Is pass defense a weakness of the Pittsburgh Steelers?
This sounds like a fantasy. Because the Steelers' defensive team is interconnected layer by layer, the intermediate passing area that seems relatively loose is actually still heavily hoarded. The main focus of the two security guards is not on the deep area, but on the full coverage area. Complete defense in the mid-pass area with dedication.
It should be just a coincidence that the San Francisco 49ers completed large yardage advances in the passing area twice in a row. Just like the offensive team cannot score every time, the defensive team cannot successfully stifle the opponent every time, but the gap for passing the ball just appears in the same area.
Maybe, maybe not.
But what is certain is that the San Francisco 49ers have arrived at the forefront of the red zone; what is also certain is that the San Francisco 49ers have no intention of leaving breathing space and thinking time. Under the leadership of Lu Ke, they quickly completed the formation and once again Be prepared to attack.
James Harrison, the defensive leader of the Steelers, stood up straight and quickly greeted his teammates, repeating the same code over and over again, "Code Fifteen, Code Fifteen, Code Fifteen... …” Make sure every member of the defense receives his signals accurately.
Code fifteen.
The explanation is actually not complicated. This is a tactic of attacking the quarterback.
The entire defensive formation did not change at all, refusing to let the opponent's offensive team see through their changes, but the task distribution after the defensive players started has a completely different shape.
The two cornerbacks and two safeties switch to a man-to-man defense mode, following the four receiving players to move their positions; the two inside linebackers work together, and one inside linebacker is responsible for marking the running back, regardless of whether it is running the ball. , or a passing offense in which the running back serves as a wide receiver. His only task is to mark the running back, while another inside linebacker joins the team to raid the quarterback.
For the five defensive players who are guarding the receiver, it is not about merit, but no fault, because the entire weight of this defense is exposed on the first line of defense.
Three defensive tackles, two outside linebackers, and one inside linebacker took advantage of the defensive mismatch to use six players against the opponent's five offensive lines. They first gained a numerical advantage, and then used thunder to break into the opponent's pocket and complete four points. Guard's capture. This is almost an all-out posture, and all the defensive weight is piled on them.
Facing the opponent's resurgence, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive team changed its passive mode and chose to take the initiative, showing off the strong offensive characteristics of the defensive team with a fast, accurate and ruthless attitude. This time the goal was not to pressure, but to sack. , before the quarterback launches a passing attack, kill this offense from the source.
On the one hand, it is to prevent the opponent from continuing to approach the red zone, and on the other hand, it is to give the opponent a head start on his rising momentum.
Harrison noticed the changes on the playing field immediately and made corresponding adjustments. The Steelers' defense is not only strong this season, the entire team's historical glory is built on defense. It has a long and rich history and is definitely not that easy to deal with.
As the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, Harrison's status this season does not seem to be that hot, but so far, he has still contributed nine sacks and 51 effective tackles, and is still the most powerful player in the league. One of the outside pass rushers, his strength is absolutely top-notch; at the same time, because of his strong and ferocious defensive style, he is also one of the best defensive players in the league at making dropped balls.
Any offense that underestimates Harrison will pay the price.
Now, Harrison entered the full concentration mode, slowly lowering his center of gravity, and the muscles all over his body were tense to the extreme, like a tiger coming out of the gate, with a murderous look in his eyes.
"attack!"
Amidst a series of dazzling kick-off commands, Harrison remained undistracted. After keenly capturing the real command, he sprinted out in an instant——
The opponent only had five offensive linemen, but our own defensive team invested six troops, including the absolutely powerful top player in the league Casey Hampton. Easily, the Steelers had the absolute upper hand.
Hampton blocked Jonathan Goodwin and Mike Rupatti one-on-one, while two defensive ends and an inside linebacker hit three other offensive linemen one-on-one. Players, almost in the blink of an eye, the two outside linebackers Harrison and Woodley had already pulled out and bypassed the offensive line in an instant. One to the left and one to the right, with the force of wind and thunder, they rushed towards the quarterback. .
There was no obstacle. With the defensive misalignment and numerical advantage, neither Harrison nor Woodley was hindered at all. They just took a small turn, and then you could see Lu Ke, who was completely exposed in the pocket.
In a second, or even less than a second, almost at the same time as the kickoff, the two linebackers had already completed the overtake. The ferocious momentum directly tore the offensive lineman's pocket, as if it was made of paper, as if it was innocent. Like Bambi, Lu Ke was already standing there helpless.
