The first two games of the season it was no secret that the 49ers were going to give the ball to Frank Gore early and often. In 2006 they were able to sneak up on teams who weren't expecting such a punishing ground game. Thus far in 2007, teams have apparently learned their lessons and are now stacking the line and sending blitzers on what seems like every play.
While I was assembling this week's defense-based Film Room article, I also went over the Niners' snaps on offense and took notes on all the blitzes that the Steelers sent. Here are the statistics I came up with: FIRST HALF SF Plays: 14 run 18 pass Total: 32 Pittsburgh blitzes: 7 with 5 rushers 3 with 6 rushers 1 with 7 rushers 2 with 8 or more Total: 13 SECOND HALF SF Plays: 7 run 19 pass Total: 26 Pittsburgh blitzes: 11 with 5 rushers 4 with 6 rushers Total: 15 If you consider that Pittsburgh did not send more than four men on the Niners' last four-play drive at the end of the game, that's 15 blitzes out of 21 plays in the second half. Adding both halves together, we get 28 blitzes out of 58 plays, which is a whole lot of blitzing. The Steelers were also very creative when they send just four rushers, as they utilized lots of pre-snap movement and bluffs. Here's the full run-down: *1st Half, 1st Series 3rd and 5 SF30: Smith rolls left and throws a 12 yard strike to Darrell Jackson for the first down. Pittsburgh goes with 2 down linemen and sends 3 linebackers. Alex doesn’t get the play off until 0 shows on the play clock, so two Steeler linebackers get running starts at the left side of the line. One goes outside Jennings and is cut-blocked by Gore. The other runs right into Larry Allen and goes nowhere. The right side of the line (incl. Davis) holds up against the other 3 guys. Total: 5. 2nd and 2 SF50: Gore runs left for 1 yard. San Francisco lines up with two TE’s (Bajema and Davis) both on the right side. Bajema motions left and the Steelers promptly overload the left side. They send both OLBs, both SILBs, and SS Polamalu – a total of 8. Again, they all take off as the play clock expires, overwhelm the line and stuff Gore in the backfield. There was no particular breakdown. Jonas Jennings in particular owned his guy. It was just too many people to block. It was amazing Gore got back to the LOS at all. Total: 8. 3rd and 1 PIT49: Smith scrambles right for 4 yards. The Niners come out with 2 TE’s and 2 HB’s (Gore and Norris). The Steelers promptly bring 9 men into the box – everybody but Polamalu and one CB who is out wide on Jackson. They all key on the left side and come on the snap, which thankfully occurs with 4 seconds left on the play clock so the Steelers can’t get a running start. Smith takes off on a bootleg to the right, with Norris out 5 yards in front of him. The linebacker on Norris has some trouble deciding if he should stay in coverage or come up to make the tackle. He stays in coverage, and Smith runs for the first down. Total: Um, most of them I think. 1st and 10 PIT45: Smith throws a screen left to Davis for 31 yards. The Steelers bring an OLB and an ILB. Larry Allen and Jonas Jennings end up on the ground, but Smith somehow has enough time to get the ball out on a screen. Vernon Davis makes the catch and takes off down the sideline with Polamalu giving chase, but he doesn’t even get close – Vernon is faster. Davis finally gets horse-collared by the Steelers FS Smith, who had an angle. This was obviously a penalty, but it wasn’t called. Total: 5. 1st and 10 PIT14: Gore runs up the middle for no gain. Pittsburgh didn’t blitz on this play, but I wanted to note it because they did have 8 men in the box. It would have been a good time to call play-action. 