Key matchup in the Super Bowl: Arizona spread offense vs Steelers Defense
We explored this topic last year after the Arizona passing game used 4WR and 5WR sets to cause matchup problems for our Defense. The logic here is this: spread the Steelers defense out, force them to put LBs in coverage, and keep our defense from blitzing as much as we would like. Hopefully you can get a #3 or #4 WR up against a slow MBL or aging DB.
This type of formation was more successful against us last year but this season our D has played well against spread offenses. No longer will a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady 4 or 5 WR formation strike fear in my heart. A few years ago, any team willing to pass quickly on our D was able to find success and was able to keep their QB clean. Next Sunday the Steelers will have to deal with formations like the one’s below and will have to get pressure on Kurt Warner.
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Let’s look at Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals (minus Pro Bowl WR Anquan Boldin) spread the field and pick up some easy yardage.
On this drive, Warner goes 6-for-7 on a 70 yard drive that lasts 3:43
Play 1:
Here we see a 5WR formation with Edge lined up in the slot. Notice the huge cushion that each WR is getting. Arizona has 5 OL. If 6 Steelers rush the passer here (DL and LBs), then a quick slant would pick up big yardage. If ZERO LBS rush, then Warner has all day and night to find somebody eventually work themselves free against the Steelers DBs (who are not all that great man-to-man). No doubt Kurt Warner sees Edge lined up against a LB and WR Urban (who later snags a TD pass) with the same matchup.
The ball is snapped and Farrior and Haggans are bringing pressure. Warner is looking left and finds Fitzgerald open as he clears the LB in front of him. If he had been looking right (top of your screen), then he could have thrown the ball to either inside WR for a nice 8 yard gain. Also important is to note that the Steelers blitz here, but because they HAVE TO cover the 5WRs on the field, they can only bring 5 men to pressure the QB. Arizona has 5 OL in to block, so no worries for Kurt…he hits Fitzgerald for 9 yards on 1st down.
Play 2:
Same exact formation. This time it’s 2nd and 1, and Arizona is still in a 5WR formation. This time, the Steelers bring 4 men and drop everyone else into coverage. At the line of scrimmage, the Cardinals have 5 vs 4, so no real chance for a sack or for pressuring the QB. On the last play, we saw MLB Farrior blitz. This time, he drops back into zone coverage. If you have a veteran QB and decent WRs, then you can pull these plays off with relative ease. Cardinal scrub WR settles into the zone for an easy 6 yard catch.
So that is 15 yards on 2 plays. Arizona made it look like a 7-on-7 drill. They created mismatches, they dictated to the defense, and picked up yardage. Can’t let this happen too much next Sunday. When our defense is spread like this and our DBs are in coverage and our LBs are dropping into zone, the whole BLITZBURGH STEELERS and SMASHMOUTH FOOTBALL stuff goes right out the window.
The 2008/2009 Steelers are not the same team that we are seeing in the clips above. Timmons has the ability to rush the passer and lock up TEs, RBs, and WRs. Our secondary has depth like we’ve never had before, and Harrison/Woodley are both capable of getting after the QB or covering the flats if needed. The 4 and 5WR sets vs the Steeler defense will be the key to this Super Bowl. If we can get pressure, mix up our blitzes and coverages, get an INT or sack/fumble or two….it’s going to be a long day for the Cards offense. If we let Warner sit in the pocket and quick-hit and slant us to death, we’re going to have to put up a lot of points on offense to stay in the game.
Getting playmakers on the feild is going to be key. Having as many guys who can either blitz or drop into coverage on the feild at the same time. Like has been said on a few other message boards, that is going to mean Casey Hampton and Larry Foote are going to be on the Pine to bring in Timmons and or more DBs. Woodley and Harrison are good enough to get real pressure when they only have two other guys rushing with them. So a four man rush should be ok for the majority of plays, the key is can we get the other 9 players on the feild that will provide the best mix of coverage skills, run-stuffing, and pass rushing.
I think we have the personnel, with Timmons, Keisel, Smith and our DBs, the question is how many snaps will LeBeau have Hampton, Foote and even Farrior see?
Superb analysis. Very impressive. Well done.
For a very related analysis of the spread vs. the Stiller base defense, see this article:
http://www.stillers.com/articles/2390.aspx
The big difference between our defense this year and last year is Woodley. If we go 2-4-5 or 2-3-6, Woodley-Smith-Keisel-Harrison is a hell of a 4 man rush. All 4 of those guys are capable of winning 1-on-1 matchups, esp the OLB’s. Haggans was invisible last year. If we use substitions to match their personnel well, they’re not going to find tons of matchup problems. They can still out-execute us (e.g. throw jump balls to Fitz), but if their execution is less than perfect, they’ll have a hard time moving the ball with any consistency.
I’m I wrong in thinking that Hampton should get more snaps that Keisel. IF you can have him eating up 2 blockers, then even with a 4 man rush, everyone else is 1-on-1.
I wouldnt say you are wrong, but i would say that in nickel situations i think aaron smith often commands a double team so i think he should be fine as far as occupying the extra blocker. Also, i wouldnt be surprised to see Harrison or Woodley get double teamed if the steelers are only rushing 4.
if i had the offensive weapons ‘zona does (like arians), and i were smart (unlike arians), i’d come out with 3wr and edge. then i’d just run a hurry-up for most of the day. motion wr’s to get good match-ups and hike the ball early to not let pittsburgh setup their blitzes.
am i crazy but wouldn’t this hurt us badly? i can’t remember right now who ran a hurry up against us (except at the end of games). i believe we’d have trouble with this.
one of the things troy does well is to move around to disguise his assignment. if i were haley/whiz, i’d hike it early in the count and try to tire out troy and the rest of the D quickly. then i’d run them into the ground once they are gassed…
i’m scared.
here we go, steelers! here we go!
Keisel and Smith offer near OLB coverage skills in DL bodies. This means that they don’t have to rush the passer all the time, allowing for a more confusing 4 man rush. The confusion helps with creating pressure. THey can also come off the block and pick up a TE or RB that releases, so in effect they may never rush, but they have to be accounted for, and take up an opposing blocker.
The Steelers have been able to get pressure with 4 rushers all year. They’ll be fine. Everyone looks at the Eagles, but without that insane 9 sack game earlier in the year, the Eagles pass rush is fairly ordinary. So, the Steelers will get to Warner. How Warner handles it is THE key factor in the SB.
I agree with Steelhead. I think the Steelers will be okay with rushing four or five. With Warner you can’t sit and play coverage exclusively because he will kill you. If you blitz, he will kill you. You have to get pressure quickly through the A gaps because he is getting rid of the ball in less than 3 seconds, and you have to upset the rhythm of the routes, and the timing of the passing game.
With Warner you have to get near him and make him move his feet, and put licks on him. The Steelers depth at corner is very good. I think Arizona has the advantage, but I think the Steelers Nickle and Dime packages match up okay against Arizona.
Hopefully, Lebeau will play a lot of Nickle and we will see a lot of Timmons and Townsend. I would rather see Edge get 150 than let there passing game get out the gate.