At this time, Lu Ke didn't even have time to smell the danger and was still observing the passing target. For the two outside linebackers, they had the absolute upper hand. The smell of blood burst out from their lips and teeth, and they rushed towards their prey ferociously and roughly. The pleasure of killing made every cell in their bodies start to stir. screamed.
At this moment, Harrison's pupils shrank slightly: Lu Ke started to move.
Bambi tried to escape, but his clumsy steps only made this killing game more thrilling. How could hunting killed animals be as fun as living animals?
Subconsciously, Harrison licked his lips.
…
Almost at the first moment of kick-off, Lu Ke noticed something was wrong.
Because the Steelers defensive front in front of them rushed towards them, as if a stormy sea was coming over them, setting off a torrential wave of air. From the corner of their eyes, they immediately caught two tornadoes rushing in from both sides of the pocket——
At this time, he didn't even have time to turn around, let alone hold the ball and observe, and the left side had not yet become the blind side, so he could clearly see two white masses sweeping towards him with overwhelming force. Immediately, Lu Ke realized that he had fallen into the Steelers' surprise trap, and his opponent used their numerical advantage to forcefully break through the pocket.
This means that a smart quarterback should choose to throw the ball on the spot, or throw the ball in the direction of the running receiver, but deliberately throw the football out of bounds to avoid sacks and loss of yards; it also means , the opponent's second-line defense is relatively weak, even if it is man-to-man defense, it is still possible to use the matchup advantage to complete the ball.
This is a desperate situation, but also an opportunity.
If it is a running quarterback, he can choose to actively run out of the pocket, risk being sacked by the linebacker, and try to complete the pass. Gaining wealth from danger can create unexpected effects. The only problem is, The passing accuracy is not reliable enough.
Lu Ke is not a running quarterback, but he has no intention of letting it go.
Step back, step back quickly, "Marcus!" Lu Ke only had time to shout, trying to get Marcus to block Harrison. As for whether Marcus could understand, this was beyond his control.
Standing in the pocket, Lu Ke continued to step back without any hesitation, pretending to be looking for the passing target, but with his peripheral vision, he fully caught the outside linebackers on the left and right sides, and he did it in a flash. Out of judgment, I shouted loudly in my mind, "Absolute pace!"
The first second.
Lu Ke's footsteps began to move laterally to the right, following Marcus closely.
Sure enough, after Marcus was reminded, he immediately understood what Lu Ke meant. He immediately noticed Harrison rushing over from the right, and then took the initiative to meet Harrison in an attempt to complete the pick-and-roll.
But neither Marcus nor Harrison expected that Lu Ke would actually move to this side at the same time. Harrison bumped into Marcus, and his forward momentum suddenly stopped, and he watched Lu Ke helplessly. Quickly moving laterally from behind Marcus, the light and agile steps were like a ballerina dancing on the edge of the cliff. The elegant steps were really pleasing to the eye.
Harrison used the impact to brake suddenly, then pushed Marcus away, used the reaction force to take a big step back, changed his center of gravity, and pounced towards Lu Ke's second start on his left. .
Second second.
Lu Ke had completely left the pocket protection range, completely exposing himself to the outside linebackers and cornerbacks' vision. But at this time, he had no time to worry about this. He raised his chin and tried to find the passing target, but Everything happened so fast -
The opponent broke through the pocket so fast, and he left the pocket so fast that the four players scattered on the court were still pushing according to their established running routes, and had just realized the chaos on the court. , are preparing to refocus, which puts them in terrible receiving position.
"What the hell."
Lu Ke cursed secretly, and then saw the lingering Harrison in his peripheral vision.
Harrison was obviously prepared. With his center of gravity unstable, he did not pounce rashly. Instead, he quickly adjusted his position with small steps, opened his hands, and caught Lu Ke like an eagle catching a chicken. Surrounded, after finding the rhythm instantly, he swooped forward neatly.
I saw that Lu Ke did not panic, but calmed down. His steps paused for a moment. When Harrison was about to touch him, he lightly touched his feet to the left. His light steps conveyed the elegance and mystery of the dance. The interpretation was flawless, and then he passed Harrison. The next moment, he tiptoed, like an agile cheetah, and took a step forward to the left, completely throwing Harrison away.
The third second!
