A blizzard of blitzes: for the Packers and Panthers to beat the Eagles and Rams—and survive another week in the playoff—they'll first have to survive

Sporting News, The, Jan 12, 2004 by Dan Pompei

With their season on the line, the Packers overloaded the line. On third-and-11 in overtime, the Seahawks lined up in a four-wide receiver set. Packers defensive coordinator Ed Donatell responded with a "population blitz" in which linebackers Nick Barnett and Hannibal Navies and safeties Darren Sharper and Marques Anderson went after Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck recognized it and audibled to a three-step drop and quick pass, then hurried his throw to receiver Alex Bannister. Cornerback Al Harris sat on the route and shot in front of Bannister for an interception and ran 52 yards for the touchdown that gave the Packers a 33-27 victory.

You would have had a hard time convincing many in the Lambeau Field crowd that Irvin Favre wasn't blitzing as well. As the music blared and Brett Favre ran around the field with his hands over his head and Packer World reveled, more than a few thoughts in the stadium drifted to Irvin Favre, Brett's father, who suffered a fatal stroke while driving his car two weeks earlier.

There was much talk in Wisconsin about destiny and divine intervention. You could catch Favre stealing an occasional glance up at the skybox where Irvin used to sit and watch him play. A few of Favre's passes seemed to be blown by a kind wind, as if Green Bay had never known one of those before. "I thought Favre had one of the best games he's had, especially since I've been here," Packers coach Mike Sherman said after Favre passed for 319 yards and a touchdown, completing 26 of 38 attempts. "I thought what he did out there was phenomenal."

There is no doubt the spirit of Irvin Favre is shaping the NFC playoffs. And there is no doubt the blitz is doing the same.

Favre and Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, who won their wild-card games in their home stadiums last weekend, will be exposed to drastically different environments this weekend--Favre in Philadelphia and Delhomme in St. Louis. But both are preparing for a blizzard of blitzes.

The Rams quietly have become one of the NFL's most effective blitzing teams. The blitz combined with the cover 2 has been defensive coordinator Lovie Smith's signature on the Rams, and it should result in Smith becoming a head coach in the next few weeks.

About midway through the season, Rams coach Mike Martz and Smith got together and decided to try a defensive approach that would be a philosophical match for Martz's aggressive offense. After blitzing an average of 8.2 times per game in the first seven games of the season, the Rams blitzed 11.3 times per game in their last nine games, according to STATS Inc.

The beauty of the Rams' defensive personnel is the team doesn't need to blitz to get pressure. When Grant Wistrom, Brian Young, Tyoka Jackson and Leonard Little focus on bringing down a quarterback, they often can do it by themselves. When the Rams bring extra men, the pass rush can be overwhelming. The Bengals, for instance, threw up their hands and tried to run in passing situations rather than attempt to throw into the blitz in Week 16.

On passing downs Saturday, the Rams will be coming at Delhomme with more than five players. If they're not bringing the kitchen sink, they will be bringing the dishwasher, the refrigerator/freezer, the oven and various pieces of Tupperware.

With speed and instinct, Adam Archuleta has been a terrific blitzing weapon, either from his strong safety position or from middle linebacker, which he plays in the Rams' unusual 4-1-6 alignment. The Rams' young, fleet group of linebackers also has helped achieve the goal of getting to the passer.

When the Rams have blitzed, they have come up with 16 sacks and 10 interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks had a 60.19 passer rating against the Rams' blitzes, which was the second-lowest passer rating against the blitz in the NFL. The blitz is a significant reason why the Rams ranked second in the NFL in interception percentage. "When the Rams have gotten interceptions, it's because they've gotten a lot of pressure up front," 49ers coach Dennis Erickson says.

Delhomme should be accustomed to the blitz after seeing quite a few blitzes in the Panthers' 29-10 victory over the Cowboys. He handled the pressure calmly and effectively, more like a graybeard than a first-year starter. Several of the Panthers' most significant plays carne on Dallas blitzes with man-to-man coverage, including Delhomme's 32-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith in the third quarter that put the game out of reach.

The Rams' pass rush will be enhanced by the crowd noise in the Edward Jones Dome because the Panthers' offensive linemen will have difficulty hearing the snap count. The Panthers know all about a home-field advantage. Last Saturday, the normally laid-back Ericsson Stadium crowd acted more like a gang of Dukies. Most of the fans spent the game on their feet, and the stadium seemed to pulsate as giveaway white towels were waved incessantly throughout the game.

The Panthers returned the love, first with a near-flawless performance--they had no penalties or turnovers, which happened only once before in NFL postseason history--and then with a more personal touch.