All credit from The Athletic for those not yet signed up Its a nice addition. I appreciate them, too.
Okay, Chase played great ALL year! Even against Mich and the CCG.
When Buckeye fans were saying "Chase took plays off against Clemson" I would ask them to provide even 1 play he took off!
Of course, there was nothing.
This article outlines how effective he was vs Clemson. It's never just about sacks with this man.
Same with the Bosa's.
Despite no sacks, Chase Young had a significant impact against Clemson
By Mark Bullock Jan 6, 2020
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On Friday, Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, where he’s expected to be selected by the Redskins with the second overall pick. I broke down his overall skill set last week, but some have questioned his performance against quality opposition. They pointed to his performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal, where he had no sacks and just two tackles to his name. However, that game was a perfect example of why you can’t just go by the box score. Young’s impact on the game was hugely significant even if he didn’t get a sack himself.
Clemson’s offensive game plan revolved around protecting against Young. Its most common protection plan was to have a running back or tight end chip Young before releasing into a route.
On this third-and-7 play on the opening drive, Clemson aligns a tight end on Young’s side and has him chip Young to try to delay his rush and help the tackle get into position. Young, however, has seen chips from tight ends all season and anticipates the block. He gets his hands up quickly and does well to make himself skinny as he skips past the chip attempt like it wasn’t there. Young then uses his speed to burst past the right tackle, dipping low to break through any contact from the tackle as he turns the corner. Young reaches out his arm to try to get a hand on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but he manages to get the ball out in time.
While he didn’t get the sack, Young altered the play from the offense by delaying the tight end from releasing into a route, limiting what routes he could run. He still managed to beat the chip attempt and the block of the right tackle to pressure the quarterback into a quick throw, which resulted in an incomplete pass. With the tight-end chip not working, Clemson switched to a chip from the running back.
Here, Clemson uses a jet sweep fake to Young’s side to try to help slow him down while also using the running back to chip him. Young doesn’t bite on the jet sweep and bursts up the field. He targets the right tackle’s outside shoulder and arm, getting both hands on that arm to prevent the tackle from cutting him off. Young then absorbs the hit from the running back and drives the tackle into the quarterback’s lap. Lawrence feels the pressure and is moved off the spot, scrambling to his right, where he finds the back, who peeled off from the chip block to offer him a checkdown.
Again, while Young didn’t come away with a sack and Clemson still managed to complete a pass, his impact on the play was clear to see. When a team’s game plan has to be altered for one specific pass-rusher, the entire defense benefits from those changes. Using the running back to chip Young opens up multiple options for the defense.
Like before, Young aligns over the right tackle, this time standing up, rather than with his hand on the ground. The running back lines up to Young’s side and is tasked with chipping him before releasing into his route. The problem with running backs doing this is backs are usually a key part of protection schemes. They’ll often read and pick up a blitzing linebacker or defensive back while the offensive line deals with the immediate rushers. When the defensive coordinator knows the back is going to chip Young, he can design a blitz that takes advantage of the weakness in the protection scheme.
That’s precisely what happens here. Ohio State shows five defenders on the line of scrimmage but drops two of those into coverage. Instead, it sends the slot corner from the opposite side of Young on a blitz. Young takes on the tackle and absorbs the chip from the back before the right guard slides over to help the right tackle. That’s three blockers all working on Young, leaving the slot corner completely unaccounted for. He works freely and gets the sack, which was called for unnecessary roughness, but the scheme was effective.
Young took so much attention that Clemson had a significant fault in its protection scheme, which was exploited. On top of that, Young still managed to generate pressure and might well have made the sack himself had the corner not gotten a free run.
Young was a handful for Clemson’s offensive line all game. Clemson used every tactic to try to stop him from getting to the quarterback. After multiple chip attempts, Clemson used cut blocks combined with quick game passes to try to nullify the threat of Young.
Here are three separate cut blocks by Clemson on Young. The first two in the clip came on second-and-10 plays, while the third happened on third-and-3. Cut blocks are used by offensive linemen who want to disrupt the pass-rusher, get him off his path for a second and force him to keep his hands down low while the quarterback gets rid of the ball quickly. On all three of these cut blocks, Young shows great technique to avoid the cut blocks getting his hip or thigh, using his hands to drive the blocker down and stay balanced as he skips by the block. On all three plays, he quickly beats the cut blocks and chases down Lawrence, but Lawrence does well to get rid of the ball in time.
Another tactic Clemson implemented was the use of play-action. By faking the run, offenses can slow down pass-rushers by forcing them to read run and work to their assigned gap, instead of just bursting up the field or going straight into a pass-rush move.
On this first-and-10, Clemson aligns in the shotgun and fakes a run to its right, where Young is lined up. Young initially reads run as he takes a step outside, where he’s assigned to defend the edge. However, he quickly notices the right tackle playing too soft for a running play, protecting himself from a speed rush to the edge. So Young responds by getting his inside hand on the inside shoulder of the tackle and shoving him outside, where the tackle’s momentum is going. The shove creates enough of a lane inside for Young to disengage and burst toward the quarterback, where he lands a hit as Lawrence throws to force an inaccurate pass.