3rd and 10 PIT14: Smith throws incomplete over the middle intended for Davis in the end zone. Pittsburgh has a lot of pre-snap motion on this play, and they on the blitz 3 linemen, 2 linebackers, and a corner who sprints around the right side of the line. Everyone is blocked except the corner, and Smith throws the ball a bit early due to the pressure. The ball was arguably still catchable, but Davis wasn’t watching. Total: 6. *2nd Series 1st and 10 SF22: Play-action, Smith throws left to Davis for 1 yard. The Niners line up with 3 WR’s, a TE (Davis) strong left, and Gore in the backfield. The Steelers line up in their base 3-4 and blitz all four linebackers. They bite on the play-action, but the SOLB goes unblocked. Smith, under pressure, throws toward Davis who is forced to jump as the pass is high. Polamalu, in man-to-man, immediately hits Davis in the thighs and brings him down. Total: 7. *3rd Series 2nd and 10 PIT22: Gore runs left for 1 yard. Pittsburgh in the base 3-4, brings their WOLB and SS Polamalu, who makes the tackle. I don’t think Gore saw him, because if he bounced this outside, he’d still be running (everyone was blocked). Total: 5. 1st and goal PIT10: Gore runs up the middle for 2 yards. Pittsburgh in the base 3-4, brings both OLB’s. Total: 5. 2nd and goal PIT5: Gore runs left for 1 yard. The Steelers bring both OLB’s and SS Polamalu. Hampton blows up this play. He didn’t stop to read gaps for an instant, he just ran to his right (toward Jennings) as soon as the ball was snapped and clogged up the hole. In fact, almost all the Steelers sprinted to the right side of the field off the snap -- it looked like they had our playbook on this one. Total: 6. *4th Series 1st and 10 SF8: Smith throws incomplete right. The Steelers bring 2 blitzers: the SOLB and the CB #24. The CB chases Smith into the back of the end zone and he throws the ball away. Total: 5. 2nd and 10 SF19: Gore runs up the middle for 2 yards. Pittsburgh blitzes both ILBs and the SOLB. Hampton angles for Larry Allen right off the snap, which of course is the direction the Niners are running. Also, it doesn’t help that WOLB Farrior knocks Smiley on his butt and there are linebackers everywhere. Total: 6. *5th Series 2nd and 5 SF37: Smith throws incomplete short right for TE Walker. Pittsburgh sends an OLB and an ILB, both of whom get a running start because again the ball isn’t snapped until about 0 shows on the play clock. Smith hesitates, then throws the ball away as Farrior closes for the hit. It seemed like Alex was anticipating the blitz and intended to throw a timing route, but the OL actually picked it up fairly well. Total: 5. 3rd and 5 SF37: (Shotgun) Smith throws incomplete short middle for TE Davis. Pittsburgh lined up with 2 down linemen, and tried to overload the left side of the line with an LB and two DB’s. Smith pointed them out before the snap to Allen, then Jennings, Allen and Hicks picked up the blitzers brilliantly. The pass was catchable, but Davis wasn’t ready for it. Total: 5. *6th Series Pittsburgh did not send any more than 4 rushers on this series. They managed to get pressure on Smith because they were pretty creative disguising their looks, bringing 6 and 7 players to the line before the snap and then dropping them all back into coverage. *2nd Half, 1st Series 2nd and 2 PIT47: Gore runs outside right for 6 yards. The Steelers bring both OLB’s and an ILB. They’re pretty much all picked up – good job by the OL and TE’s (Walker & Davis). If Farrior doesn’t shed Smiley’s block, this is a touchdown. Gore knew it too, as he thumped the ground with his fist after being tackled. Total: 6. 1st and 10 PIT41: Smith throws a screen left to Gore for 7 yards. The Steelers bring both OLB’s on this play. Gore made something out of nothing, as he was basically surrounded when he caught the ball. Total: 5. 1st and 10 PIT29: Smith sacked by Woodley for -3 yards. Pittsburgh brings both OLB’s, an ILB, and drops a DE into coverage. OLB Woodley flies around the right edge unblocked to make the tackle. This was Gore’s fault, as he stayed back to block but didn’t see Woodley in time. Total: 5. 2nd and 14 PIT32: Smith throws incomplete short left (pressured). Pittsburgh blitzes their WOLB and the SILB. The pressure comes when DE Keisel doesn’t bite on the play-action and basically just runs right for Smith. This looked like it was a screen designed for TE Walker. Total: 5. 