How the Houston Texans Pressure Packages Worked Against the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears' offensive line and quarterback Caleb Williams were unable to handle the pressure.
Hey everyone! TC here,
On Sunday night, the Houston Texans’s defense dominated the Chicago Bears offense allowing just 205 net yards on offense, with just 134 net passing yards from number 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams.
Watching the defensive All-22 Film yesterday clarified the plan for what Houston schemed up for Chicago. To get pressure on Williams, do it from the same look with different pass rush plans, creating confusion along the offensive line while simultaneously creating isolation blocks for Houston’s premier pass rushers, Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
The Texans defense blitzed Caleb Williams on 41.7% of his dropbacks (20 times), the unit’s highest blitz rate in a game under DeMeco Ryans.
The Texans generated 12 pressures and 5 sacks when blitzing (a 60.0% pressure rate). Williams struggled against the blitz, completing only 3 of 12 attempts for 15 yards and an interception (-21.0% CPOE). Ten different Texans defenders generated at least one pressure, and nine finished with multiple pressures, led by Will Anderson Jr. with 9 pressures.
-via NFL NextGen Stats
The Houston Texans defense, helmed by head coach Demeco Ryans, generally plays a less exotic style of defense with Cover 2, Cover 3, and Cover 6 zone packages relying on the defensive line to generate pressure.
The Texans flipped the script on Sunday night with a blitz-heavy Cover 1-man package with 6 defensive backs, used specifically on 3rd down situations. By my count, Houston used a version of this package (4 defensive linemen/1 linebacker/6 defensive backs) a total of 14 times on third-down situations.
Overload Front or Load Front Package
I have yet to secure the actual name for this overload front look used on Sunday night. For now, I’ll refer to it as the overload front dime package. Below is a general diagram of how the defense looks and lines up.
The magic here is the three defensive linemen stacked to one side of the formation. The above diagram is just one of many variations of this package. The secondary, in Dime, played in man coverage when the front five were pushing the pocket.
The Chicago Bears offensive line had multiple communication errors in attempting to account for each rusher. Who was coming from where and when? Was the linebacker going to straight-line the quarterback or stunt loop around? Which defensive tackle was crashing and which was stunting around? Was he stunting around the outside or the interior lane created from the crash? Was the additional defensive back rushing or spying?
All of this confusion is created from the same look.
With the secret final goal of creating an isolation of either the left tackle or right tackle against one of Houston’s premier pass rushers, with no help from a runningback or chipping tight end.
It worked and it kept working all night. Houston was of the mindset of “until you prove you can stop this, we will keep bringing it”.
As the game went on, the variations continued as Houston’s confidence rose with each subsequent pressure and/or sack on Caleb Williams.
Video Review
This, I will call, the teaser taste. Just an initial look by Houston with no blitz and no stunts. Chicago has 7 blockers for Houston’s 4 pass rushers. Soft Cover zone at the first down sticks, unfortunately, Lassiter loses his boundary contain on the corner route.
Edwards and Settle as the DTs over the right side of the offensive line with Anderson wide 9, and Hunter at the top against the left tackle. Al-Shaair presenting as a blitzer. The secondary, in Dime, working Cover 1 man accounting for all 5 routes. Hunter crashes down into the left guard occupying two blockers allowing Al-Shaair to loop around for the pressure. Hunter and Anderson clean up for the sack.
Same package except now Derek Barnett is acting as the interior defensive tackle next to Edwards stacked to the right side of the offensive line with Hunter. Will Anderson will have the isolated offensive tackle. Al-Shaair moves up to the line of scrimmage with Pitre watching the backfield. Pitre’s assignment stays in to block, allowing him to rush the pocket. This time there are two stunts: Hunter from the edge to A-gap, and Al-Shaair from B-Gap to the edge.
Using one of the endzone views, you can see how the pressure affects the pocket for Williams causing him to make a throw while moving. On this variation, Derek Barnett was at the inside shoulder of the offensive guard with Mario Williams over the tackle with Anderson at the 9 tech. Edwards will stunt inside with Barnett crashing outward to occupy the Guard and Tackle. Al-Shaair is spying Williams in case he starts to scramble.
Overload front to the right side of the offensive line. Houston runs a new variation with Al-Shaair dropping into zone MOF coverage to occupy the area Pitre was scheduled to cover. Pitre becomes one of the six pass rushers. Chicago elected to keep two additional backfield blockers in the play but that did not slow down the pass rush. Williams turns a bad situation into positive yards with his legs.
A new wrinkle to the pressure package. DT Fatukasi is on the field on the inside shoulder of the left tackle. LB Henry To’oTo’o blitzes from the linebacker spot with Al-Shaair vacating to substitute coverage for that area. Williams has no choice but to get rid of the ball.
This is the point in the 4th quarter when the will of the Chicago offensive line was permenantly broken. Chicago has 6 blockers for the 6 Houston pass rushers. Watch Derek Barnett (#97) from the 5 technique push hard inside to occupy blockers, allowing Edwards the free release stunt to Williams for the sack.
These video clips are just some of the examples of how the Houston Texans were able to apply constant pressure on the Chicago offensive line and quarterback Caleb Williams. Houston had a clear plan to take advantage of Chicago’s offensive line, especially the offensive tackles.
Thanks for reading!
-TC
