albertyoungisgood
Well-Known Member
This is from Peter King at SI.com about Ron Rivera and the Chargers defense vs. Peyton Manning. I love how he says none of this is "particularly noteworthy" as if it what a defense ought to do anyway.
"Rivera joined the Chargers staff in 2007, and since arriving, his defenses are 4-1 against Manning. Noteworthy considering that he coached the 4-3 in Chicago, and the Chargers play a 3-4, and Rivera adjusted to that scheme and has coached it well.
Nothing he said about playing Manning was particularly noteworthy -- disguise fronts, don't show coverage when Manning gets to the line, show different pressures on each pass-rush -- except for one thing. Rivera's defense uses a play clock in practice (no surprise there) but the scout-team offense tries to simulate Manning, running two or three plays in a row from the "sugar'' huddle, where offensive players mill around the line without huddling. So they simulate the tempo of the Colts, too, for three practices before they play. Nothing Manning will do to Rivera is a surprise then.
Oh, and one other thing: Never let Reggie Wayne get behind the defense. Rivera thinks -- surprise! -- this is the key to sure death with Manning at the controls.
(my comment--you can do this stuff, and still guard against the big play)
On Sunday night, the Chargers intercepted Manning four times, held him to a pedestrian 5.9 yards per attempt, and returned two picks for touchdowns. Manning had a funereal look on his face through much of the fourth quarter. He just never got in a rhythm. On the first interception, linebacker Kevin Burnett baited him, threatening to rush over the right tackle and then pulling back at the last second into coverage. His leaping pick ought to be in linebacker textbooks."
Read more: Josh McDaniels tape; Cortland Finnegan-Andre Johnson fight; more Week 12 - Peter King - SI.com
"Rivera joined the Chargers staff in 2007, and since arriving, his defenses are 4-1 against Manning. Noteworthy considering that he coached the 4-3 in Chicago, and the Chargers play a 3-4, and Rivera adjusted to that scheme and has coached it well.
Nothing he said about playing Manning was particularly noteworthy -- disguise fronts, don't show coverage when Manning gets to the line, show different pressures on each pass-rush -- except for one thing. Rivera's defense uses a play clock in practice (no surprise there) but the scout-team offense tries to simulate Manning, running two or three plays in a row from the "sugar'' huddle, where offensive players mill around the line without huddling. So they simulate the tempo of the Colts, too, for three practices before they play. Nothing Manning will do to Rivera is a surprise then.
Oh, and one other thing: Never let Reggie Wayne get behind the defense. Rivera thinks -- surprise! -- this is the key to sure death with Manning at the controls.
(my comment--you can do this stuff, and still guard against the big play)
On Sunday night, the Chargers intercepted Manning four times, held him to a pedestrian 5.9 yards per attempt, and returned two picks for touchdowns. Manning had a funereal look on his face through much of the fourth quarter. He just never got in a rhythm. On the first interception, linebacker Kevin Burnett baited him, threatening to rush over the right tackle and then pulling back at the last second into coverage. His leaping pick ought to be in linebacker textbooks."
Read more: Josh McDaniels tape; Cortland Finnegan-Andre Johnson fight; more Week 12 - Peter King - SI.com
