Eleven sacks last year.

[Palatine]

2nd to last in the NCAA. The 64 yards lost was the worst in the NCAA.

This is where everything starts. Pressure the QB and the defensive backs don't have to cover as long. Pressure the QB and he becomes less accurate. Pressure the QB and his decision making is worse and that leads to TOs.

Eleven sacks is less than one a game. Turn up that stat and everything changes. Paging Mr. Pace, Mr Garson, Mr. Watts and Mr. DeVaughn.

 

[huskysupporter]

A great rush can make even the worst secondary look average and a poor pass rush can make the best secondary look poor.

It remains a huge question mark on this team and the hope is Coach Spanos can scheme some pressure because right now it doesn’t look like there is a pure pass rusher in the roster.

And the best way to scheme is to confuse blockers and then use speed to get by them. It’s why I really like getting DJ Morgan. He has speed that this defense lacks.

And it’s not even sacks that I care about it’s pressure. Make the qb hurry a throw, don’t give him time to get into a rythm. Hoping that another pass rusher can be found in the transfer portal.

 

[huskysupporter]

And a very fair criticism of coach Edsall his desire to blitz the least amount possible. Listen, if you have the Rams’ front four, please by all means don’t send anybody. But we don’t. Overload a side, run a delayed blitz, get your fastest player and attach him to the d ends hip and tell him to sprint straight to qb.

 

[gioff2323]

if you don't have the size, strength, speed or veteran know-how up front, it's hard to talk about pressure being brought - other than talk about it. If no DL requires a double team, it's hard to dial up pressure, as you're still outmanned. My sense is that you will see incremental improvement year over year, as the kids up front, grow and learn. They need to create havoc at point of attack and draw double teams; without that, the talk of dialing up pressure is just that.

So, who you really need to be dialing up is not just the DE's, but the DTs - we need our big boys to draw blockers off of the LBs

 

[huskysupporter]

if you don't have the size, strength, speed or veteran know-how up front, it's hard to talk about pressure being brought - other than talk about it. If no DL requires a double team, it's hard to dial up pressure, as you're still outmanned. My sense is that you will see incremental improvement year over year, as the kids up front, grow and learn. They need to create havoc at point of attack and draw double teams; without that, the talk of dialing up pressure is just that.

So, who you really need to be dialing up is not just the DE's, but the DTs - we need our big boys to draw blockers off of the LBs

I completely agree any improvement will be very incremental and I see 90% of the pressure coming from players other than the DL.

 

[Exit 4]

And a very fair criticism of coach Edsall his desire to blitz the least amount possible. Listen, if you have the Rams’ front four, please by all means don’t send anybody. But we don’t. Overload a side, run a delayed blitz, get your fastest player and attach him to the d ends hip and tell him to sprint straight to qb.

I saw us do more blitzing than most realized. We got burned almost every time. Our blitz would either get picked up or was just too slow to be effective. Opposing QBs did very well against us when we blitzed finding the hot route. We mostly blitzed with LBs, we probably should have toyed with S and CB blitzes to surprise. The front four also struggled to make blitzing lanes for LBs..but also our LBs lacked explosion.

 

[huskysupporter]

I saw us do more blitzing than most realized. We got burned almost every time. Our blitz would either get picked up or was just too slow to be effective. Opposing QBs did very well against us when we blitzed finding the hot route. We mostly blitzed with LBs, we probably should have toyed with S and CB blitzes to surprise. The front four also struggled to make blitzing lanes for LBs..but also our LBs lacked explosion.

We blitzed more often than usual, with very vanilla blitzes. Watching Hahn blitz was painful, it looked like he would intentionally run right into the running back.

An effective blitz is one in which the qb cannot run through his progressions or step into his throw. Having a player sprinting up field causing qb to get out of the pocket would be a great step.

Beavers was the only player who showed even a hint of pass rush ability last year and I really struggle to think of any returning player who has that skill. That is not to say we won’t see improvement due to an off-season of weightlifting and film study, we were very young at DL last year.

 

[huskysupporter]

And I miss a guy like Tywon Martin. Not big sack guys at DT but ones who could push the pocket so that the ends could clean up.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Travis Jones- now that he has lost weight and a year into the strength program has the ability to push the pocket from the middle. There is where we can start.

 

[Bonehead]

This is all fantastic until we play Navy.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

if you don't have the size, strength, speed or veteran know-how up front, it's hard to talk about pressure being brought - other than talk about it. If no DL requires a double team, it's hard to dial up pressure, as you're still outmanned. My sense is that you will see incremental improvement year over year, as the kids up front, grow and learn. They need to create havoc at point of attack and draw double teams; without that, the talk of dialing up pressure is just that.

