A gap to block the ILB and AV has the rusher in B gap and Vannett the DE.

I don't know the protection scheme called, but IMO Conner needs to read the blitz from Inside-out and pick up the ILB as first priority. Let the DB make the longest run to the QB and Hodges needs to find a receiver in the face of the 5 man rush, or potentially step up into the throwing/running lane that would be created by a Conner block of the ILB.

Play 3. Its just the same as Play 1 in this series. Feiler again plays "pattycake" with Trent Murphy instead of delivering a solid punch to his chest plate, before looking to pick up the blitzing DB and Conner checks inside for the ILB blitz, but when the ILB bails out, Conner looks outside and picks up nobody.

IMO, its Feiler playing soft and not delivering a good punch, before moving to pick up blitz and the RB looking inside-out in pass protection, but choosing not to block anybody, despite a rusher coming C-gap towards the QB.

The Kozora breakdown assumes that its the responsibility of the RT to stay on his rusher and ignore the blitzing DB, while the RB movement shows that the protection is that the RB has A gap blitz. If the RT does it multiple times a game, I believe that it is by scheme and this "combination block" in pass protection is taught and schemed by the Steelers and Sarrett. Its not an uncommon technique, but Feiler never negates the rush of the lineman before going to pick up the blitzer.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing your insight and perspective in a really cool post.

[EzraTank]

These types of blitzes are where teams with veteran receivers and Quarterbacks just eat up the defense. How many times has Ben read a blitz looked down the line at AB and then threw it to him on a hot read and his run after the catch is awesome.

QB's like Peyton Manning & Brady have made a living of killing teams when they pull these blitzes.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing your insight and perspective in a really cool post.

No problem. If you look at this video you kind of see at the 1:19 mark where the LT checks inside for the inside rusher in B gap or a stunt coming around, before he kicks out to pickup the blitzer off his left outside. IMO, same concept as what Feiler is doing, but he has to know the defensive front and that DeCastro has a man over him, so he must at least stab hard with his left hand before letting the end free to pickup that blitz.



There is a good video online where Taylor Lewan refers to that as the "drag hand" being used to check for a stunt or game before picking up the outside rusher.

[Mojouw]

No problem. If you look at this video you kind of see at the 1:19 mark where the LT checks inside for the inside rusher in B gap or a stunt coming around, before he kicks out to pickup the blitzer off his left outside. IMO, same concept as what Feiler is doing, but he has to know the defensive front and that DeCastro has a man over him, so he must at least stab hard with his left hand before letting the end free to pickup that blitz.



There is a good video online where Taylor Lewan refers to that as the "drag hand" being used to check for a stunt or game before picking up the outside rusher.

This all makes a great deal of sense to me, now that I can see examples and have it explained. No matter what the line call and plan was or is for the Steelers, it seems pretty clear that at least Conner and Feiler (maybe others?) were just not on the same page.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

This all makes a great deal of sense to me, now that I can see examples and have it explained. No matter what the line call and plan was or is for the Steelers, it seems pretty clear that at least Conner and Feiler (maybe others?) were just not on the same page.

I agree. The RB's need to pick up somebody in pass protection, not whiff because their first read wasn't there. Feiler needs to do a better job of knowing that no help is coming from DeCastro when they have 3 down linemen on the right side and needs to really stick that rusher, before coming off to pickup the blitz.

That and Duck needs to know who his hot read is and step up to the lane that is vacated by the guys dropping out. When you show 7 and rush 5, there is a chance to be a lane in the A or B gaps.

[pczach]

Good film breakdown, but a lot of the issues there are poor communication by players, a couple bad blocks by Samuels and Feiler and Hodges not getting rid of the football quicker in the face of blitz.

Play 1. Samuels reads the A gap blitz and steps up to pick it up, but the ILB drops out and he then looks inside-out correctly, but just runs by Shaq Lawson. Basic principle is you protect the QB from the inside-out of the pocket, as the blitzer from the Outside has the longest path to the QB.

-Feiler understands the protection as the RB has the ILB, so he is 1 on 1 with Lawson....and its possible to block both the DE and the blitzing corner, but Feiler needs to deliver a solid punch to the DE, in order to slow his rush before leaving to the outsize blitzer. Instead Feiler delivers a love tap and leaves Lawson to have a free run at the QB. Samuels once he reads the ILB drop out, should take the most dangerous rusher, the free running Lawson in C gap, not the outside blitzer. IMO.

Play 2. Bills show 7 man pressure and Conner is staring down the ILB on a potential A gap blitz. When the ball is snapped, he immediately looks outside at the blitzing DB and the only reason I can think that he discounts the ILB blitz is that he thinks Foster is going to step down in A gap to block the ILB and AV has the rusher in B gap and Vannett the DE.

I don't know the protection scheme called, but IMO Conner needs to read the blitz from Inside-out and pick up the ILB as first priority. Let the DB make the longest run to the QB and Hodges needs to find a receiver in the face of the 5 man rush, or potentially step up into the throwing/running lane that would be created by a Conner block of the ILB.

Play 3. Its just the same as Play 1 in this series. Feiler again plays "pattycake" with Trent Murphy instead of delivering a solid punch to his chest plate, before looking to pick up the blitzing DB and Conner checks inside for the ILB blitz, but when the ILB bails out, Conner looks outside and picks up nobody.

IMO, its Feiler playing soft and not delivering a good punch, before moving to pick up blitz and the RB looking inside-out in pass protection, but choosing not to block anybody, despite a rusher coming C-gap towards the QB.

The Kozora breakdown assumes that its the responsibility of the RT to stay on his rusher and ignore the blitzing DB, while the RB movement shows that the protection is that the RB has A gap blitz. If the RT does it multiple times a game, I believe that it is by scheme and this "combination block" in pass protection is taught and schemed by the Steelers and Sarrett. Its not an uncommon technique, but Feiler never negates the rush of the lineman before going to pick up the blitzer.

That's a nice breakdown of everything.

You have a real good grasp of OL play and assignment football in regard to blocking schemes. I always appreciate it when you go into detail about what you are seeing. You have a better eye for that stuff than me and it seems like something you specialize in or teach. I know you coach, but that part of the game just seems like it is in your wheelhouse. You easily pick out technique issues and how it affects the play of players while determining what they need to do better. I look at stuff more from the quarterback's point of view and big picture scheme stuff, but you seem to see it from the players side of things that are involved in the protection scheme more than I do. Scrutinizing what is going on in the trenches and how the interactions between OL and RBs are choreographed and executed just seems natural to you.

That's a long winded way of saying you sound like an OL coach!

[FrancoLambert]

News flash!

Shaun Sarrett fired as OL coach...El Gonzo Jackson hired to fill his position!

[Shoes]

That's a nice breakdown of everything.

You have a real good grasp of OL play and assignment football in regard to blocking schemes. I always appreciate it when you go into detail about what you are seeing. You have a better eye for that stuff than me and it seems like something you specialize in or teach. I know you coach, but that part of the game just seems like it is in your wheelhouse. You easily pick out technique issues and how it affects the play of players while determining what they need to do better. I look at stuff more from the quarterback's point of view and big picture scheme stuff, but you seem to see it from the players side of things that are involved in the protection scheme more than I do. Scrutinizing what is going on in the trenches and how the interactions between OL and RBs are choreographed and executed just seems natural to you.

That's a long winded way of saying you sound like an OL coach!

Well said. I've always appreciated El's view on the game. He is pretty good on the TE side also.