Speeding Up Slow Developing Plays

One reason to call pressure is pressure changes the tempo of a play. Slower developing plays like play action pass and screen will not work on the timing they expect to operate on if pressure forces the play to happen more quickly. 

A 2nd reason to pressure is plays designed to manipulate defender's reactions in base defensive techniques can find difficulty creating the desired effect vs. pressures. A pressuring defender isn't making the same run/pass read like in a base defensive technique. Attempting to fool a defender is harder when the defenders actions were defined pre-snap and are less reliant on a post-snap read/reaction. 

Here are four examples from Week 6 in the NFL

Buccaneers are in base personnel on 1&10 vs. 12 personnel.

The concept is a simple ILB edge pressure backstopped with 3 under 3 deep fire zone. The pressure forces the RB to adjust to make his block off his play fake to pick up a full speed edge rusher. The defenders aren't manipulated. The rushers don't buy the run fake. The pass droppers know the pressure can disrupt run or pass allowing coverage players to be coverage players who react to run not primary run fitters. The QB's play action tempo is too slow for the tempo of the pass rush created by the pressure. 

Giants are in Nickel personnel on 1&10 vs. 21 personnel. 

The Giants are bringing a 4 man sim pressure rushing the Nickel off the edge backstopped by a 4 under 3 deep coverage. The usage of  21 personnel, motion to a 2 back formation, and flash fake are designed to hold underneath defenders. If the underneath defenders are held there will be space to throw the switch verticals in the void created between underneath droppers and deep zone defenders. The rush changes the tempo and creates immediate pressure in the QB's face. The zone coverage specifically the roll down Safety is unaffected by the play fake preventing a void in coverage from being created.

Patriots are in Dime personnel on 2&9 vs. 12 personnel.

The pressure is 6 man blitz backstopped with Cover Zero man. The man coverage player on the RB engage rushes to add a 7th rusher when the offense presents a 6th blocker. The plus one pass rush requires the QB to account for the unblocked rusher. The QB has little to no time to react to an unblocked rusher following the quick play fake. 

Steelers are in Nickel personnel on 2&8 vs. 11 personnel.

The Steelers bring a simple Nickel edge pressure sending the DE wide and Nickel on a low track backstopped by 3 under 3 deep fire zone. The Browns are running a RB screen that is well schemed and set up for a potential big play with 3 OL leading the way for the RB. There isn't time for the QB to set up and deliver the ball off the play action fake. The DE who makes the play is in principle going to be controlled by a down block from the OT, orbit WR reverse bluff, and a TE blocking across the formation. The DE is edge rushing as part of the pressure preventing the down block/reverse manipulation and is too fast off the edge for the TE's block. 

Great stuff from Todd Bowles, Patrick Graham, Bill Belichick, and Keith Butler. Pressure is a tool and sometimes the tool is used to speed up slower developing plays and prevent defender manipulation.

Bluffing Pressure to Manipulate Pass Protection

The Steelers are in Nickel personnel on 2nd & Long vs. a compressed 11 personnel formation.

The Rush:

The DL is attacking their gaps with the Will pressuring the open B gap.

The Coverage:

3 Under 3 Deep Firezone

The pressure pattern is very simple but also highly effective. The Steelers bluff the Mike and the Nickle as pressure threats. This creates the possibility of 4 from a side. The threat of 4 from a side causes the issue for the pass protection.

If the offense were in a half slide concept opposite the Nickel:

The 4 from a side threat is a major issue. The defense will have a 2 on 1 overload on the RB. The QB would need to throw hot off the 2nd rusher because the RB can only block 1 of the threats, the QB must account for the 2nd. The protection would however picked up the Will pressure the Steelers actually ran pretty easily. The threat of 4 from a side pressure the Steelers were showing helps prevent this protection.

If the offense is in a man protection:

In this example the OL "Miked" the Will LB. The OL has the 4 LOS threats and the Will LB in protection. The result is exactly like the half slide. 

The offense was not in either of these protections. Both of which match up well against the Will pressure. The pass pro is attempting to account for the 4 from a side threat resulting in a different protection scheme.

Without knowing the call from the offense it is difficult to access what the protection call was on the play. I could be a half slide with the RB bonused.

In this example the slide is working to the pressure threat and the RB is with the slide. This allows the protection enough bodies to block 4 from a side.

The more likely situation is a man protection with the OL "Mike" declaring the Mike LB.

In this example the OL declared the Mike and is accounting for the 4 LOS threats and the Mike. The RB is dual reading the Nickel to the Will.

In both the half slide and man protection examples the protection can handle 4 from a side.

