Bronco_Beerslug
10-31-2005, 05:42 AM
Constant blitzing puts McNabb on his heels, Philadelphia on run
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
October 31, 2005
Eighteen eyes, all staring at Donovan McNabb. All planted close enough to the line of scrimmage that what the quarterback had for breakfast could be discerned on his breath.
Surely, the Denver Broncos defense would back a few players out in coverage. Protect themselves against the deep pass.
No. This was an introduction of what was to come on the very first Philadelphia Eagles snap Sunday.
And it would occur again the next two snaps, too.
Zero coverage, with no safety help deep and the cornerbacks man to man on receivers. A nine-man rush forcing McNabb to get rid of the ball. Beat us if you can, and the quarterback couldn't.
It was the first of four consecutive three-and-outs by the Eagles and just the beginning of the various blitzes the Broncos would send during their 49-21 victory.
"I loved it," safety John Lynch said of the aggressive stance taken by defensive coordinator Larry Coyer and Co. from the start. "And I thought it was a great call because after what happened last week (in a last-second loss against the New York Giants), sometimes your confidence can be a little shaky and there's no better way to snap you out of that than saying, 'Boys, we're coming after them.' "
The Broncos, in Coyer's estimation, would blitz about 60 percent of the time in the first half, as Denver built a 28-7 lead before backing off some in the second half, with Philadelphia getting into maximum-protection schemes and McNabb adjusting to the pressure by throwing off a backpedal and moving the pocket on rollouts. But in large part, the damage had been done.
The Eagles had to work hard just to get back into the game, and the Broncos had enough left to pull away late, sparked by cornerback Domonique Foxworth's end-zone interception early in the fourth quarter.
And it all started with that all-out rush on Philadelphia's first snap.
"You don't do that to every quarterback you play," Broncos defensive end Trevor Pryce said. "You do that to certain guys like him. And I doubt you'll see us do that again."
Coyer said getting after McNabb was a necessity because "he's too elusive and too accurate."
Those traits began to emerge on the final drive of the first half.
Up to that point, McNabb had been harassed into a 1-of-14 performance, with only 4 yards and one interception.
But from that point until the end of the third quarter, McNabb completed seven of 10 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns to pull the Eagles to 28-21.
The momentum began to swing when McNabb hit receiver Terrell Owens on a 3-yard hitch that turned into a 91-yard touchdown after Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey missed the tackle, then came up limping on his balky left hamstring and had no safety help behind him.
"He just made a play," Bailey said. "I'll make that tackle 99 times out of 100."
Owens caught a 46-yarder on Bailey two series later to set up Brian Westbrook's 14-yard touchdown catch, again in single coverage.
Then the ailing Bailey was pulled from the lineup.
"I wouldn't say I reinjured it," he said of the hamstring that has been an issue to varying degrees since Week 3. "It's just sore. . . . It bothered me throughout the day, but I fought through it."
Bailey's exit changed the Broncos' approach, and the big plays changed their approach to blitzing thereafter.
"After awhile, they figured if they want to keep Donovan McNabb alive, we have to find a way to block everybody and just heave the ball up in the air, which is what they did," Pryce said.
Foxworth, Bailey's replacement, still found himself one on one with Reggie Brown during the fourth- quarter interception that turned the tide again for the Broncos defense, when the safety was pulled away from the middle of the field.
His interception got the spark back that had fueled the Broncos defenders in the first half.
"It's the old adage, 'You live by it and die by it,' " Lynch said of the Broncos' aggressive early stance. "And the thing is, living by it in this game allowed us to get a 28-point lead and ruin their rhythm."
http://tinyurl.com/e4ojk
By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News
October 31, 2005
Eighteen eyes, all staring at Donovan McNabb. All planted close enough to the line of scrimmage that what the quarterback had for breakfast could be discerned on his breath.
Surely, the Denver Broncos defense would back a few players out in coverage. Protect themselves against the deep pass.
No. This was an introduction of what was to come on the very first Philadelphia Eagles snap Sunday.
And it would occur again the next two snaps, too.
Zero coverage, with no safety help deep and the cornerbacks man to man on receivers. A nine-man rush forcing McNabb to get rid of the ball. Beat us if you can, and the quarterback couldn't.
It was the first of four consecutive three-and-outs by the Eagles and just the beginning of the various blitzes the Broncos would send during their 49-21 victory.
"I loved it," safety John Lynch said of the aggressive stance taken by defensive coordinator Larry Coyer and Co. from the start. "And I thought it was a great call because after what happened last week (in a last-second loss against the New York Giants), sometimes your confidence can be a little shaky and there's no better way to snap you out of that than saying, 'Boys, we're coming after them.' "
The Broncos, in Coyer's estimation, would blitz about 60 percent of the time in the first half, as Denver built a 28-7 lead before backing off some in the second half, with Philadelphia getting into maximum-protection schemes and McNabb adjusting to the pressure by throwing off a backpedal and moving the pocket on rollouts. But in large part, the damage had been done.
The Eagles had to work hard just to get back into the game, and the Broncos had enough left to pull away late, sparked by cornerback Domonique Foxworth's end-zone interception early in the fourth quarter.
And it all started with that all-out rush on Philadelphia's first snap.
"You don't do that to every quarterback you play," Broncos defensive end Trevor Pryce said. "You do that to certain guys like him. And I doubt you'll see us do that again."
Coyer said getting after McNabb was a necessity because "he's too elusive and too accurate."
Those traits began to emerge on the final drive of the first half.
Up to that point, McNabb had been harassed into a 1-of-14 performance, with only 4 yards and one interception.
But from that point until the end of the third quarter, McNabb completed seven of 10 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns to pull the Eagles to 28-21.
The momentum began to swing when McNabb hit receiver Terrell Owens on a 3-yard hitch that turned into a 91-yard touchdown after Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey missed the tackle, then came up limping on his balky left hamstring and had no safety help behind him.
"He just made a play," Bailey said. "I'll make that tackle 99 times out of 100."
Owens caught a 46-yarder on Bailey two series later to set up Brian Westbrook's 14-yard touchdown catch, again in single coverage.
Then the ailing Bailey was pulled from the lineup.
"I wouldn't say I reinjured it," he said of the hamstring that has been an issue to varying degrees since Week 3. "It's just sore. . . . It bothered me throughout the day, but I fought through it."
Bailey's exit changed the Broncos' approach, and the big plays changed their approach to blitzing thereafter.
"After awhile, they figured if they want to keep Donovan McNabb alive, we have to find a way to block everybody and just heave the ball up in the air, which is what they did," Pryce said.
Foxworth, Bailey's replacement, still found himself one on one with Reggie Brown during the fourth- quarter interception that turned the tide again for the Broncos defense, when the safety was pulled away from the middle of the field.
His interception got the spark back that had fueled the Broncos defenders in the first half.
"It's the old adage, 'You live by it and die by it,' " Lynch said of the Broncos' aggressive early stance. "And the thing is, living by it in this game allowed us to get a 28-point lead and ruin their rhythm."
http://tinyurl.com/e4ojk