Joey �The Mouth� Porter vs. Shawn �Lights
Out� Merriman
By CK Stiller
On paper, it�s clearly not even close.
Merriman has 12.5 sacks (.5 away from the lead), and Porter has just 7. Porter has
2 INT�s to Merriman�s 1 (3 to 4 in terms of passes defended). 47 tackles for
Porter to Merriman�s 48. 4 fumbles forced by Merriman, 0 for Porter. One guy
looks like a playmaker, the other does not.
Worst yet for Joey Porter, those stats by
Merriman were accumulated in two fewer games this season. Porter simply is not
producing at anywhere near the same level. However, some people insist on
making excuses for Porter. There�s a wide range, really.
- Dick LeBeau�s blitz schemes are stale.
- Porter is dropping back into coverage more
than Merriman, or he�s an elite coverage guy, which makes up for his lack of
pass rush.
- The DL of the Chargers allows Merriman
more match-ups on backs and TE�s.
None of these are true or realistic. LeBeau
moves Porter around just as much Merriman. Some people confuse the Chargers
flopping Merriman to the other side of the line as giving an advantage to
Merriman, but they are in fact switching him over to the opposing offenses
strong side. They are giving him more responsibility because he�s clearly
their best player. Porter and Merriman, as I will show, both play in similar
schemes. Both occasionally stunt into the middle and end up on interior OL.
Both occasionally end up on TE�s or backs. However, both spend the majority of their
time on OT�s. The difference between one and the other is that Merriman can
make plays while still being blocked, and Porter can not.
Joey Porter vs. the Carolina Panthers
To prove my point, I tracked the plays of
both players this weekend. The results were pretty close to what I expected.
Porter and Merriman dropped back into coverage just as often as the other, with
Merriman actually doing it slightly more against the Chiefs. Both were blocked
by OT�s the same number of times in the two games. Merriman, though, still made
several plays, while Porter did not.
|
Porter |
OT |
OG |
TE |
RB |
Doubled |
Unblocked |
|
Blitzes |
17 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Sacks |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hurries |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NOTE: The Panthers dropped back to pass with
Porter in 33 times. Porter blitzes 73% of the time, or 24 times in the game.
Here are the notes I took while watching the
game:
- Is blocked by TE Gaines on a 3-7 while
lined up as a DE in the dime.
- On a 3-8 at the start of the second
quarter, Porter finally changes up his blitz. He decides to come inside. Too
bad he�s just washed inside and can�t get more than two steps up the field.
Panthers complete a 15 yard pass in the middle of the field.
- Porter did not blitz on either of the
Steelers first two sacks.
- Pulls a stunt with Keisel and goes inside
to the guard.
- First hurry of the game�Porter drops into
coverage. �Haggans gets clean shot at
Weinke, and he throws the ball into Porter�s chest. He drops the INT. Zone
blitz works to perfection, but Porter can�t make the play.
- Tries an inside rush again after this play
for the second time in the game. Is washed over to the RT spot. Doesn�t get
more than half a yard up the field.
- Third sack comes on a play where they line
Keisel up outside of Porter. He goes out to the TE, Porter ends up on the
tackle while Farrior is picked up by guard. Keisel winds up with the sack.
- Fourth sack comes while Porter drops back
into coverage (noticing a theme here?). The much maligned Foote comes in and
gets by a back. Aaron Smith is then able to beat the guard and center inside
and take the QB down.
- Third to last play of the half. Porter and
Foote both come from the right side. Foote is on the tackle, and Porter is sent
into the guard. Porter gets stonewalled. 19 yard completion that puts the
Panthers into FG range.
- Fifth sack. Porter ridden complete out on
a blitz to the outside. It�s another Steelers defender who has been talked
about being �washed up,� Aaron Smith, who pulls a stunt to the outside, gets on
the RT, shrugs him off, and makes the play.
- Porter and Farrior both come from the left
at the same time. The overload works, and Porter is semi-useful as Farrior
comes in free while Porter is picked up by the LT.
- Porter is chipped by the FB as he rushes
on the LT for his first �double� of the game.
- Next offensive play run, Porter pulls a
stunt. Keisel drives the center into the backfield as soon as the ball is
snapped, and ends up with the sack. Porter ends up in the middle of the field
on the two guards. You could call him a �decoy� on this play. To me, it just
looks like Keisel absolutely dominated the Hangartner, who blows. Porter had
nothing to do with it.
- On the INT, they bring a CB off the edge
who is picked up the LT. Porter is on the guard. Both stonewalled.
- Porter taken out for the final series. For
12 drop backs, he�s not in.
