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Red Zone Defense


VW82

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5 hours ago, Lurker said:

 

I think they get conservative in pass rush inside the 20, choosing to rush four and drop the LBs into coverage.    I'd like to see them be a bit more aggressive in blitzing, but's that's a double-edged sword.   And the percetages seem to favor McD/Frasier's scheme...

We don't have an elite enough pass rush to rely on 4 all the time. They have to selectively start dialing up blitzes, whether they like it or not. 

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5 hours ago, whatdrought said:

Our Defense lacks a true game changing pass rusher and it shows in situations where we want to only send 4 guys. There are times our defense can get pressure with 4, but in the red-zone and playing prevent is when having a guy who wins 1-on-1 every single time helps as it forces the OL to shift protection, causing the other guys to get better opportunities. 

I think Hughes is clearly a top 15 pass rusher and arguably top 10. He has done well in our scheme in large part due to top-notch coverage, and I think that more physically gifted rushers like Clowney, Clark, or Garrett can more reliably get to the QB in a short field where QBs release the ball more quickly. The Bills also have a high rate of corner/safety rather than linebacker blitzes, which is much riskier in the red zone. Four or five man rushes will likely become more effective as Oliver develops and can get to the QB in 3 seconds more frequently. We also seem to struggle somewhat vs. 2 minute offenses without having an edge presence who can consistently win one-in-ones vs a spread set with no blocking TE or RB.

 

Dalton was also pretty good with his timing and release in the second half, and Boyd ran some great routes. Red zone D is definitely one of the larger question marks for what seems to be a legitimately elite defense, along with some weakness vs. runs up the middle against high tempo offenses (the Pats thrive when teams leave some room in the middle to cover 2 RB sets with Michel and Burkhead/White and Edelman in the slot, as Brady is so good at finding a target underneath off the snap). The team did a decent job vs. Saquon, but I am more worried about how we will handle teams that can consistently get 6-7 yards from the slot or receiving RB and force linebackers and the line to play wider (Saints, Pats, Chargers).

 

I think we are better equipped to control offenses like the Chiefs and Rams who frequently utilize 3 WR sets of deep ball threats from both outside receivers and go routes from the slot. 

Edited by ny33
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