The one thing Warner can do is pick apart a blitz. When he has to read hot, he's in his element (remember, he came from an Indoor Football background where getting the ball out quickly was necessary). Oddly enough, when he has to sit in the pocket and wait and wait and wait, he's more apt to get sacked then when he's blitzed.
that's universally true of every QB. but as long as the texans are deficient talent- and experience-wise on defense, its on the front 4 to apply that pressure; we can't spare additional parts. sorry, that was more of a general statement - this idea that blitz-happy teams are better defensively is ill-informed. and yet, it's called for constantly by a lot of fans. the reality is that few teams actually blitz that much and even fewer work with any consistency. good offenses will pick apart teams that blitz frequently. i consider espousing that philosophy with this specific defense *extremely* ill-informed, given our lack of talent and experience. the texans can't successfully blitz sporadically; it would be suicidal to blitz constantly. IOW, you'd love for our scheme to basically negate 2 of our better defensive players by sending them on a fruitless assignment? rushing ryans and/or cushing when an OL is successfully holding off our DL without extra help and and receivers are running free in our secondary is a waste of two talented LBs who'd be more helpful trying to at least contain the underneath. bubba mcdowell isn't walking through that door... to blitz a safety in a standard package means you're willing to leave either fitzgerald or boldin single-covered. that's your plan? it's not a good one, not with this team.
I agree with your points for the most part, but do you really think we can't afford to blitz a LB or FS even 2 or 3 times a game? Maybe on a 3rd and long when a hot route would take longer to develop? I agree we shouldn't be blitzing on every down, but in specific situations, why not take a chance every once in a while? Maybe we force a game-changing turnover.
they do. in fact, they're blitzing more than people apparently realize. but when your front 4 can't generate any penetration and your secondary can't cover anybody... it renders the blitz uniformly moot.
dearest david, it's not a philosophy so much as a reaction to our (lack of0 talent and experience (and possibly coaching). i obviously wouldn't deter a team like the steelers or the giants from blitzing (though those two teams probably blitz *far* less than you think) - they have the personnel to make it effective. the texans do not. the funny thing is they're blitzing far more than you obviously realize, it hasn't been even remotely effective (so much so, you're not even aware they're doing it) and yet you want them to do it *more*? trust me, so does kurt warner.
Yeah, thats what I was alluding to earlier...we send a couple people...and wham, its like the opposing QB has this beautiful pocket to sit and dissect the defense. Meanwhile, not only have we not created the intended pressure, but now we have 2 less people covering the field. At that point, anything less than a 15 yard gain is a complete success. When the other team can hold off our DL (4 of them) and 2 LBs with the use of their 5 lineman and RB, then what is the point of blitzing? Specially since it leaves Boldin, Fitz, and Breaston all in 1 on 1 coverage. I do think we need to continue sending it periodically, as any team would do, but as much as I would love an attacking defense, we just dont have the personnel to do so.
Querido Ric, No estoy de acuerdo. I think the Texans do have the talent and the personnel to make it effective (maybe not the coaching.)
You think we have the talent on defense? Please tell me you didnt mean what you just wrote. Our best talent in the secondary would be a #2 CB on a top 15 defense. Other than him, the other guys that we put out there for the last month would be struggling to find a starting position in the NFL. Our defensive line is Mario Williams and average joes, at best. We have 2 solid LBs. That means, that out of the 11 spots on defense, we have 4 good players.
that is still left for debate, i.e. talent part. The only person who routinely gets pressure on the QB is mario. Demeco and cushings had had some luck with blitzing up the middle. Barwin has had some luck but he is also a liability against the run. SMith has been silent save against the horrible raiders, and the same goes for okoye. i know it's easier to blame the coaching (because its easier to replace a coach than a player) but you have to look at these things as objectively as possible. No matter what the coaches say to do, if you beat your man you can get to the QB. Thus far, they have rarely beat their man. As for blitzing...sure, pick your spots, but there is no need to go blitz crazy when 1) you are not a good blitzing team thus far, 2) your secondary and safeties are VERY suspect and 3) the other team has explosive WRs. I can see sending an LB or two, but i'd rather keep my safties back.
you're wrong; sorry, but they don't. john busing, eugene wilson, dominique barber, fred bennet... those guys would not start for... 27, 28 teams in the nfl - if not more. bernard pollard was cut by the kansas city chiefs. worse, shaun cody couldn't even make the 0-16 detroit lions' roster. those are two of the worst franchises in football - and we're starting two of their castoffs. mix in a bunch of rookies playing a lot of downs (cushing, barwin, quinn, the other rookie CB whose name i'm blanking on) and it is not a talented/experienced group on defense. it's just not. this idea that a team that's routinely giving up gigantic plays several times a game should be sending *more* defenders after the QB is just... it's silly, man. they looked marginally better sunday but if jamarcus russell had *any* skills, he would have picked the team apart. well, warner does have skills and they'll need all 7 back guys to play their lights out to have a chance. i mean, if a team is blitzing and you don't even realize they're blitzing........... doesn't that speak volumes??
Well Ric...you're wrong if you think the Texans crappy secondary can cover the top 3-4 Cardinals wide receivers while Kurt Warner sits back all day in the pocket because the Texans weak 4 man rush allows him plenty of time to throw. Then, what? Arizona counters with screen passes to Hightower, draw plays up the middle and runs over the Tackle spot. Aren't the Texans last in the league against the run? You may not agree with a certain defensive system/philosophy, but it certainly isn't "wrong."
i never said the texans' secondary could cover *anybody*; just that it's the lesser of 2 evils. since we're incapable of creating any pressure blitzing (a fact you continue to ignore over and over again), i'd rather use our back 7 to try and stop the cardinals' skill players than diluting that pool to uselessly try and rush a QB who is not only unfazed by the blitz but actually *wants* you to blitz. that's such a lethal combination, i'm shocked i'm still having to explain it. the texans can't blitz, the cardinals want them to blitz... your plan is to blitz more. not good. the texans blitz more than you realize (a fact you keep ignoring), they're woefully inept at it (another fact you keep ignoring), and their personnel is not good/experienced enough to *not* get to the QB (yet another fact, only you're not ignoring it; you're just choosing not to believe it). so to do it *more* would be downright foolish. sorry, man. it's just not a good idea with this personnel and against this paticular team.
One guy has no faith in the front 4. The other has no faith in the coverage. I would rather the Texans D play more conservative against a deep threat team. Even when Indy had 4 sacks on him, he still had 52 attempts that day.
Where are you gathering this absurd information from??? Seriously bro, have you not been watching our blitz attempts over the first 4 games? They have absolutely been downright pitiful. Our LBs and DBs have accounted, I believe, for a total of ZERO sacks this year. And thats with a good handful of blitzing going on. What does that tell you? We just do not do a good job of blitzing. So, from watching the games and seeing the results on the stat sheet, I have concluded that we are not effective at blitzing. Now, tell me why you think otherwise.
