Kansas City Chiefs Laddie Morse

No Mahomes? Chiefs Blitz Package Solution

LadnerMorse October 23, 2019 No Comments Gallery

No Mahomes? Chiefs Blitz Package Solution – in the first 6 games of the Kansas City Chiefs 2019 season, the number of times their DC Steve Spagnuolo called a blitz could be counted on one hand. While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the Chiefs expanded use of the blitz in the game versus the Broncos is not. In fact, the blitz is the blueprint for the Chiefs success moving forward.

In a terrific piece on Monday called, “Chiefs: Finally, A Team Persona!“, David Bell spoke specifically about the ways the Chiefs defensive players responded to the 2nd quarter loss of Patrick Mahomes,

“We saw all the ways different players could rise and play the game and how it melded and welded one to another in a different way than they had come together and talked the talk. This game showed the players on defense, that they could play for one another and find that mystical thing we often call team identity: or team persona.”

Yes, the Chiefs defense played much better in this game… the whole game, even prior to the time that Mahomes went down. Spagnuolo dialed up a blitz on 56% of the first half plays (14 of 25 plays) and then he threw the blitz at the Broncos 33% of the time in the second half (10 of 30 plays).

That may seem significant but the reality is, the Chiefs defense was even better in the second half hanging donuts on the scoreboard in the third and fourth quarters.

When I went back and watched the game, counting blitzes, I only counted plays where the Chiefs rushed more than 4 defensive linemen. Most of the plays where the Chiefs were in a run-blitz were in the first half. There were two times Spags called for only 3 men to rush (see below) and one of those resulted in a sack, so it’s hard to be critical of that call in this case although, one of those 3-man-rush calls had Emmanuel Ogbah dropping into coverage over the middle. That’s a real head shaker for me. I “kind of get it” when Bob Sutton sent Justin Houston into coverage in the flat, but Ogbah over the middle? Hmm. BTW, that was not successful.

The same method was attempted in the second half when Spags called for Derrick Nnadi to drop into the middle of the field and into coverage. I assume Spags was wanting to use Anthony Hitchens or Reggie Ragland to blitz on those plays because they were having great success in that game getting to Joe Flacco. However, both plays that involved dropping a DL into the middle of the field resulted in completed passes… over the middle of the field, beyond the reach of those DL.

What was clear in this game was the varied play calling on defense. I doubt that Spagnuolo had the same play called on two consecutive plays. That’s exactly what the Green Bay Packers can expect this coming Sunday night too.

Let’s take a look at some of the blitzes the Chiefs have used this year. Hitchens, Ragland, and Mathieu were all successful blitzing against Denver.

Please notice what first looks like a 6 man front, is really just a 5 man blitz package with RDE Tanoh Kpassagnon dropping into coverage against the Broncos #83, TE/FB Andrew Beck, who was there to block because it was a running play. That’s a good example of a pre-snap front that Spags was showing which he didn’t show the rest of the game.

The number of blitzes indicated above don’t include all the fake blitzes used in this game either. Part of disguising any front is the regular use of a good fake, which starts out looking like a blitz, and still looks like a blitz one second post-snap, but ends up a coverage scheme.

Another probable aspect of success in this game was the defense gelling, which David Bell so often refers to. Take a look at the following blitz on this play in the game vs the Ravens. Nick Jacobs correctly points out that Ben Niemann comes on the blitz and Tyrann Mathieu is good in coverage but…

… if you play the clip back and watch it several times in a row, viewing/isolating each defensive linemen, none of them looks like they are going all out… or that they are sure of themselves. Growing comfortable with the playbook, as well as growing comfortable with each other, makes a huge difference, and it appears the Chiefs D has reached that place vs the Broncos. Now, compare that to the following play when Spagnuolo is only rushing three DL (and Mathieu fakes the blitz) against the Broncos (it’s the lower clip shown below):

If you go back and watch that again three times, once again isolating each DL, you’ll see how much more they are pushing the pocket… and as a result, they get a sack here to boot.

Note: There were three plays in which I noticed CB Rashad Fenton was in playmaker mode each time. He really did play well so, hats off to Rashad Fenton. However, announcer Troy Aikman actually called him “Rashad FELTON” and he did so twice. The first time I had to go back and hear it again, and then when he did it a second time followed by his “admission” that the Broncos offense was bad as being the reason the Chiefs defense looked so good, was a clear sign of bias on his part. So very much not a fan.

While re-watching the game, I noticed the Broncos had most of their success by passing the ball in the flat to their running back or their wideouts coming backwards. I would expect the Packers to utilize the same game plan. Craig Stout points out the dangers in filling the line-up with slower run-oriented Linebackers who can’t get to the flat as quickly (and again, the second clip below):

Spagnuolo used a delayed blitz sparingly and the most memorable time he did use it, Anthony Hitchens (the delayed blitzer) jarred the ball lose from Joe Flacco and Reggie Ragland scooped it up for the TD.

The Chiefs will need more performances like that one from their front seven if they want to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers this coming weekend. What Chiefs fans can expect to see this week vs Green Bay will likely be a two-fold game plan: a similar one used against the Broncos, plus the defensive schemes used against the Ravens.

A 30% to 56% blitz package scheme was terrifically successful vs Denver, so why change that? Also, the use of a scout LB, or a Safety, to scout and mirror Aaron Rodgers when he breaks free from the pocket, is also needed if the Chiefs are to have success against Green Bay.

While I expect the Chiefs defense to have some success this weekend, I seriously doubt they’ll hold Aaron Rodgers to 6 points. Then, the question is, can a Matt Moore led offense score enough points to out distance football’s versions of A-Rod?

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

P.S. On December 18 of 2011, the Chiefs hosted the Packers. Romeo Crennel had been hired the week before as the interim HC and he led the Chiefs to a win over unbeaten Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers at the helm. I was living in Dallas at the time and subsequently wrote a piece for ArrowheadAddict which you can read here –> it’s called, “Honey, I Shrunk the Packers.” 

 

 

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