When Rex Grossman surveyed the Giants’ defense before a first-down play with 42 seconds left in the second quarter last Sunday, he saw more than six defenders dancing around the line of scrimmage ready to blitz him.
He saw opportunity.
The Bears’ quarterback knew the play offensive coordinator Ron Turner called from the press box anticipated the exact strong-side blitz the Giants showed. The Giants had stumped the Bears with an array of blitzes and stunts for most of the first half, but by now–his 31st snap of the game–Grossman had started to solve the arithmetic.
“Thinking we might get that look, we called a [pass] protection that gave us seven guys to block their six blitzing people,” Grossman said. “That left them man-to-man on the backside.”
That man was aging Giants cornerback Sam Madison, no match for speedy Bears wide receiver Mark Bradley. Bradley put a double move on his defender so paralyzing that Madison pulled a hamstring trying to recover. Grossman, knowing he would have good protection, calmly exploited the hole created by the blitz and found Bradley for a 29-yard touchdown pass that started the Bears’ comeback.
“If you know they’re bringing a blitz and we’re sliding right into it [to block it], you realize you don’t have to throw something `hot’ and can relax a little and continue to drop back knowing where they’re vulnerable,” Grossman said. “If you pick it up, it’s huge.”
It can be just as big for a defense when the Bears do not pick it up, which is why the Jets figure to blitz Grossman as much as the Giants did early in forcing an interception. Of the Bears’ first 20 passes, Grossman estimated the Giants blitzed on as many as 12 of them.
With increasing frequency since Arizona rattled Grossman into committing six turnovers, opponents believe the best way to beat the Bears involves heavy blitzing out of every defensive alignment possible.
Experience helps
By definition, a blitz occurs either when a defender who isn’t on the line of scrimmage rushes the quarterback or more than four players rush the passer. Young quarterbacks such as Grossman tend to struggle more adjusting to the level of heat in the NFL. As evidence, the five lowest-rated passing teams against the blitz this season have either rookies or second-year players starting: Cleveland’s Charlie Frye, Arizona’s Matt Leinart, Tennessee’s Vince Young, Tampa Bay’s Bruce Gradkowski and Oakland’s Andrew Walter.
The toughest team to blitz? It should come as no surprise that it’s point-out-every-blitzer-before-the-ball-is-snapped Peyton Manning and the Colts with a passer rating of 125.05. Interestingly for the Bears’ defense, the Jets and Chad Pennington rank third with a rating of 102.46 when blitzed.
The Bears and Grossman have the 22nd-ranked passer rating against the blitz (76.04), according to STATS. Grossman has completed 61 of 111 passes for 728 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions when teams have come after him.
Those numbers should encourage the Jets to send extra pass-rushers early and often against the Bears, but at their own risk too. Quarterbacks have completed 67 percent of their passes against a Jets blitz defense ranked 24th in the league. On third downs, when 49 percent of the Jets’ blitzes have come, quarterbacks have completed 24 of 38 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
But the Jets’ blitzkrieg was buoyed after a victory over the Patriots when Tom Brady looked confused, and ultimately dazed, in getting sacked four times. In watching film of that game, Grossman noted how the Jets disguised their coverages longer than most teams and never seemed to be out of position.
“It just seemed like the Patriots were trying to figure it out exactly and taking a long time at the line to really sort everything out instead of just going out and playing and applying your [blitz] rules,” Grossman said. “If they bring more [pass-rushers] than you can protect, then the receiver breaks his route off and you throw your `hot’ routes and move on.”
Moving quickly can be the key to an offense handling blitzes.
“That’s kind of what we want to do, not take too much time [at the line] and get into the flow of the game,” Grossman said. “I think there’s a certain flow of getting in and out of huddles quickly and coming up to the line and making calls.”
Not so long ago, blitz-happy teams such as the 1985 Bears put themselves at higher risk by relying on man-to-man coverage behind blitzes. But as rules changes have made it more difficult for cover corners to get physical with receivers, defenses evolved by inventing more zone blitzes that occasionally call for defensive ends dropping into coverage.