Summary: Joey Porter was a non-factor. When you watch the guy,
he just looks overwhelmed by blockers. Offensive linemen dominate him. The Steelers
did make an attempt to move Porter around and create different match-ups. They
pulled off stunts and overloads to his side and he did end up on guards. He was
still unable to do much. It must be noted that Porter had the luxury of playing
against inferior competition compared to what Merriman played against, and
still will not look as good as Merriman. The Chiefs designed their offensive
gameplan around the San Diego OLB�s, a fact which is painfully evident. The
Chiefs are a divisional opponent that is used to seeing the Charger�s scheme,
and yet they still dominated the Chiefs up front. Porter was playing an NFC
team, and was a ghost.
Shawn Merriman vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
Merriman did not have an impressive day when
you look at the stat sheet. If you watched the game, you saw him make several
huge plays. You saw the Chiefs run draws, screens, hitches, and take three step
drops all game long. The Chiefs game plan was to shift their blocking to the
outside to deal with Merriman and Phillips, and neutralize the outside pass
rush, yet they completely failed. The Chargers were able to create constant
pressure, whether from these two or from an interior blitz left wide open.
|
Merriman |
OT |
OG |
TE |
RB |
Doubled |
Unblocked |
|
Blitzes |
17 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
|
Sacks |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hurries |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NOTE: The Chiefs dropped back to pass 42
times when Merriman was in the game, and he blitzed on 30 of those plays - 71%
of the time.
My notes from the game:
- On the early INT by Edwards, Merriman gets
put on the TE. Where does he separate himself from Porter? He drives the TE
right into Green. The TE actually knocks Green as he�s releasing his pass.
- On a false start (not counted in stats),
he�s doubled by tackle and guard. Tackle actually has to wrap his arm around
him (near the neck) like a clothesline to keep him from hitting Green.
- Merriman�s unblocks (3) all came on screen
passes.
- On a sack, Merriman is doubled by both
guards on a stunt. Donnie Edwards comes in untouched on a delayed blitz.
- 3-5 in the 2Q, Merriman and Phillips both
get hurry Green and force him to throw to an underneath man. Both are on
tackles. Both are better rushers than Porter/Haggans.
- Two TE�s assigned to block him for his second
�double� of the game.
- Merriman and Phillips again meet at the
QB. Merriman is blocked by Gonzalez. Phillips gets by the LG who fans out for
him, and a back. Phillips grabs his legs, Merriman cleans him up. Merriman did
not get credit for the sack officially. Merriman was on a TE three times now.
He forced an INT and got in on a sack on two of them. The other was a quick
hitch.
- Merriman and Phillips both beat tackles
and were coming in. Green is hurried, and throws a pass that is batted down�by
Phillips.
- Second down play late in the 2nd.
Merriman is on the tackle. He hits Green�s arm as he�s throwing the ball, and
it floats into the air for an incompletion.
- No hurry or sack. Just a third down play.
Chiefs throw a fade. If just a split second sooner, both Merriman and Phillips
drive the tackles straight into the backfield. Merriman was just about to hit
Green.
- Merriman not in on final series of half. 5
drop backs.
- Merriman and Godfrey blitz from the right.
A back and the LT take Merriman. Godfrey comes in untouched.
- Ends up on a back, but it�s on a screen
pass to Johnson. Blocked by a back a little later on - play is a hitch.
- Doubled late in the fourth on a stunt.
Guard and center.
Summary: Merriman made plays all game long. He was a big factor,
if not the entire reason Green threw his first INT. He opened up plays for
other defenders, and was making his way into the backfield throughout the day.
He hurried Green three times, even while blocked by a tackle. When they tried
to use a TE, it was just a complete joke, and Merriman made them pay.
Final Word
Merriman is the best 3-4 OLB in the league.
He�s in another class from Porter, who is a solid and good player, but not
great. Porter is overhyped. Some have argued that Porter is still a good player,
and far from the biggest problem on the defense. He may be the best LB, and has
his upside. However, these people simply do not understand EXPECTATIONS. Porter
is playing perhaps the key position in the 3-4 - OLB. It�s similar to playing
DE in a 4-3. He�s supposed to be a disruptive force, which is why he�s one of
the highest paid Steelers. That is what it boils down to. Porter is supposed to
be a leader and a playmaker. His production simply does not match his pay,
and the Steelers need more from the position.
Phillips and Merriman both take on blocks
much better than Porter. You could even make the case that Haggans is better in
this respect. It�s the job of Porter to create havoc in the opposing defenses
backfield, and it�s a job he has failed miserably at.
Even when Merriman doesn�t get the sack,
he�s in the backfield. Opposing QB�s are never comfortable against the
Chargers. You cannot say the same for those playing the Steelers. When Derek
Anderson isn�t hit but maybe once in an entire game, something is
seriously wrong with the Steelers pass rush. The blame has to fall on the
shoulders of the OLBs, and specifically Joey Porter.
This weekend Joey Porter will most likely be
going up against a back-up LT as Ogden is hurt. Porter has a golden opportunity
to make plays against a hated division rival. This should be a clear mismatch
for the Steelers, but the same could have been said when he was matched up on
rookies or other injured tackles. Porter has no excuses at all for not getting
into the backfield this weekend.