Regardless of the techniques, Clemson implemented to try to slow down Young; he was still a constant threat that generated pressure, especially on the few occasions he was left one-on-one.
This play occurred on third-and-19. With so many yards to get, Clemson had to use all of its eligible receivers to run routes, leaving its left tackle one-on-one against Young. Young surrenders his chest as the tackle lands a punch, but Young still manages to get the edge and turn the corner, using the tackle as support to keep him balanced as he runs by. He drops his inside arm, then rips it through to fully disengage with the tackle and close in on Lawrence, who feels the pressure and wisely scrambles to his right to buy enough time to deliver a pass. The throw was initially ruled a completed pass that was fumbled and recovered by Ohio State, but it was overturned to an incomplete pass.
While Young didn’t get any sacks himself, he was responsible for some of his teammates’ sacks. We already saw the cornerback blitz that took advantage of the attention on Young, but it wasn’t the only time his teammates benefited from his presence.
Here, Young aligns on the inside shoulder of the right tackle with a linebacker outside of him. Young rushes inside to work against the guard, but watch the eyes of the right tackle as the ball is snapped. The tackle takes a soft kick slide outside, keeping his eyes inside on Young in case he works to the edge. That brief pause from the tackle is all the linebacker outside needs to burst by him and sack the quarterback. Had the linebacker not made the play so quickly, Young likely would have. He used a strong stutter-step rush to bait the right guard into lunging at him. The guard takes the bait, and Young uses a club and swim to skip by him inside. The guard attempts to tackle Young into the center, but Young still manages to break through the line, where he finds his teammate already pulling down Lawrence for the sack on third down.
Clearly, Young had a significant impact on the game despite not filling up the stat sheet. There’s far more to a pass-rusher’s game than just sacks, and Young forced Clemson to alter its protection schemes, rotating through different chip blockers, using cut blocks on quick throws, and incorporating plenty of play-action to try to slow down Young. But with so many of the protections dedicated to Young, it opened things up for the rest of the defense. On top of that, Young still managed to generate plenty of pressure and land a few hits on Lawrence as he delivered his throws. The fact Young didn’t come away with a sack speaks more to the talent and quick delivery of Lawrence, who was superb throughout the game. The idea that Young didn’t have an impact on this game or against quality opposition is not true.
Okay, Chase played great ALL year! Even against Mich and the CCG.
When Buckeye fans were saying "Chase took plays off against Clemson" I would ask them to provide even 1 play he took off!
Of course, there was nothing.
This article outlines how effective he was vs Clemson. It's never just about sacks with this man.
Same with the Bosa's.
Despite no sacks, Chase Young had a significant impact against Clemson
By Mark Bullock Jan 6, 2020
On Friday, Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, where he’s expected to be selected by the Redskins with the second overall pick. I broke down his overall skill set last week, but some have questioned his performance against quality opposition. They pointed to his performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal, where he had no sacks and just two tackles to his name. However, that game was a perfect example of why you can’t just go by the box score. Young’s impact on the game was hugely significant even if he didn’t get a sack himself.
Clemson’s offensive game plan revolved around protecting against Young. Its most common protection plan was to have a running back or tight end chip Young before releasing into a route.
On this third-and-7 play on the opening drive, Clemson aligns a tight end on Young’s side and has him chip Young to try to delay his rush and help the tackle get into position. Young, however, has seen chips from tight ends all season and anticipates the block. He gets his hands up quickly and does well to make himself skinny as he skips past the chip attempt like it wasn’t there. Young then uses his speed to burst past the right tackle, dipping low to break through any contact from the tackle as he turns the corner. Young reaches out his arm to try to get a hand on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but he manages to get the ball out in time.
While he didn’t get the sack, Young altered the play from the offense by delaying the tight end from releasing into a route, limiting what routes he could run. He still managed to beat the chip attempt and the block of the right tackle to pressure the quarterback into a quick throw, which resulted in an incomplete pass. With the tight-end chip not working, Clemson switched to a chip from the running back.
Here, Clemson uses a jet sweep fake to Young’s side to try to help slow him down while also using the running back to chip him. Young doesn’t bite on the jet sweep and bursts up the field. He targets the right tackle’s outside shoulder and arm, getting both hands on that arm to prevent the tackle from cutting him off. Young then absorbs the hit from the running back and drives the tackle into the quarterback’s lap. Lawrence feels the pressure and is moved off the spot, scrambling to his right, where he finds the back, who peeled off from the chip block to offer him a checkdown.
Again, while Young didn’t come away with a sack and Clemson still managed to complete a pass, his impact on the play was clear to see. When a team’s game plan has to be altered for one specific pass-rusher, the entire defense benefits from those changes. Using the running back to chip Young opens up multiple options for the defense.
