* Note: If you're not interested in some chalk talk, fucking beat it.
Here is why UW struggled to pressure Arizona's QB. Kwit primary used a 2-4-5 nickel scheme- designed to stop the spread.
After watching the replay. Washington rarely blitzed LB’s or DB’s, instead relying on a 4-man rush
By rushing only 4, Washington focused on stopping the run, daring Arizona to beat OUR? DB’s
By doing so, Washington couldn't pressure the QB Why?
Most of the game, Arizona blocked UW's 4 man rush with 6 blockers (5OL + RB) UW rarely blitzed a LB or a safety. In Kwits scheme, the ends first have read and contain resposnbilities before they rush the passer. By blitzing an end, the defense is vulnerable to a read option run (QB or RB), forcing the LB to choose between the 2 and to cover a huge hole vacated by the blitzing end.
ESPN determined a 4 man rush successfully pressured the ball only 30% to 40% of the time when the net pass rushers (Blockers - Pass Rushers) were -1 to -2 and the Qb released the ball in 3 seconds or less from the snap.
Against Arizona, UW Net Rushers were -2 for most of the game
The effectiveness falls further (20%) when the QB releases the ball 2/10's earlier (2.8 seconds), more time than the average QB operating out of a spread pistol formation.
Here's a 3 play series in 3rd quarter.
1st down. Read option run. Mathis tackle. 2yd gain
2nd down. Read option. Qb run. Wooching Tackle
3rd down. 4-man rush. Snap to Qb release: 2.45 seconds. Broken up by King
Here is a static shot of the third down play above. The fake handoff took .73 seconds of the total 2.45 seconds between the snap and QB release. After Mathis and Wooching saw run, they had only 1.72 seconds to get to the passer.
Using a stopwatch, I timed 5 AZ. passing plays. They ranged from 1.68 to 2.63 seconds - not enough time to get to the QB without sending a LB or safety.
How do WE? generate a pass rush without exposing the rest of the defense?
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9946600/how-value-measure-pass-protection-pass-rush-nflhttp://www.hogshaven.com/2012/11/1/3586548/2-4-5-defense-package-exploited-redskin
Comments
On the first drive of the game, Dawkins was able to escape for I believe an 8-9 yard gain when both Mathis and PSALM took outside routes to the back foot of the QB drop (which works against a non-mobile QB) ... you rarely saw a comparable rush after that and instead for the balance of the game the rush was more focused on contain and the actual spy that we used was one of the outside rushers.
Against Stanford, we're likely going to have a similar problem in the pass rush department as the primary responsibility for the edge rushers is going to be maintaining gaps/angles against the running game. It will be more important IMO against Stanford to get interior pressure on Burns and put him in a position where he feels like he has to force throws.
Where we're going to have a bigger threat of needing an outside rush will be in the coming games against Oregon, Cal, and ASU.
Good work!
Like another poster said, we have only blitzed 3% of the time this year. It's just part of our defense, we try to limit big plays (which we obviously didn't do last week). I prefer that style in modern football than blitzing 30% of the time.
Arizona, like you said, was trying to get the ball out as quickly as possible. Which lead to their passing plays only being short passes for not many yards.
UW d-line vs Stanford o-line