Chargers Must Pressure Peyton
Colts vs. Chargers
As I went back to look at the tape from the first matchup, it was very interesting what the Chargers were doing. One thing that has been very consistent for teams that play a 3-4 is they game plan a lot of movement with their LB and secondary. The reason a 3-4 gives you more flexibility is that you have one more LB on the field, and he is also another person that stands up, so what teams like the Chargers, Steelers and Patriots do to Peyton Manning is the LBs and DBs are always moving, they start on the right side, move to the left or lineup 5 yards off then move up to the line of scrimmage. And they have to do this while Peyton is making his calls and they must time it right so that they are ready to get to the place they must be. Here is what it does to this offense, it can and has created indecision in pass protection – the offensive line will see one thing, the backs will see another and the result is Peyton gets hit, hurried or sacked. Because this has been a common theme, Peyton tends to play a little faster in these games and he was doing that in the first matchup. In fact, he missed Reggie Wayne on a stutter go that was wide open because he left a little early because he had been pressured early in the game and he felt like it was coming again or he didn’t trust his pass protection and therefore took his eyes off Wayne. Now, later on Peyton settled down and the Colts made some route adjustments like pick routes because the Chargers were playing a lot of man when they pressured Manning.
Here is the bottom line, I feel the Chargers have to do the same to Peyton if not more, it’s the only shot you have of beating him because he is too accurate throwing the ball when defenses play base coverages and he gets a good pre snap read. As you watch this game, watch how much movement there will be from the Chargers defense when the Colts have the ball.
Chargers O vs. Colts D
Remember Bob Sanders did not play in this game, and the reason I mention that is because I believe he is worth 4 big plays a game. With that said, it was interesting how the Chargers attacked the Colts, anytime they could get the Colts into their cover 2 buck scheme they run so well, they would run seam routes for big plays, also last year they would run screens to it using Darren Sproles who also made big plays. One of the key reasons the seam route would work is they would get a WR running down the middle on the LB and that is a speed mismatch, and the screen worked so well because they made it look like seams again, so everyone was trying to get deep and then they would dump it off to Sproles, and he is so quick and fast that no one could get a hand on him. The Colts D attacked early in the last matchup with blitzes and man-to-man. Rivers hit a big play down the sideline and it kind of took the Colts aggressiveness away. I think in this next matchup the Colts have to stay with the pressure longer, because the pressure was also very effective against the run, in fact the Chargers had to go to more draws and delay like runs to get LT going.
Ravens vs. Dolphins
The Ravens D is one of the most unpredictable in football. The reason is their defensive coordinator has no tendencies other than to be unpredictable, if that can be a tendency? Anyway, I’m watching the tape, and in the middle of the second quarter on a 1st and 10, the Ravens have 5 LB 3 D lineman and 3 DB on the field, why? Well the Dolphins go to their wild cat formation and run a sweep for about 4 yards. The next play, the Ravens have 5 LB 3 DL 3 DB again and the Dolphins run the wild cat again, but this time the Ravens take the extra LB and blitz him right in the A gap, that’s right between the center and guard, just as Ricky Williams goes in motion. The penetration blows the play up for about a one-yard gain. Next play, Dolphins have 2 backs, 2 TE and 1 WR on third and 3 and the Ravens put 7 DB 3 LB 1 DL on the field and blitz it with what ends up being really just three guys coming, and Terrell Suggs intercepts Pennington and returns it for a TD. The point is this, you never know what Rex Ryan will put on the field and you have no idea what he will do with them. In this one, if the Dolphins can have a plan of attack for personnel groups like this and when they have all those DBs on the field, regardless of the down or distance, if they could check to a run, or when all those linebackers are on the field check to a pass. This game will be very interesting especially when the Dolphins offense is on the field.
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