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TO BLITZ OR NOT TO BLITZ

Considering the problems the Bengals experienced this year gaining pressure with only four
rushing, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther may need to utilize blitz packages in order to
keep Andrew Luck scrambling. Judging by recent history this year that may not be the best
of ideas. Well, at least not if the Bengals have interest in pulling down an interception or
notching a sack. Luck has posted his best numbers when blitzed. Heres a comparison be-
tween blitzing and not blitzing against Luck this year (all numbers via Pro Football Focus):
Blitzing and not getting home on Luck typically ends in disaster because this isnt about a
quarterback who plays better under pressure. Quite the opposite, actually. If any type of
rush can send Luck running his numbers take a dramatic hit, as you would expect.
Any quarterback in football will play better with no pressure on him, but when combining
Lucks expertise against the blitz with hitting nearly 70 percent of his passes with 14 touch-
downs when sitting unmolested in the pocket, all the pressure falls on the Bengals defen-
sive line to make life difficult. Finding a consistent pass rush would mean a change from the
norm. Beyond the fact the Bengals only notched a single sack the last two weeks, the consis-
tency of disruptions in the passing game has been lacking all season without blitzes. Pro
Football Focus uses the pass rush productivity stat that takes the number of sacks, hits and
hurries with slightly more formulaic emphasis on sacks and divides by the total number
of pass rush attempts to see who most often makes noise when rushing the passer. A total
of 33 4-3 defensive ends and 27 defensive tackles have taken at least 50 percent of their
teams snaps this season. Here is where the Bengals rank:
In 119 pass-rush attempts, Peko has yet to force a single sack, hit or hurry on the quarter-
back. Atkins took his biggest step in his return from ACL surgery last week against Carolina.
Even though he has yet to manage his first sack of 2014, in his first four games he totaled
just eight hits/hurries. Last Sunday, he racked up five. To expect more in the pass rush from
Peko or Geathers might be asking a lot at this point. Fairly clearly, the key lives with Atkins.
If he can replicate his performance against Carolina, he could provide the pass rush the
Bengals are looking for.
advanced
analytics
65
%
No Blitz
70
%
Blitz
206 dropbacks
11 TDs, 6 INTs, 92.1 RAT
79 dropbacks
6 TDs, 1 INT, 117.9 RAT
70
%
No
Pressure
56
%
Pressure
206 dropbacks
14 TDs, 5 INTs, 104.6 RAT
79 dropbacks
3 TDs, 2 INTs, 84.2 RAT
10.1 6.5 6.0 5.9 0.0
WG CD GA RG DP
No. 8 DE, Wallace Gilberry
No. 27 DE, Carlos Dunlap
No. 12 DT, Geno Atkins
No. 30 DE, Robert Geathers
No. 27 DT, Domata Peko
THE ENQUIRER/JEFF SWINGER
Mohamed Sanu
12 WR 6-2 210 3
Brandon Tate
19 WR 6-1 195 6
Andrew Whitworth
77 LT 6-7 335 9
Clint Boling
65 LG 6-5 310 4
Russell Bodine
61 C 6-3 306 R
Kevin Zeitler
68 RG 6-4 315 3
Andre Smith
71 RT 6-4 340 6
Jermaine Gresham
84 TE 6-5 260 5
Ryan Hewitt
89 HB 6-4 254 R
Andy Dalton
14 QB 6-2 220 4
Giovani Bernard
25 RB 5-9 208 2
Carlos Dunlap
96 DE 6-6 280 5
Geno Atkins
97 DT 6-1 303 5
Domata Peko
94 DT 6-3 322 9
Wallace Gilberry
92 DE 6-2 275 7
Jayson DiManche
51 LB 6-1 244 2
Vinny Rey
57 LB 6-0 255 4
Vontaze Burfct
55 LB 6-1 248 3
Leon Hall
29 CB 5-11 195 8
Terence Newman
23 CB 5-10 197 12
George Iloka
43 S 6-4 220 3
Reggie Nelson
20 S 5-11 210 8
PROBABLE OFFENSE
PROBABLE DEFENSE
cincinnati
starters
Reggie Wayne
87 WR 6-0 203 14
Anthony Castonzo
74 LT 6-7 311 4
Jack Mewhort
75 LG 6-6 308 R
Khaled Holmes
62 C 6-3 309 2
Hugh Thornton
69 RG 6-3 336 2
Gosder Cherilus
78 RT 6-7 316 7
Dwayne Allen
83 TE 6-3 265 3
T.Y. Hilton
13 WR 5-9 178 3
Coby Fleener
80 TE 6-6 251 3
Andrew Luck
12 QB 6-4 240 3
Trent Richardson
34 RB 5-9 225 3
Cory Redding
90 DE 6-4 318 12
Josh Chapman
96 DT 6-0 340 3
Arthur Jones
97 DT 6-3 337 5
Erik Walden
93 LB 6-2 250 7
DQwell Jackson
52 LB 6-0 240 9
Jerrell Freeman
50 LB 6-0 240 3
Bjoern Werner
92 LB 6-3 257 2
Greg Toler
28 CB 6-0 190 6
Mike Adams
29 S 5-11 200 11
Sergio Brown
38 S 6-2 218 5
Vontae Davis
21 CB 5-11 207 6
PROBABLE OFFENSE
PROBABLE DEFENSE
indianapolis
starters
THE ENQUIRER /// SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014 I3

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