Black and Gold X's and O's | Identifying Concepts: The Overload Blitz

This is the sixth of eight summer articles intended to go into greater depth on some of the schematics the Saints will use this upcoming season, in hopes of retaking control of the NFC South.

Today's edition deals with one of the elements that a Gregg Williams' defense is best known for—the overload blitz.

I will first explain some of the important things to note about the way defenses are called and run, in order to make it easier to understand what follows.

First, is that the defense always lines up based on the personnel and formation of the offense.

Second, many defenses play strongside and weakside, meaning the linebackers align to one side or the other based upon where the tight end, or other designated player, is lined up.

Third, the way a blitz is run changes based on personnel, formation, motion, and/or a few other possible factors.

The Overload Blitz

Several defenses run an overload blitz, but there are many different variations to it. Most teams will run multiple variations.

As I explained above, there is a strongside and weakside blitz that teams will run.

In simple terms, a strongside blitz means they are blitzing to the side where the tight end is lined up. A weakside blitz would take place away from the tight end.

Common sense would tell us to always run to the weakside, since there are fewer blockers to that side. However, the strong side can be effective, as you will see, if it is executed correctly.

Most often, defenses will play Cover One (One safety in deep coverage with a safety playing man-to-man on a receiver or back). When teams go to spread formations, though, the defense has to switch to cover Zero, meaning there is no deep safety, and the secondary is all playing man-to-man.

Weakside Overload Blitz

When the offensive team has two backs in the backfield, this is a relatively safe blitz package. It does involve bringing six men, although you could zone one of your down linemen on the strong side.

The main idea is that the weakside end (usually Will Smith or Charles Grant) is going to fake inside off the ball and then try to speed rush around the tackle. The weakside linebacker (Shanle) is going to delay about a quarter of a second to allow the end to get upfield, start to the outside, then dip immediately inside of the end.

Meanwhile the middle linebacker (Vilma) is going to come through the gap intended to be occupied by the weakside end. Without a diagram it can be confusing, but a way to think about it is to imagine three defensive players fitting into a space where there are only two offensive linemen.

The likely outcome is that the offensive guard picks Vilma up, but the tackle cannot pick up two different defensive players, as long as their timing and their routes are crisp.

He must choose one, which generally allows the other to come free.

Strongside Overload Blitz

While there are multiple variations of both these blitzes, these are the most common. When blitzing to the side of the tight end, the strategy is to bring six again, but in a different path than before.

The strongside defensive end (Smith or Grant) is going to immediately speed rush. Without delaying, the Sam Linebacker (Fujita) is going to head straight to where the tight end was lined up.

The strongside defensive tackle (Sedrick Ellis) is going to occupy the guard, while the middle linebacker (Vilma) is going to head for Ellis' butt and veer off toward the center.

In this case, you are essentially going four-on-four. What still allows this to be an effective blitz is the fact that you have Ellis and Fujita hitting the same gap, hoping to cause an inside shift in that gap. If that happens, the defensive end or Vilma should have enough speed to get around their blocker.

And the worst case scenario is that the entire line shifts to the strongside to help out against the speed of Ellis and the end. If this happens, the backside end should be able to take advantage of a one-on-one advantage using his best pass rush move.

Of course, the QB could get rid of the ball quick enough to avoid the rush, or the offense could run the football away from the blitz where there are few defenders.

But if called correctly, and executed well, this is a wonderful blitz to run, with the speed and talent of the Saints front seven.

Until next time, Geaux Saints!