Unfortunately for the protection the bluffed pressure look from the Steelers was not the actual pressure postsnap. 

The protection is accounting for the 4 strong look which allows the Will to run through in the B gap.

To both be ready to handle the 4 from a side pressure threat and handle the Will, the RB has to scan.

In the clip the RB didn't scan which allowed for the run through. The RB checked the Nickel then looked inside to the Mike. Even if the RB had scanned, a coast to coast block by the RB is difficult on a full speed rusher. This is where pressure planning comes together. The Steelers are representing a threat the protection has to ready to block. Built off the 4 from a side look is a complimentary piece that leads to confusion and a very difficult block for the RB. The protection cannot simply ignore a 4 from a side threat. If the offense will ignore it, the defense can come back with a called 4 from a side and create quick pressure. Exotic pressure patterns aren't the only way to create pressure. A simple pattern complimented with a bluff can create big challenges for pass pro.

Great stuff from Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler. 

Overload Front Cover 1 Pressure

 The Steelers are in Dime Personnel on 3rd & 7 vs. 11 personnel.

The Rush:

The front is overload with 3 DL on the same side of the center. To the overload side there is a twist game with the DT up the field and the Rush looping inside. The DT is working a 1on1 vs. the Center and crosses face. The Rush opposite the overload is contain with the Nickel pressuring through heel line of the up field rush on a straight line run to the QB.

The Coverage:

Cover 1

The overload plus the walked up Mike covers all the OL. The protection is forced into man blocking with 5 1on1 matchups vs. the DL and the Mike. By forcing man protection the Guard is wasted on the Mike who is man covering the RB. Also the man protection helps the twist game to the overload avoid a slide protection concept giving help on the twist. The DT crossing face on the Center helps create space for the twist to operate to the overload side. The Dime is presenting pressure in the B gaps to attract the attention of the RB. The goal being the getting the RB to step up inside to block the Dime as a rush threat leaving the Nickel on a free run. The RB isn't fooled and even points the edge IDing the pressure threat. The Safety to the pressure also caps the blitz indicating the Nickel is going. The RB oversets to a perceived edge pressure threat when the Nickel is on the inside rush path. 

Nice design from Keith Butler. 

Cover 1 Pressure vs. Reduced Split Receivers

Here the Steelers are in a 4-2-5 nickel personnel with OLB bodies at DE.

The Rush:

Both DE's on contain with both DT's working away from the Nickel pressure to balance the pass rush. The Nickel is through the heel line of the up field DE creating a straight line run on the QB.

The Coverage:

Cover 1

The pass concept gets the back out immediately with no pass protection responsibility. The LB is able take a direct angle and handle the RB in the flat. The pressure in the QB's face forces the ball out fast to the RB in the flat and an immediate tackle by the LB.

The pressure pattern takes advantage of two things:
1. The TE staying in protection is only there to help the OT with the DE. While the protection is technically a 6 man protection scheme is plays out like a 5 man scat protection with a double on the DE.

2. The Nickel does a good job holding the pressure pattern making it appear like no pressure threat exists from the field. The 5 man protection structure forces the OL to ID and set to the 5 most dangerous threats. With no clear Nickel threat and 2 LB's in the box the protection works with vision in the box and away from the Nickel. The OG sets the DT in the A gap leaving the B gap open for the Nickel on the run through pressure. The Nickel's speed, width, & angle on the pressure pattern make a redirect pass set by the OG from the inside A gap threat back outside to the B gap pressure very difficult. 

The coverage on the LOS receiving threats in good usage of man coverage techniques. Many offenses use compressed formations and reduced splits to attack man coverage. Crossing routes, picks, and rub concepts from reduced split spacing helps receivers beat man coverage. Defenses need technique change ups to help handle reduced splits. 

To the strong side the Corner and Safety use an in & out combination technique. As the routes distribute the Safety take the 1st inside receiver while the corner takes the 1st outside receiver. The in & out also does a good job of being on a different level from the LB. As the linebacker runs down hill on the RB in the flat there is no pick with the Safety/Corner in man.

To the weak side the LB takes the TE and the Corner takes the WR. An in & out technique makes less sense here. In & out could end up with the Corner on the TE and the LB on a WR. Instead the Corner plays outside leverage to deny out breaking routes and gets help on the WR crosser from the post Safety. As the WR goes inside the Safety nails it down and takes the route over in man. The Corner immediately opens, runs, and replaces the Safety in the post. Again good usage of levels here in alignment by the Corner and the LB to avoid being picked by routes from the TE/WR.

Really nice usage of man coverage techniques to handle reduced splits from the Steelers and Keith Butler. 

