Panthers find little success when blitzing

[Dpantherman]

By Pat Yasinskas

I’m continuing to plow through the massive pre-draft package I got from ESPN’s Stats & Information. The latest item to catch my eye was on the Panthers and the lack of success they had using the blitz on third downs last season.

Coach John Fox has always prided himself on generating a pass rush from the front four. But Fox also has been known as a guy who will take a chance and send a blitzer from time to time. That really didn’t work last year -- at least not on third downs.

On third-down plays in which the Panthers sent five or more rushers, they produced just one sack. That tied them with the Jaguars and Rams for the lowest total in the NFL. Part of the reason for that might have been the season-ending injury to outside linebacker Thomas Davis. He’s perhaps the best athlete in Carolina’s back seven and losing him was a blow.

But there’s no doubt the Panthers have to get better in this area. With the departure of defensive end Julius Peppers, the Panthers are without a proven pass rusher. They may need some help from beyond the front four this season.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/9517/blitzes-didnt-pay-off-for-panthers

what do you all suggest?

[DaCityKats]

send 11 after the qb...

[scpanther22]

By Pat Yasinskas

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/9517/blitzes-didnt-pay-off-for-panthers

what do you all suggest?

They watch some eagles games and see how its done.

[Swarly]

I suggest he puts in the statistics of interceptions that those 3rd down blitzes created instead of sacks.

Seriously, not insulting or being sarcastic, I'd like to know how many turnovers we forced with blitzes. Successful blitzing isn't about sacks all the time, it's about pressure too.

[CatMan72]

I suggest using more corner and safety blitzes.

Having said that, you can't evaluate the effectiveness of blitzing simply on how many sacks it produced. The pressure created by a blitz that does not produce a sack can result in failure to convert the 3rd down and/or turnovers.

[theyhateme45]

True you can't judge solely on sacks... But everyone who has been watching our games knows we have had trouble the past few years getting to the QB effectively with our blitz. It's like they always get picked up and it's frustrating. Our ineffectiveness with the blitz has made some QB look better than they should.... Send an extra man because we aren't getting pressure, but he still gets picked up, Qb has time and hits a wide open WR in the middle of the field. I really don't know how this will be fixed... Maybe a healthy Davis is the answer

[CatMan72]

I would also say that blitzing is something you have to commit to in the same way you have to commit to the running game on offense.

Blitzing is as much psychological as it is physical. When you go into a game against an aggressive blitzing defense like the Steelers or Eagles, you know they're coming after you. Both the Steelers and Eagles wear you down with their blitzes, it may take some time for them to start getting to the QB, but as the offensive line starts to get tired the blitzes become more and more effective in the same way you wear down a defense with the running game.

[CatMan72]

True you can't judge solely on sacks... But everyone who has been watching our games knows we have had trouble the past few years getting to the QB effectively with our blitz. It's like they always get picked up and it's frustrating. Our ineffectiveness with the blitz has made some QB look better than they should.... Send an extra man because we aren't getting pressure, but he still gets picked up, Qb has time and hits a wide open WR in the middle of the field. I really don't know how this will be fixed... Maybe a healthy Davis is the answer

I think we may also need to come up with more creative blitzing schemes. I think the blizting we've done up to this point is pretty vanilla which is why they're so frequently picked up.

[CRA]

Fox's defense always focus around the front 4 to get the job.......gonna be a long year for the defense.

[scpanther22]

Also draft

Javier Arenas...to blitz

[Dpantherman]

I suggest he puts in the statistics of interceptions that those 3rd down blitzes created instead of sacks.

Seriously, not insulting or being sarcastic, I'd like to know how many turnovers we forced with blitzes. Successful blitzing isn't about sacks all the time, it's about pressure too.

indeed. i can imagine he plans on expounding on this. I hope...

[DaCityKats]

yes you have to be commited to blitzing and not just on third down. fox should mix it up and blitz on other downs as well as do different blitzes.it seemed to me that we only have two blitzes were beason comes up the middle with davis coming inside of the tackle.....or davis just coming inside of the tackle.corner blitz out of the nickel would work as well.

[rayzor]

meeks started getting pretty creative with the defense...mostly out of necessity, but it worked pretty well. i'm sure looking at what worked last year they will be able to build.

i don't want to put too much stock into these stats...it took a few games but they eventually started having a D that controlled the game and kept points down, which is the only thing that really matters.

what i would like to know is how much the panthers blitzed on 3rd down using 5 or more rushing the QB compared to other teams. i know we were using 3 man rushes quite a bit on 3rd sown and other passing downs the last 5-6 games of the season. that might skew the results a bit.

[Gscottnc5]

Isn't the concept of a 4-3 Defense to be a bend don't break attitude? I thought that it is a much more play your position and be there to make the play as opposed to a 3-4 Defense with blitz packages that are suppossed to generate mass confusion for the offense.

4-3 Defenses, IMO, don't have to generate Sacks as much as a 3-4 due to the fact everyone really plays their position. In the 3-4, some guys are out of position trying to make the BIG play and can get burned if it isn't not successful.