3rd and 14 PIT32: Smith throws incomplete deep middle (intended for Davis). This is the now infamous 22 yard “incompletion” to Davis in the seam. The Steelers line up with one down lineman (Hampton), though DE Keisel is on the field standing like an LB. They have an LB come a yard behind the LOS and spy Smith, while the OLBs, Hampton, and Keisel come on the blitz. Gore and Jacobs chased FS Clark across the field for the tackle when they thought he’d recovered a fumble. Davis had also popped up and was nearby with Smiley when the tackle was made. Total: 4 (creative, though). *2nd Series 2nd and 9 SF21: Smith throws short left to Walker for 3 yards The Steelers bring both ILB’s and drop their OLB’s into coverage. The Niners line picks it up alright, but Smith dumps the ball off to Walker who goes nowhere. Total: 5. 3rd and 6 SF24: Smith throws short right to Battle for 11 yards. The Steelers line up with 1 down lineman (Hampton), and Kiesel standing as well as 4 LB’s crowding the line. One of those LB’s drops into coverage, and the rest come on the blitz. Smith, running right, makes a great throw to Battle for the first down. Total: 5. 1st and 15 SF30: Smith throws sideline right to Jackson for 17 yards. Pittsburgh brings, along with their 3 down linemen, one OLB and one ILB, all of whom are picked up by the OL. Good job on this one. Total: 5. 1st and 10 SF47: Smith throws sideline right to Jackson for 20 yards. Coming on the blitz are the SOLB and SS Polamalu. Both are picked up brilliantly by Norris and Gore. Total: 5. 1st and 10 PIT33: Robinson runs up the middle for 2 yards. The Steelers bring both OLB’s and Polamalu on the snap. Polamalu and Harrison are in the backfield instantly. Robinson avoids them by plowing into LB Foote and DE Kirsche. Total: 6. 2nd and 8 PIT31: Smith throws incomplete deep middle. Both OLBs and one ILB come right as the play clock expires (the ILB gets a running start, then pauses, then continues). Smith is hit as he throws, and the ball flies out of the endzone (Jackson was open). Heitmann is responsible for the pressure (the ILB blew past him). Total: 6. 3rd and 8 PIT31: Smith is sacked for -9 yards. Pittsburgh lines up with 2 down linemen and 3 linebackers standing at the line of scrimmage. Allen and Jennings both block the wrong man, and LB Haggans sprints through the line unblocked to make the initial hit, while Farrior comes in to clean up. Jennings actually ends up not blocking anyone on this play (the guy he went for ended up running around the edge and into RB Robinson). Total: 5. On Pittsburgh’s ensuing drive, we see shots of Allen and Jennings stomping furious up and down the sideline. Battle and Dilfer seem to be consoling Jennings, patting him on the back and talking. Reading lips Hal-9000 style, we can see Battle says, “Come on, man.” *3rd Series 1st and 10 SF37: Smith throws incomplete short right. Pittsburgh lines up in what looks like a 4-1-6 dime. They send their ILB and a DB on the rush. Total: 6. 2nd and 10 SF37: Smith throws short left to Jacobs for 5 yards. Pittsburgh sends the 4 men on the line plus the ILB. Total: 5. 3rd and 5 SF42: Smith throws short left, INTERCEPTED by McFadden, run back for a TOUCHDOWN. Pittsburgh sent 4 rushers on this play and used one LB as a QB spy to keep Smith from scrambling. Poor Larry Allen looks like he’s moving in slow motion this whole play. McFadden runs right by him. But then, Larry doesn’t get paid to tackle. *4th Series 1st and 10 PIT46: Smith scrambles up the middle for 25 yards (5 rushers) Pittsburgh sends 2 down linemen, their 2 middle linebackers, and one defensive back. Total: 5. 1st and 10 PIT21: Smith throws sideline left to Jacobs for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Pittsburgh lines up with 1 down lineman, and overloads the right side of the line with an LB, the dime back and SS Polamalu. DE Keisel runs straight past Smiley (to Smiley’s right), gets chipped by Heitmann (who realizes Smiley made a mistake and runs to make the save), and gets one arm on Smith before Alex steps up and throws a nice pass into the corner of the end zone. Total: 5. *5th Series This drive consisted of 2 handoffs to Keasey. No pass rush.
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