So, who you really need to be dialing up is not just the DE's, but the DTs - we need our big boys to draw blockers off of the LBs

325lb OL were smothering 220 and 214lb
Inside lbs

 

[Palatine]

We telegraphed almost every blitz before the snap. I would love to see us put seven on the line and then back out of the blitz. Then put seven on the line and only blitz one. Change it up. Have a LB fill a gap and back out when the QB changes the play. Be active. Move the defensive line after the QB makes the call. To call our defense and blitzes vanilla is an insult to vanilla.

 

[UConnDan97]

To me, the sacks stat had just as much to do with the quality of your corners as it does with your front seven. If you have two corners that are strong, you can bring additional personnel in the blitz packages. Let's hope our corners get a lot better this year...

 

[BlueDogs]

A great rush can make even the worst secondary look average and a poor pass rush can make the best secondary look poor.

It remains a huge question mark on this team and the hope is Coach Spanos can scheme some pressure because right now it doesn’t look like there is a pure pass rusher in the roster.

And the best way to scheme is to confuse blockers and then use speed to get by them. It’s why I really like getting DJ Morgan. He has speed that this defense lacks.

And it’s not even sacks that I care about it’s pressure. Make the qb hurry a throw, don’t give him time to get into a rythm. Hoping that another pass rusher can be found in the transfer portal.

Agreed. But, it’s hard to scheme presssure when your lbs are undersized and weak, and don’t know how to get off blocks or maintain leverage. You can only speed rush off the corner so many times before they adjust. Unless the linebackers have size and strength they can’t run stop or be effective bringing interior pressure.

 

[Bubba1957]

Agreed. But, it’s hard to scheme presssure when your lbs are undersized and weak, and don’t know how to get off blocks or maintain leverage. You can only speed rush off the corner so many times before they adjust. Unless the linebackers have size and strength they can’t run stop or be effective bringing interior pressure.

That's it in a nutshell. You need good players to put pressure on the QB and it does make all the difference in the world. Guys who are capable of playing at this level. I've optimistic that this group will be much better and even though I would occasionally defend Crocker on this board (wishful thinking), I think coaching will also be better. Hard to be a fan without optimism.

 

[huskysupporter]

Travis Jones- now that he has lost weight and a year into the strength program has the ability to push the pocket from the middle. There is where we can start.

I think if the staff really stays focused on making sure Jones doesn’t play 90% of the snaps, he is an all conference caliber player next year.

He was a true frosh, and he held up very well. The fact he has reshaped his body and put work in tells me he has the right attitude to be a star. I am really looking forward to watching him next year.

He was always working, never took plays off, and showed glimpses of someone who could push the pocket. Not a true pass rusher but a guy like Hloti Ngata was at Oregon. A run stuffer first but a guy who could push the pocket.

 

[huskysupporter]

And I will say I am very bullish on the D Line assuming they can all be healthy. Have potential to really be able to hold the point verse the run and we need that to keep blockers off linebackers.

 

[uconnyankee]

I saw us do more blitzing than most realized. We got burned almost every time. Our blitz would either get picked up or was just too slow to be effective. Opposing QBs did very well against us when we blitzed finding the hot route. We mostly blitzed with LBs, we probably should have toyed with S and CB blitzes to surprise. The front four also struggled to make blitzing lanes for LBs..but also our LBs lacked explosion.

next year the coaching staff is going to get the rushers go in on 2 mississippi as opposed to 4. And, they aren't going to yell 'BLITZ!' when they actually do. Expect this to be a big improvement.

 

[Huskygrad88]

11 sacks in 12 games...that's like 4 a game - right??

 

[Waquoit]

And I will say I am very bullish on the D Line assuming they can all be healthy. Have potential to really be able to hold the point verse the run and we need that to keep blockers off linebackers.

This is an answer to a question I was about to ask: Does anyone (else) think we will be able to improve on the sack total this year?

 

[uconnfan68]

if you don't have the size, strength, speed or veteran know-how up front, it's hard to talk about pressure being brought - other than talk about it. If no DL requires a double team, it's hard to dial up pressure, as you're still outmanned. My sense is that you will see incremental improvement year over year, as the kids up front, grow and learn. They need to create havoc at point of attack and draw double teams; without that, the talk of dialing up pressure is just that.

So, who you really need to be dialing up is not just the DE's, but the DTs - we need our big boys to draw blockers off of the LBs

Jones had 2 on him most plays.

 

[AndOne]

And three of those sacks were from the RI game.