Man Under 2 Deep Corner Pressure

Here is a a creative pressure dialed up by Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Keith Butler.

The Steelers are in a Nickel personnel with two stand up Rush OLB's playing the roll of  DE's. The initial alignment is press corners and a 1 high safety concept.

Rush:
DT - Loop to field side contain
Will- Walked up in the C gap, working B gap to A gap to the opposite inside pass rush lane
Rush - Contain
Corner - Inside rush lane

Coverage:
Man under 2 deep with a safety replacing for the blitzing corner. The Nose is playing man coverage on the RB. 

The coverage is man under 2 deep which allows the man coverage players to play aggressive technique knowing they have help over the top. The disguise prevents the offense and the QB from identifying the coverage is man under 2 deep. The difficulty of coverage recognition forces the QB to hold on to the ball. 

The Nose, Rush, and walked up Will occupy the Center, Guard, and OT to the weak side. The Center doesn't realize until it is too late that the Nose is actually in coverage and not a pass rush threat. With the Center occupied the Guard is forced to block the Will and the OT is locked on the Rush. The Corner has a clean pass rush and is able to attack the RB deep in the backfield. If the RB didn't scan across the formation, the Corner has a clean run to the QB. As it plays out, the weakest link in protection (RB) is forced to make the most difficult block and loses the 1 on 1 to the Corner. 

Creative combination of disguising 2 man coverage with a non-traditional 4 man pass rush from the Steelers.  

Steeler's Corner Pressure Part 2

I have received several questions about the last post on a corner pressure the Pittsburgh Steelers ran last season. The full post on the pressure is here.

The pressure is a 4 man rush with a corner in the pass rush. The coverage is a Cover 2 variation vs. a 2x2 set. Questions naturally arise like:

First let me say I think sending a corner from a college hash is highly effective because of the the short run. Off a high school hash I imagine the even shorter run will get pressure very quickly.

As for the coverage vs. 3x1. Many coaches are electing to back up certain zone pressures with a Cover 2 fire zone concept vs. 2x2 and convert the coverage to a Cover 3 fire zone vs. 3x1 formations. I cannot say with 100% certainty that is how the Steelers and Coach Butler handle 3x1. If the coverage was to check to 3 under 3 deep this is how it would look.

The alignment of the coverage players makes this coverage check very manageable. Cover 2/Cover 3 fire zones can be found in several playbooks if you are looking into these concepts in your off-season research.

Here is an example from Rex Ryan's NY Jet playbook. The coverage call is Read Tracy. Vs. 2x2 play read (cover 2 read concept). Vs. 3x1 check the coverage to Tracy (Cover 3). 

Here is another example from the 2009 NY Giants playbook. The coverage is 3 Tango. The coverage call is 3 unless the formation is 2x2 then the coverage is checked to Tango (Cover 2). This is the same concept with a slightly different system of communication.

Lastly here is an example from Coach Saban at Alabama. The call is Trap vs. 2x2 or 3 vs. 3x1. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Corner Pressure

This is a creative pseudo dog scheme. I'm using the term dog for a 5 man pass rush. This is a pseudo dog in that it looks and feels like a  5 man but is actually only a 4 man.

The Steelers are in a pass rush personnel. The front has one defensive lineman (End) with is hand on the ground. There are 3 Rush Linebacker types at the line of scrimmage showing pressure. This personnel also uses 2 true linebackers and 5 DB's

The Rush:

2 Outside Rush Backers = Contain Rush
Rush Backer over the center = Jab to occupy the center, Spy the RB for check release
End - Long Stick to the A gap
Corner - Blitz underneath the contain Rush Backer

The result is the Spy player occupies the center in the pass protection. This creates a 3 (End, Rush, Corner) vs. 2 (OT, OG). If the RB steps up to block the Corner and make it 3 for 3 the Spy can add to the rush turning the 4 man pressure into a 5 man dog. 

The Coverage:
The coverage is initially disguised as a 1 high safety coverage.

Corner - Sink, this is a soft cover 2 concept. Play the flat if there is a threat. No flat threat sink.

Nickel - Start in down alignment, pop out to the Deep 1/2

MOF Safety - Start in the MOF, work to the Deep 1/2

Safety - Flat

LB - Vertical Hook (VH)

The vertical hook definition is from a Dick Lebeau playbook. Current Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler was a long time defensive assistant under Coach Lebeau.

Here is the pressure resulting in a sack by the corner against the Cleveland Browns.

For more material on the Pittsburgh Steeler pressure package be sure to check out a very good article from James Light Football.

http://jameslightfootball.com/2015/10/08/pittsburgh-steelers-two-trap-coverages/