Broncos Pass Rush

The Broncos have generated pass rush in several ways in 2020. I recently went on the Cover 2 Bronco Podcast with Jeff Essary and Joe Rowles. Check it out the episode here - Cover 2 Bronco. I thought I'd share some film and thoughts of what I've been watching the Denver defense do to get to the QB.  One major factor is Denver's ability to capitalize on hybrid skill set athletes on defense.

Denver has several athletic interior DL who can isolate and attack Guards and Centers in the pass rush. Here the DT hits the Guard with a jab to a quick arm over to win with speed. 

Athleticism inside also allows for the DL to use pass rush games.

Here Denver used an interior pass rush twist to punish over sets with the zero technique Nose the DT on the twist is able to create quick interior pressure.

Having players with hybrid skills and athleticism allows for creativity when building a four man pass rush. 

Denver has joker package here playing 55 Chubb as the joker. A joker concept allows a specific defender to move around making that player a threat to insert into the pass rush in any area. A joker is a wildcard. This example allows the joker to attack a Guard and is paired with a pass rush twist opposite. If the pass protection doesn't honor the joker, the guard is on an island with a great pass rusher.If the pass pro slides to the joker the twist attacks the T/G forcing a difficult exchange. Again having athleticism from interior DL helps make this stunt work.

Denver can also get the ILB's in on the pass rush. Here the Broncos built a 4 man pass rush with 2 OLBs, 1 DT, and 1 ILB. The double pass rush twist helps manufacture opportunities of the OLBs, capitalize on the pass rush abilities of an ILB, and requires a DT who can covert to an edge rusher. 

Capitalizing on hybrid athleticism also means simulated pressure. The ILB inserts in the pass rush while the an Edge drops into coverage. The offense is forced to block 4 rushers with 6 blockers. This also keeps the RB from getting into a route. This pressure again requires athletic interior DL to balance the pass rush and work to contain. 

Denver has several ways to bring 4 while still using 7 players in coverage. Denver also has the ability to rush 5. 

Having 5 immediate rush threats at the LOS creates 5 games of  1 on 1 for the pass rushers. Here that allows an edge rusher with a 2 way go on an isolated OT. Not all pressures are sacks, this is a good example of getting the QB off his spot quickly which alters the timing and throw.

Another example of creating 5 games of  1 on 1 with 5 rushers. The interior rushers are working a twist to create inside pressure. 

Denver also stems around pre snap to create confusion about which 5 are coming and from where. 

Here is another example of combining 5 man pressure with DL twist. The most impressive part is in the coverage. The Safety covering the RB is able to play from depth and vision & break to provide help on the crosser while still leveraging the RB.

Denver here presents 6 man pressure with an interior twist game. The B gap rush LB comes out of the rush to eat the RB when the RB attempts to release into a route.

Denver again presents 6 man pressure with a 2 on 1 overload on the RB. The pass rush again eats the RB preventing any type of release. The ILB in the hole is able to vision and break providing coverage help to the Corner in isolation on the X receiver. 

Overall Denver has found some interesting pressure and pressure coverage concepts to get to the QB this season. 

Sim Pressure using Sting Coverage

The Broncos are in Nickel personnel with OLB bodies at the DE positions. The snap is on 1st & 10 a 2min situation with Denver leading by 11 points.

The Rush: 

Both DT's are looping strong to balance the pass rush. The Rush OLB is wide with the ILB pressuring the B gap

The Coverage: 

4 under 3 deep Sting cover 3 coverage

 

The coverage concept of Sting has been featured on the site several times. Sting allows the defense to use 3 under 3 deep firezone teaching progression and techniques when playing 4 under 3 deep coverage. Continuity of Sim/Creeper coverage with Zone Dog coverages is a huge positive for defenses. 

The usage of Sting coverage allows the Nickel to carry #2 in the seam like fire zone. By contrast in a standard cover 3 distribution the Nickel would play the C-F and the OLB would drop to the strong hook. The OLB on the LOS isn't forced to get depth into the hook to cover the slot on the basic because the Nickel is carrying and the ILB is dropping with depth to #3. The free OLB can easily match the #3 on the check release to the flat. Denver is able to deny the basic to the slot with the Seam and 3RH droppers taking pressure off the OLB dropping from the LOS as well as efficiently deny a multilevel route from the offense. 

The pressure is a simple concept that isolates the RB in pass pro with the pressuring ILB. The Guard travels with the inside movement 3tech DT leaving the RB on the pressure LB in the B gap 1on1. 

This is another example of why teams use sim/creeper pressure. The defense can play a 7 man drop coverage while generating a pass rush. Very few traditional 4 man pass rushes can isolate a RB with a full speed rusher while wasting 4 OL on 2 DT's. The resource allocation is a major victory for the defense: 6 blockers vs. 4 rushers while still creating quick efficient pressure backstopped with 7 man drop coverage.

Good stuff from Denver Defensive Coordinator Ed Donatell and Vic Fangio. 

1 Rat Pressure vs. Empty

The Broncos are in a sub Nickel package 4-2-5 spacing with OLB bodies at DE.

The Rush:

DL slanting weak with the pressure side Rush LB working up & under pass rush. The Nickel is pressuring off the strong side edge.

The Coverage:

Cover 1 Rat with the weak side Rush LB dropping to be the rat in the hole

The pre-snap picture shows both ILB's walked out and a 2 high safety shell. With the RB aligned outside the picture looks like it will not be man to man coverage. A LB didn't go out wide as the man player on the RB which implies split field safety coverage. 

The OL is in a half slide to the weak side. With only the 5 OL in the protection the OL must decide who/what looks are the most dangerous. The 5 OL have to set to the biggest threat. The pre-snap picture of 2 high safety coverage with ILBs removed from the box, the likely pass rush is a 4 man rush with possible pass rush twists from the 4 threats on the LOS. If the slide went to the field the weak side OG and OT would be man to man on the 3tech DT and Rush backer. By sliding weak instead the OL can more easily handle weak side DL pass rush twists. If the DL is going to run a DL twist game against a weak side slide the best place to attack is on a twist game to the man side. This means the DL would need to use the strong A gap DT in the twist game. The protection is doing a threat assessment and the 330LB Nose is a lower threat in the twist game vs. the weak side threats. This protection gave the OL a good look vs. a 4 down pass rush with possible DL pass rush twists which is the most likely post-snap threats.

The Nickel as the 4th rusher is unexpected from the pre-snap presentation. The OL is not accounting for the Nickel in this protection. An extra rusher from the man side of the protection is the responsibility of the QB to get the ball out quick/hot off the unblocked rusher. Why doesn't the QB see the pressure?

The pre-snap look shows the defense has 4 over 3 strong side and 3 over 2 weak side. Two elements bring the QB's eyes weak. One is the pre-snap look of a  match-up of an ILB vs. a TE. The other is post-snap safety rotation. When the Safety rotates to the post it brings the QB's eyes weak. The rotation made the 3 over 2 weak into a 2 vs. 2 weak. The TE/LB match-up and coverage rotation makes that the side to throw against. The protection needs the QB to account for the extra rusher strong. The coverage look makes the QB want to throw routes opposite the hot throw pressure threat. 

The Nickel ends up on the unblocked run because the QB had him in the protection and didn't see him because the coverage drew his eyes opposite the pressure.

Nice empty formation pressure design from Ed Donatell and Vic Fangio.