Question(s) here for anyone who has the All 22 package or just more insight than I have (which should be just about anyone):
Keenum's getting blitzed like crazy and getting knocked around quite a bit. He's done some good things and some bad things under duress. If the Texans ever managed to get home on their blitzes like other teams do against the Texans, how do you think that QB would hold up? And why is it that other teams blitz successfully, but the Texans look like they're sending 6 guys to run into a wall? The Texans blitzed just as much as the Cards did yesterday, but it almost never reached Palmer.
I want to use your post as a springboard first, then I'll give my opinion on us blitzing/ vs. the blitz.
First, every qb makes mistakes. My biggest issue with Schaub was that he mad far too many mistakes that he didn't have the ability to make up for. He wasn't nearly good enough to be throwing pick 6's every week.
So far keenum hasn't made those type of mistakes (but he has come close/made other kinds of errors) but he's making some plays. For his first three games he's been impressive, but I know folks are going to pile on every little mistake he makes which is just asinine for several reasons.
As far as blitz pick up goes, being short is going to hurt case. It's tough, but that's life. Short qb's sometimes have their los blocked by big guys being pushed around in front of them. So they want to escape the pocket so they can see. Brees is really good at finding lanes to see through and stepping up into them though. But even he needs to make quick throws against up the gut pressure. But that takes chemistry and time to develop. If you're going to throw to a guy draped in coverage both of the wr and qb need to be on the same page.
Ball placement is extremely important. Timing. The WR actually knowing the ball is coming and where it'll likely be placed. The qb needs to develop this kind of trust with some his blitz beating targets. A slot receiver, a TE. His number one WR. All of the wr's. You see manning and brees and Brady and Rogers make those dazzling throws where there guy is covered well...that's the level of chemistry we need our qb to develop...the confidence and ability to actually make those types of throws on a somewhat regular basis.
Regarding us blitzing other teams...from an offensive perspective a whole lot less worried about your blitz if your main pass rushers don't scare me. If I have to pass off brooks reed to pick up Daryl sharpton, I'm not worried about that at all. Now if I have to pass off jj watt to pick up Brian Cushing...now you have my attention.
The problem is we only have one watt and right now, no Cushing. No other player is even close to those two. Antonio is ok, but that's it. We have watt, an ok player. Maybe some other ok guys but for the most part we don't have many plus pass rushers.
Long story short simply sending a blitz is not enough. You actually need the players to make the blitz work. You have to have players that put stress on blockers.