In Depth Look at the Barwin Safety Play.

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by Exascor

Well if you find the time and can understand it, here's a link to Phillips 2003 playbook. I admit most of it goes way over my head. I really haven't spent much time reading it though.

http://www.footballxos.com/free-foot.../pro-defenses/

There's also Buddy Ryan's (and his sons) defensive playbook out there on the 46 look.

There are similar 34 playbooks out there from different coaches if you really want to learn it.

I swear when I first started, my mind was exploding, but I kept at it, a little here and there, a little here and there.

I'm still learning a lot.

[Titans Sux 72]

Originally Posted by 76Texan

Thanks, Dutch.

Notice also that Watt took on the double-team so that Mercilus can stunt inside.
This angle didn't show it, but the Center did try to hold off Mercilus, but he was too quick.
If Barwin didn't get to Flacco, Mercilus would have.
And that would be just before Manning pushed Rice into the QB.

We scheduled a meeting there in their end zone.

Thats the first thing I noticed also. How quick Merci is that is. Its very refreshing having Merci in the wings.

[Corrosion]

Originally Posted by Titans Sux 72

Thats the first thing I noticed also. How quick Merci is that is. Its very refreshing having Merci in the wings.

That gives them the option to move Reed inside .... getting all their best guy's on the field at the same time.

[GP]

Originally Posted by 76Texan

When a DC draw up a blitz, each of the guys has his assignment.
No matter how uninspiring the role is, they are all blitzers.

It really depends on how the protection call is.

In this case, the LT took on James and left Barwin free.

You're dreaming if you think that even if the LT had taken on Barwin, James would simply stand there feeling the cool air and then nonchalantly waltz into the middle (where Mercilus and Smith already controlled) to contain an imaginary offensive player that will never come.

Now you can call James a "secondary" blitzer and I would not have any problem with that.

When we called this blitz, we didn't know for sure what the Ravens were going to do.
It makes the most sense in this situation to have the WILB (James) in a blitz and peel situation.

If they send Rice to their left flat, James would follow him (then Manning would be completely free while the LT came back and try to block Barwin.)

If they hand the ball to Rice, James would make the read and try to stop the run.
In this case, it's a run blitz.
James contains the weakside B gap first, and then works to flow to the runner.

If Rice continues on his path to the right flat, leaving Manning completely free, James would also follow him.
Still, James engaged the LT to give Barin time to zero in.

Anyway you look at it, James was a BIG part of the blitz package.
He has to play a good role there to spring a guy free.

I'm betting that as smart as you are, Bradie James is even that much smarter than you. And so therefore, as I have been trying to say, James saw the scenario before the snap. He sees Rice on his side, but knows Manning is coming from the opposite side which means Rice has to choose between Barwin or Manning.

So you see, 76, Bradie knows full well that he isn't going to have to do much more than stunt to the middle after having engaged (peeled, for those who are well-versed in defensive guru speak) the LT which gave Barwin the green light.

Bradie James knew the Ravens were screwed before the snap of the football. All he had to do is take care of the LT. There's not a doubt in my creative, perception-is-reality imagination that Bradie James sole purposes on that play was to bait the LT and then stunt to the middle for mop-up duty if Flacco got away somehow.

You're Bradie James and you know what your role is: Get the call from Wade, relay it to the guys, get them set up nicely, shift them if necessary based on what your see at the LOS pre-snap, and then fill in as needed. To me, that's not Bradie James "blitzing," that's Bradie James doing an unsung job that got any of those 5 blitzers a chance to be the hero.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by GP

So in the BLITZKRIEG of WWII, a Nazi film/photography plane is a blitzer because he's alongside the bombers who are doing the real blitzing?

Blitzkrieg - all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken, proceeding without regard to its flank. Through constant motion, the blitzkrieg attempts to keep its enemy off-balance, making it difficult to respond effectively at any given point before the front has already moved on.

Based upon this definition - note the blue .

Now look at the definition of blitz for football:

Linebackers are either blitzing or in pass coverage. Blitzing LBs can employ various stunts to confuse the offense's blockers and break down their protection scheme. Coverage LBs in a Cover 1 scheme will usually have man responsibility on a halfback, fullback, or tight end.

Some defensive schemes employ "key" blitzes where a player will blitz only if his assigned man stays in to block, thus keying his action off the action of his man.

James was also a blitzer based upon the classic definition of a blitz package. He was not in coverage, but was assigned a duty and would have been rushing the QB if the LT picked up Barwin. Decisions are made at the split-second point of reacting to who the offensive line is going to block.

[GP]

I know he and Merci were both stunting. I appreciate the conversation, DB.

Watch that animated GIF over and over, each time you watch it please watch Manning the first time. Then the second time, watch the next player. The next player after that. End up with James as the last guy you watch out of those 6.

And tell me if you think he was really, honest-to-goodness "blitzing" right there. Merci was. Watt was. Manning was. Barwin was. Etc., etc. But when I watch and re-watch that GIF clip, I don't see James as blitzer...hence my assertion that just because he's moving upfield doesn't lock him into being the quintessential definition of a "blitzer." Merci is blasting off 100% on his stunt, I see way too much hesitation on James' behalf and I therefore say he's setting up the LT for Barwin's benefit. In fact, it could be argued that James is moving into the LT just in case the LT decided to take on Barwin at the snap. LT takes James, so James patty-cakes then stunts around to contain the middle--James is chopping his feet at the snap, that's not a blitz move to me...that's an "I'm punking the LT" move right there.

Again, it really seems like James didn't have as much duty as a blitzer as being said by many here.

Anyways, that's my look at it.

[SteveSlaton20]

another reason why barwin got the sack is because joe flacco was looking to his left the entire time and JJ Watt jumped up to block the ball, so any chance of getting a first down for flacco was all gone there...

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by GP

I know he and Merci were both stunting. I appreciate the conversation, DB.

Watch that animated GIF over and over, each time you watch it please watch Manning the first time. Then the second time, watch the next player. The next player after that. End up with James as the last guy you watch out of those 6.

And tell me if you think he was really, honest-to-goodness "blitzing" right there. Merci was. Watt was. Manning was. Barwin was. Etc., etc. But when I watch and re-watch that GIF clip, I don't see James as blitzer...hence my assertion that just because he's moving upfield doesn't lock him into being the quintessential definition of a "blitzer." Merci is blasting off 100% on his stunt, I see way too much hesitation on James' behalf and I therefore say he's setting up the LT for Barwin's benefit. In fact, it could be argued that James is moving into the LT just in case the LT decided to take on Barwin at the snap. LT takes James, so James patty-cakes then stunts around to contain the middle--James is chopping his feet at the snap, that's not a blitz move to me...that's an "I'm punking the LT" move right there.

Again, it really seems like James didn't have as much duty as a blitzer as being said by many here.

Anyways, that's my look at it.

I really don't know what to say.
Just take your own definition and run with it I guess.

Color your world!

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by GP

And tell me if you think he was really, honest-to-goodness "blitzing" right there.

I know you're not talking to me and we've been down this path before with the whole "knock the ball down" thing but James fulfills my definition of a blitzer in that case. There are lots of different types of blitzes and James may have had more responsibilities than just getting to the QB, but he was coming forward and occupying a lineman and not dropping into coverage. To me, that's a blitzer.

His duty was to help free someone else up and probably to spy on Rice a little bit. And if the linemen shifted their protections, then his job might have been to come full blast and get after the QB.

[PandapuffTexan]

maybe im just too simple but who cares about the atonomy of the play..just to dang fun to watch flacco on his ass..