Like before, Young aligns over the right tackle, this time standing up, rather than with his hand on the ground. The running back lines up to Young’s side and is tasked with chipping him before releasing into his route. The problem with running backs doing this is backs are usually a key part of protection schemes. They’ll often read and pick up a blitzing linebacker or defensive back while the offensive line deals with the immediate rushers. When the defensive coordinator knows the back is going to chip Young, he can design a blitz that takes advantage of the weakness in the protection scheme.
That’s precisely what happens here. Ohio State shows five defenders on the line of scrimmage but drops two of those into coverage. Instead, it sends the slot corner from the opposite side of Young on a blitz. Young takes on the tackle and absorbs the chip from the back before the right guard slides over to help the right tackle. That’s three blockers all working on Young, leaving the slot corner completely unaccounted for. He works freely and gets the sack, which was called for unnecessary roughness, but the scheme was effective.
Young took so much attention that Clemson had a significant fault in its protection scheme, which was exploited. On top of that, Young still managed to generate pressure and might well have made the sack himself had the corner not gotten a free run.
Young was a handful for Clemson’s offensive line all game. Clemson used every tactic to try to stop him from getting to the quarterback. After multiple chip attempts, Clemson used cut blocks combined with quick game passes to try to nullify the threat of Young.
Here are three separate cut blocks by Clemson on Young. The first two in the clip came on second-and-10 plays, while the third happened on third-and-3. Cut blocks are used by offensive linemen who want to disrupt the pass-rusher, get him off his path for a second and force him to keep his hands down low while the quarterback gets rid of the ball quickly. On all three of these cut blocks, Young shows great technique to avoid the cut blocks getting his hip or thigh, using his hands to drive the blocker down and stay balanced as he skips by the block. On all three plays, he quickly beats the cut blocks and chases down Lawrence, but Lawrence does well to get rid of the ball in time.
Another tactic Clemson implemented was the use of play-action. By faking the run, offenses can slow down pass-rushers by forcing them to read run and work to their assigned gap, instead of just bursting up the field or going straight into a pass-rush move.
On this first-and-10, Clemson aligns in the shotgun and fakes a run to its right, where Young is lined up. Young initially reads run as he takes a step outside, where he’s assigned to defend the edge. However, he quickly notices the right tackle playing too soft for a running play, protecting himself from a speed rush to the edge. So Young responds by getting his inside hand on the inside shoulder of the tackle and shoving him outside, where the tackle’s momentum is going. The shove creates enough of a lane inside for Young to disengage and burst toward the quarterback, where he lands a hit as Lawrence throws to force an inaccurate pass.
Regardless of the techniques, Clemson implemented to try to slow down Young; he was still a constant threat that generated pressure, especially on the few occasions he was left one-on-one.
This play occurred on third-and-19. With so many yards to get, Clemson had to use all of its eligible receivers to run routes, leaving its left tackle one-on-one against Young. Young surrenders his chest as the tackle lands a punch, but Young still manages to get the edge and turn the corner, using the tackle as support to keep him balanced as he runs by. He drops his inside arm, then rips it through to fully disengage with the tackle and close in on Lawrence, who feels the pressure and wisely scrambles to his right to buy enough time to deliver a pass. The throw was initially ruled a completed pass that was fumbled and recovered by Ohio State, but it was overturned to an incomplete pass.
While Young didn’t get any sacks himself, he was responsible for some of his teammates’ sacks. We already saw the cornerback blitz that took advantage of the attention on Young, but it wasn’t the only time his teammates benefited from his presence.
Here, Young aligns on the inside shoulder of the right tackle with a linebacker outside of him. Young rushes inside to work against the guard, but watch the eyes of the right tackle as the ball is snapped. The tackle takes a soft kick slide outside, keeping his eyes inside on Young in case he works to the edge. That brief pause from the tackle is all the linebacker outside needs to burst by him and sack the quarterback. Had the linebacker not made the play so quickly, Young likely would have. He used a strong stutter-step rush to bait the right guard into lunging at him. The guard takes the bait, and Young uses a club and swim to skip by him inside. The guard attempts to tackle Young into the center, but Young still manages to break through the line, where he finds his teammate already pulling down Lawrence for the sack on third down.
Clearly, Young had a significant impact on the game despite not filling up the stat sheet. There’s far more to a pass-rusher’s game than just sacks, and Young forced Clemson to alter its protection schemes, rotating through different chip blockers, using cut blocks on quick throws, and incorporating plenty of play-action to try to slow down Young. But with so many of the protections dedicated to Young, it opened things up for the rest of the defense. On top of that, Young still managed to generate plenty of pressure and land a few hits on Lawrence as he delivered his throws. The fact Young didn’t come away with a sack speaks more to the talent and quick delivery of Lawrence, who was superb throughout the game. The idea that Young didn’t have an impact on this game or against quality opposition is not true.
