Chiefs Would Be Wise To Employ More Zone Blitzes

by Joel Thorman on May 27, 2010 11:48 AM CDT in 2010 Kansas City Chiefs Season

So we know the Chiefs defensive numbers weren't very good in 2009. That's no secret.

However, here's something they were good at: Zone blitzing.

The problem: They only ran a zone blitz on less than 3% of the defensive plays in 2009.

The basic (and very simple) idea behind a zone blitz is disguising your coverages. As Yahoo! Sports explains, Dick LeBeau is the mastermind behind it. In Pittsburgh, they might have had Troy Polamalu crashing through the middle while nose tackle Casey Hampton covered a flat.

Doug Farrar (normally of Football Outsiders) breaks down the Chiefs zone blitzing efficiency.

But they were by far the most efficient defense in the NFL when they brought zone blitzes against their opponents. Of the 28 pass attempts against the Chiefs' zone blitzes, 11 were completed for just 97 yards and one touchdown. Of the 17 unsuccessful passes, two were interceptions and four were sacks. Think about that: Of the team's 22 sacks, four (18 percent) came on a series of formations the defense ran a mere 2.7 percent of the time.

If the Chiefs are paying attention to these numbers (and they are) I think it would be a good assumption that there will be more zone blitzes in 2010.

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I would think that their effectiveness may have something to do with the limited amount of times they ran it, giving them the element of surprise maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNm2rFzdvW8&feature=related

by LHO on May 27, 2010 11:54 AM CDT reply actions

That's a good point

Arrowhead Pride

by Joel Thorman on May 27, 2010 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions

well now the cats out of the bag!

Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.

by jrcnc on May 27, 2010 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions

I was thinking the same thing.

however, clancy appeared to be all bark and no bite. I would assume that the opposite is true, and that the more you actually blitz, the more effective a pure zone while showing blitz is.

personally, I’d rather have the qb thinking more downs are going to be a blitz as opposed to feeling safe and secure, and then BAM! but i’m evil.

isn’t this like being effective at Play Action? Even if you run it a lot and teams know you’re going to run it, they 1) still have to stop you, and 2) it still makes your running game more potent because teams are always leery of “this down being the one they use play action.”
It’s that fear and hesitation in my mind, that is half the battle to beating an opponent because it mentally makes an opponent beat themselves.

I, for one, say bring on more zone blitzes. don’t worry about it being too frequent. it’s more about the scheming and personnel than about frequency. keep the pressure on the qb, not the defense!

" It was great for me to get out of that city, because it was just a lot of jealousy, envy and hate that came with being a part of that city."
- LJ, after taking denial lessons from our current President

by chief Stevie_k on May 27, 2010 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Exactly what I was going to say, LHO.

That’s why I love the downhill style of play. When you changeup, you don’t have to have great coverage skills from your LB or DL. They’re just in a zone where the QB is hoping to dump off to, while you’re sending a guy after the QB who’s faster than any of the previous pass-rushers.

I’d also make blitz my basic approach to D. Make the 3- or 4-man rush the changeup. Give your d-linemen an extra shot at striking home, because the offensive protections are accounting for guys off the edge who aren’t coming.

by hmills110 on May 27, 2010 8:03 PM CDT up reply actions

That was a good read Joel, Thanks!

by JohnNdallas on May 27, 2010 11:57 AM CDT reply actions

How many snaps of zone blitzes did DJ play?

by liquorstoreclerk on May 27, 2010 12:05 PM CDT reply actions

Not sure.........

but that is what I was thinking, it seemed to me that DJ was putting heat on the QB when we was allowed on the field.

by penut on May 27, 2010 1:12 PM CDT up reply actions

If I remember the Chiefs Blitzed more than half the snaps that DJ played

whether they were ZB i don’t know.

Rule 49. " Think and talk positive football off the field." Hank Stram

by Steve_Chiefs on May 27, 2010 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm not even sure that zone blitz stat is accurate.

Seemed like every time they sent the blitz, they played pretty soft behind it. Drove me crazy.

by hmills110 on May 27, 2010 8:06 PM CDT up reply actions

It’ll still be a pretty minor part of the play calling, imo. I don’t think Crennel is going to flip his philosophy overnight.

by KeyboardGato on May 27, 2010 12:19 PM CDT reply actions

umm, well, except that Crennel wasn't the one calling the plays last year.

by Keyser Sose on May 27, 2010 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Believe it or not, he’s had previous jobs.

by KeyboardGato on May 27, 2010 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions

What? Crennel's had previous jobs?

Your right, he’s set in his ways and hopefully they are ten times better than what we had last year!

Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.

by jrcnc on May 27, 2010 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions

clancy's defense= the deception of a water bra....all for show, no substance!

by chief Stevie_k on May 27, 2010 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

rec'd!

Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.

by jrcnc on May 27, 2010 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions

And in his previous jobs he implemented Zone Blitzing a lot.

It was just a different zone blitz. He would switch sets and have anywhere from 1 to 6 linebackers on the field. He would have plays with only one down lineman and 4 of the linebackers would come on a blitz and you never know which four.

You can draft defensive line to stop a player at the line.
You can draft linebackers to stop a player 3-4 yards down the field.
Or you can draft a safety to tackle him 15 yards down the field.
I'll take the first two any day.

by ChiefsfanJon on May 27, 2010 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

i dont care if we have dion sanders rod woodson troy palamalu in the back field

we need pressure up front we need to do what ever it takes to create pressure on the qb bring the house. keep teams guessing but always have someone bringing the pain to the qb

FOUR F'S FIND UM FEEL UM FUGUM FORGET UM.

by sexassassin on May 27, 2010 12:56 PM CDT reply actions

The problem with zone blitzing is

if the offense can read where you are coming from. If that is the case, they will throw opposite the heat. A quick slant can be a nice blitz beater. You can also get burned on the other side deep in man to man. Oh? You say that Pioli went hog wild this off season adding speed to our defensive secondary? Now why would he do something crazy like that? Crazy like a fox. As Hannibal of the A-Team fame would say, “I love it when a plan comes together!”.

by Aiken_Drum on May 27, 2010 1:25 PM CDT reply actions

what is more effective for a defense? a qb knowing he is pretty safe from any blitz, or picking up the blitz, but still blitzing nonetheless?

I’d rather he knows that pressure is coming, regardless if he finds out where it is coming. it still puts pressure on the qb and his receiver to be perfect to have a positive gain as opposed to standing there all day not worried about a blitz.

by chief Stevie_k on May 27, 2010 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

was just making reference to the fact that we upgraded our defensive backfield to support more blitzing.

by Aiken_Drum on May 27, 2010 3:34 PM CDT up reply actions

this is when the rest of our D needs to play smart.

if they see that the QB is reading it really well, our coverage should know that the QB will go away from the pressure. that’s when it’s time to jump a route. u could get really creative and let the QB know where ur coming from so that u can force him to the place u r sitting waiting to pounce.

by MountainManMike on May 27, 2010 5:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Think about that: Of the team’s 22 sacks, four (18 percent) came on a series of formations the defense ran a mere 2.7 percent of the time.

LJ says: “Hey beotch, I gotts a trademark on running a mere 2.7!”

Founding Member of The Super Duper Matt Cassel Fan Club (for the children). +7

Do not lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity. We offer no hope for the person who is so indifferent as not to want to get ahead in life, and who is not willing to pay the price.

by BigRedChief on May 27, 2010 2:13 PM CDT reply actions

Surprised that took so long to come up

The 5th Dimension
#29 Eric Berry

by BAMFSpecialOps on May 27, 2010 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Zone blitzing only works...

…if you have multiple blitz-threats at different positions. Javier Arenas and Eric Berry give us more of this flexibility. In particular, Eric Berry helps open-up our playbook to this type of call because if Eric Berry is in the box, the QB doesn’t know WHAT the hell he’s doing there. Blitzing? Zone coverage? Man? Defending the run? He can do it all, so how do you guess? There is 1 primary personell reason that pittsburg is able zone bliz as well as they can and its Polamalu. Zone blitzing is about defensive synergy.

by hornetchiefsfan on May 27, 2010 4:50 PM CDT reply actions

Good Chiefs Zone Blitzs on Film

Watch the Pittsburgh game. We had our hands on big ben the whole game but just couldn’t get him on the ground. Nevertheless, watch the zone/disguised blitz packages — think it gives a good indication of how effective we can be when we time them and run them correctly.

by hornetchiefsfan on May 27, 2010 5:25 PM CDT reply actions

Hell why stop w the zone blitz

I would just love to see them rush more than 4 period! Which I think will happen with Romeo(hopefully). We def have the secondary for it now!

by KCinIL on May 27, 2010 6:56 PM CDT reply actions

Enjoying all the comments.

As I said above, I want the offense to EXPECT the blitz from my guys, and I want enough speed from the safeties to give up very little of my intentions or capabilities pre-snap, regardless of where they’re lining up.

Ain’t countin’ the chickens before they hatch, but the talent that’s been assembled in the d-backfield holds out possibilities that we haven’t seen since Derrick Thomas’s first few years in the league. This squad ought to be able to show blitz all day, bring it from virtually any angle, and give up almost NOTHING pre-snap, even showing max aggression ’most all day.

by hmills110 on May 27, 2010 8:48 PM CDT reply actions