After watching the Cardinals outlast Andy Dalton and the Bengals last Sunday night in a battle of top-seeded teams, the main thing that stood out to me was not the offensive showcase. It was the wide variety of blitz packages that James Bettcher, the Cardinals’ new defensive coordinator, launched at the Bengals’ offensive line using inside linebackers Deone Bucannon and Kevin Minter.
Bettcher called blitz after blitz and although the final score (34-31) does not show it, the Cardinals were in the backfield the entire second half. In this breakdown, we will take a look at how Bettcher used Deone Bucannon and Kevin Minter in his various blitz packages versus the Bengals’ 13th ranked offensive line by DVOA rankings that resulted in four sacks, one forced fumble, and six quarterback hits.
Play 1
Situation: 1st and 10 at ARI 22
Description: (14:43 - 4th) (Shotgun) A.Dalton sacked at ARZ 33 for -11 yards (D.Bucannon)
- Cardinals show six rushers pre-snap in a four defensive lineman “under” formation.
- Linebacker #20 Bucannon stands between the center and right guard looking ready to strike through the strongside A-gap. After the snap, he sprints forward, swim moves Giovani Bernard avoiding the block, and then sacks Andy Dalton with ease.