2 problems on defense: blitzing and 3rd down

[landrun]

I've noticed two things that drive me nuts in every game we've played over the last several years.

1st) Out blitzing sucks. We can't get to a qb to save our life.
I don't know why this is. But it is certainly true. On the other hand, our oline couldn't find/pick-up/anticipate/stop a bilitz to save their life last night.

Simple question. Why can't we blitz like that!???

2nd) We give up more third and long conversions than any team I've ever seen. I'm inclined to say we send 3 drop 8 on every third and 6 or more. Our blitzes won't reach the qb anyway so might as well give him fewer places to throw it. Its like our d plays great on first and second and then chokes on third down.

I notice our corners play off of their wide outs a whole lot more than we used to. And it ain't workin'.

[Curly Bill]

Our corners have almost always played well off their receivers, even in short yardage, and this has long been a gripe to many of us on here.

...and we are among the worst blitzing teams in the nation, something else that has been said by many of us multiple times on here.

[landrun]

I went back and watched the 2000 national championship game a while back. We were in their faces back then. Its like we're afraid to try to jam a receiver now or something. Either that, or we think we're so talented that we don't NEED to jam a receiver.

[Curly Bill]

I went back and watched the 2000 national championship game a while back. We were in their faces back then. Its like we're afraid to try to jam a receiver now or something. Either that, or we think we're so talented that we don't NEED to jam a receiver.

Things changed when Mike left for Zona.

[wishbonesooner]

Things changed when Mike left for Zona.

It hurts to admit that, but every poster on this board deep down knows it's true.

[tulsaoilerfan]

You know you can blitz and be effective without getting to the QB; it's about disrupting his rhythm and the timing of the routes, and also occasionally making him check down to a 2-3 yard pass instead of giving him all day to complete a pass on 3rd and long.

Also, do we EVER blitz a DB? It's always the linebackers so maybe the other teams are prepared for that.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

I noticed on several occassions when we blitzed, the disguising was terrible. I could tell who was blitzing up in the nose bleeds. The D was showing what they were running before the ball was snapped and all the offense had to do was pick it up, it was very predictable.

[Blitzkrieg]

Brandon Shelby was the last blitzer that could disguise his blitz worth a crap. I'd tell the players that if they tip their blitzes so poorly, don't do them and turn them into a bluff. WE also never bluff blitzes pre snap, something that is very effective.

I'm ready to see this defense, I thought they played well but were on the field for too long,. The pass defense looks athletic enough to be very good with some work. D line did it's job. Backers' looked pretty good, corners did well enough. 14 points given up should equal 11 wins.

[BigDeezy]

The inexplicable thing is that we keep doing it even when it doesn't work -- when the offense proves it can predict the blitz and burn us for it. It doesn't increase pressure on the QB, the QB can predict its coming and where the weakness will be because of it, and then the QB consistently burns us on it. Yet we continue running it time after time. To my thinking, if the QB proves its predictable and can burn us on it each time then we should do something different.

[soonervegas]

Good point, but you forgot #3 and #4, no sack and no heart.

This is the 3rd game since last year where we have needed a crucial stop in the 4th quarter and have failed to do so. The three teams we played (texas, florida, and byu) were able to provide it.

Remember back in 2001-2003 when Texas looked really good on paper, but faltered in the big game? Well fellas, they are us.

[Okie35]

The defense didn't even play terrible but I never really liked the blitz packages either. Main reason is because ppl can easily call hot routes because they are not blinded. They know they are coming.