“There are not that many teams anymore that play [straight] man coverage out of the blitz,” said Bears quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, an occasional victim of the ’85 Bears’ blitzes as a Vikings quarterback. “The ’85 team was coming regardless and didn’t mind leaving those guys one-on-one on the outside. Now when you’re bringing pressure, you’re also maintaining your protection.”
Identify and adjust
Every Bears offensive play starts with Grossman identifying the defense, usually either a 4-3 or 3-4, out loud as he walks up behind center Olin Kreutz. Depending on the play called, Grossman can detect blitz by the alignment of a safety, cornerback or linebacker. Sometimes body language gives it away.
Once Grossman knows, he barks a signal that could adjust pass protection and pass routes to the blitz according to the play called in the huddle.
“It’s about knowing the rules of each protection and knowing where you’re vulnerable in each protection,” Grossman said.
From that point, Kreutz takes over.
Kreutz has gotten used to seeing opposing defensive fronts introduce looks they haven’t run before playing the Bears.
“Every defense has something different for every offense,” Kreutz said.
His head is the computer that spits out directions on how to react. If a defense overloads one side by walking up a linebacker or safety, Kreutz might make a call that requires every lineman to slide over one hole in that direction to block a pass-rusher. He also might instruct his fellow linemen to be responsible for a certain player or area, depending on what he sees.
“Scheme tells me who I’m looking for, and from there, if a lot of guys are up there, it’s pretty much a guess,” Kreutz said.
As much of a mental challenge as it can become up front, Kreutz cautioned that it still boils down to who is more physical.
“They want you to try to figure out what they’re doing so you need to just go with a point, do what you do, and go with it,” Kreutz said. “You try to get it perfect and you’re not going to get it perfect, [so] every once in a while you just have to beat what they’re doing.”
Help often comes from the backfield, where Thomas Jones begins each pass play by finding the middle linebacker. That tells Jones whether he will have to block him or set his sights on the blitzing strong-side linebacker or possibly a safety.
He is known as a solid blocker with keen instincts in picking up blitzes, but even Jones admitted the Giants “confused us early,” when he got beaten once and was called for holding on another play.
“For the most part, I always have two people to watch and if my guy doesn’t come I look to help pick up somebody else coming free,” Jones said.
“That’s where the linemen and I have good chemistry. If somebody is coming free or getting an edge, I step in and help.”
Everyone has a role
Tight end Desmond Clark pitches in, too, when teams send seven pass-rushers and the Bears go into maximum-protection mode. Clark listens for Kreutz’s call but more often aids Grossman on blitzes by adjusting his route to reflect the pressure and allow a quicker throw. A defensive end lining up inside or a strong safety shading him on the outside might provide clues.
“I could be running a 15-yard stop and I have to change it to an out route and quicken it,” Clark said.
Added Grossman: “Tight ends are the biggest route runners to break off their routes in a blitz.”
Meanwhile, receivers carefully study the secondary like a road map.
If the cornerback in press coverage peeks inside, he might go one way. If the safety is lined up at 14 yards instead of 15, he might go another.
If a defense so overloads one side that the offense cannot figure a way to protect the quarterback, the receiver will run a “hot” route called for by Grossman that is typically a quick slant. But Grossman guessed that has only been required 10 times this season.
“I can’t give you the rules, but you would be amazed how quickly we have to recognize everything,” said Rashied Davis, who has had to learn the flanker, wide receiver and slot roles and their various adjustments.
Spending last year as a defensive back has helped Davis read blitzes better. He also traces his education back to last summer’s organized team activities. “It’s really a guessing game, but some things give you keys,” Davis said. “I can’t tell you how we communicate with [Grossman], but we let each other know and run the right route.”
All that identification and communication happens “in about seven or eight seconds” before the snap, Grossman said.
Then it simply comes down to execution.
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dhaugh@tribune.com
