Joe Barry and Washington Redskins Must Bring the Blitz Against Jay Cutler
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry had better get creative and aggressive this week against the Chicago Bears. Barry's Washington Redskins defense must bring the blitz against quarterback Jay Cutler.
Despite the improvements he's made under offensive coordinator Adam Gase this season, Cutler can still be forced and hurried into reckless decisions when under pressure.
He's completed 54.6 percent of his passes and thrown three of his seven interceptions against the blitz, according to ESPN.com. Forcing Cutler into more mistakes and erratic passes will require a cuter approach to bringing pressure than the one Washington adopted against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13.
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The Burgundy and Gold weren't shy about bringing pressure during their damaging 19-16 defeat on Monday Night Football. But there wasn't anything particularly subtle about the way Barry sent seven and matched up in man coverage.
Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post detailed Barry's all-or-nothing pressure packages from Week 13:
"Against the Cowboys, it caused the Redskins to send five-man rushes and even mix in some coverage packages, called Cover 0, that left defensive backs in one-on-one matchups while they sent every other defender at Cassel. The Redskins had five plays in Cover 0, resulting in three incomplete passes, a batted ball by linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and a pass interference call on cornerback Quinton Dunbar.
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One of the best examples came on 3rd-and-10 late in the fourth quarter. Washington was ready to send seven-man pressure with three eligible blitzers:
Two linebackers crowded the interior of the line with a safety threatening the edge. Meanwhile, the secondary aligned in single coverage on every potential receiver without a safety covering the deep zone:
Middle 'backers Will Compton and Mason Foster were ready to blitz the A-gaps while free safety Dashon Goldson would come off the edge:
It was Foster who broke free and hit QB Matt Cassel as he threw. His disturbed pass sailed behind slot receiver Cole Beasley:
Barry's approach against Dallas was uncharacteristically bold. Yet, the welcome risk-taking didn't yield the big plays it was supposed to create, per Tesfatsion: "Overall, the Redskins pressured Cassel on eight plays in the game but hit him only once."
The lack of production is the clearest indicator Barry and the Redskins need to add more variety and nuance to their blitz schemes. Fortunately, the San Francisco 49ers showed how a more creative approach can rattle Cutler during last week's 26-20 win in the Windy City.
On a 3rd-and-3 play in the first quarter, the 49ers shifted inside linebackers NaVorro Bowman and Michael Wilhoite around to confuse Cutler and his protection. It started with creeping both up to the line of scrimmage:
Now San Fran was showing a six-man pressure:
But Bowman and Wilhoite hadn't stopped moving. The former backed off the line while Wilhoite continued to show blitz:
Despite the adjusted look, it was Bowman who would blitz while Wilhoite bailed underneath to cover crossing routes:
Wilhoite helped the 49ers create a numbers advantage on the dual-receiver side of Chicago's formation:
With safety Eric Reid (3) rotating down, San Francisco had double coverage on both Marc Mariani and Alshon Jeffery. So Cutler was in trouble if he attempted to connect with either.
The 49ers made doubly sure Cutler would look the other way by rushing Bowman:
Now Cutler was not only forced off his spot, he was also hurried into checking down a dumpoff to tight end Martellus Bennett, a pass woefully short of the sticks:
By simply moving players around and showing one thing before doing another, the 49ers baffled Cutler and forced him into making a throw he didn't want to make.
The same principles produced an even bigger play later in the opening quarter.
This time, the 49ers again brought Bowman on the blitz, but also had rush end Ahmad Brooks drop into shallow coverage:
But it was the pre-snap movement that really messed with the Bears' protection schemes.
Bowman initially cheated down into a three-point stance next to edge-rusher Corey Lemonier (excuse the goal post):
You can see rookie center Hroniss Grasu pointing out Bowman's alignment.
His new position caused Cutler to call an audible and adjust protection:
Cutler attempted to throw away from Bowman's pressure:
But that's just what the 49ers wanted. Their coverage anticipated Cutler's adjustment and was ready to pounce.
Safety Jimmie Ward was waiting to jump on Cutler's underneath throw to any one of three receivers. Specifically, he was waiting for the screen to Jeffery or the out to slot receiver Josh Bellamy:
Cutler went for Jeffery, and Ward was waiting. He stole the pass and returned his theft 29 yards for a critical score:
Again, simply by moving players around, the Niners showed Cutler a look designed to force him into a risky pass.
Barry must take his cue from the smart game plan crafted by San Fran defensive coordinator Eric Mangini.
One element of the scheme that is sure to appeal to the Redskins is how the 49ers showed a two-deep safety shell on both of these blitzes. Washington's general hesitancy to blitz this season has been due to wanting to protect cornerbacks with safety help, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post:
Mangini's sophisticated batch of pressures showed a safe form of blitz likely to appeal to a normally cautious play-caller like Barry.
Finding creative ways to bring five can also eventually lead to opportunities for more aggressive pressure calls. The 49ers used their two-deep shell to disguise a big blitz in the fourth quarter.
With Bowman up at the line, San Francisco was showing five-man pressure. But Mangini actually wanted to send two defensive backs out of the team's dime package:
Corner Dontae Johnson came off one slot. Meanwhile, one half of the team's two-deep shell, rookie Jaquiski Tartt, would also blitz.
As well as sending pressure, Mangini also smartly adjusted his coverage at both levels. First, with Bowman bailing, the 49ers created a numbers advantage underneath:
Lone safety Reid also shifted across in the deep areas to help double danger man Jeffery on the outside.
Once the different coverage brackets took shape, Cutler had nowhere to go with the ball:
But he didn't have time to hesitate in the pocket, not when Johnson's rush quickly forced him off his spot:
Still unable to find an open receiver, Cutler ran right into the blitz from Tartt and was sacked for a loss of eight:
This type of cleverly packaged blitz fits with Redskins head coach Jay Gruden's recent hint that safeties will play a bigger role in Washington's pressure packages, per Jones:
But it's not the specific players coming on the rush that matters. What Barry and his staff really need to take note of is how successfully the 49ers used disguise and movement to create different looks and heavy pressure.
They were able to keep Cutler guessing and force him into risky decisions. Those reckless choices have often defined his turnover-prone career.
Cutler has generally been a more efficient quarterback under Gase in 2015. But Mangini has given the Redskins a template for bringing back Bad Jay.
It's a formula that can lead to Washington's first road win of the season.
All screen shots via ESPN, Fox Sports and NFL.com Game Pass.
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