Wright Can Be A Force On Blitzes..................

Wright can be blitzing force

But Bears should set him up with some disguise to make it work
Matt Bowen Scouting the Bears 8:30 a.m. CDT, August 26, 2011

The Bears can incorporate free safety Major Wright into the game plan Saturday night against the Titans by sending zone pressure from the open (weak) side of the formation. They would show coverage and roll into the blitz front at the snap.

In the diagram, the Titans are in regular personnel (two wide receivers, one tight end, two running backs) in a "Strong I" formation with the Bears in their standard 4-3 front. The scheme: Rush five and drop six into coverage — creating a three-under, three-deep shell in the secondary.


Matt Bowen http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...9-15143635.jpg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...2-26063009.jpg Graphic: Breakdown

The key is the pre-snap disguise. With Wright and strong safety Chris Harris aligning at Cover-2 depth, Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will read coverage at the line of scrimmage.

This allows Wright to walk down into the defensive front at an ideal blitz alignment. With Will linebacker Brian Iwuh (W) moving to an outside shade of the left tackle, the Bears can bring overload pressure to the open side of the formation.

The idea behind the zone-blitz concept is to generate a three-on-two matchup. With defensive end Julius Peppers on the "long scoop" to the "A" gap and Iwuh blitzing off the edge, Wright can time his rush and attack the "B" gap.

The zone blitz is a weapon in every down-and-distance situation, and Wright could give the Bears something they desperately need: a productive blitzing safety from the secondary.

After playing at Glenbard West and Iowa, Matt Bowen spent seven seasons in the NFL as a strong safety with the Rams, Packers, Redskins and Bills, including playing for Lovie Smith and Mike Martz in St. Louis. When he's not writing for the Tribune, you can find his work at nationalfootballpost.com.


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