VonDoom
12-14-2016, 10:07 AM
Much like the Chris Harris article at the Players' Tribune earlier this year, this is Von being Von, talking about getting to the QB (hint: he has a lot of respect for the Patriots). Besides the opponents themselves, though, Von does a good breakdown of how he rushes and what goes into a play:
So how do I still get sacks if I’m facing double teams? Well …
Sometimes I’m able to blow past the chipper completely just with pure speed and by anticipating the snap count. Then I get the tackle one-on-one, and he’s going to be on his heels, expecting the chip. At that point, I’ve got two options: I can do a spin move to get inside, or I can get really low and dip around his shoulder on the outside.
The problem with dipping around is that the best QBs get the ball out of their hands in three seconds. Those guys aren’t gonna give you four seconds to take the scenic route. Sometimes you’ve gotta find a way to get inside and blow things up quick.
Let me break it down for you. Anticipating a snap count is kind of like playing that reflex game Hot Hands (aka Red Hands, aka Slap Jack). You have to develop a sixth sense for the quarterback’s timing. Of course, the QB can always give you a hard count to draw you offside, but if you’re really in tune with the game, you can feel the hard count coming. With young QBs especially, you can sense it. You see them coming up to the line, and something is a little different about their demeanor — maybe their body language is different, or their voice is a little deeper. Some quarterbacks even have a little tell where they lift their heels up right before they call for the snap.
But now let me really, really break it down for you.
Let’s say I sniff out the count, and my brain says, “Here we go.” That signal still has to get from my brain all the way down to my legs. So I have to get a slight lean forward, and then as soon as the ball is snapped I have to explode in a split second. This reaction doesn’t just come naturally. Whenever I train, I’m always taking my first step off a whistle or a flashing green light or something — and I have to react instantly.
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/von-miller-the-5-toughest-guys-in-the-nfl/
So how do I still get sacks if I’m facing double teams? Well …
Sometimes I’m able to blow past the chipper completely just with pure speed and by anticipating the snap count. Then I get the tackle one-on-one, and he’s going to be on his heels, expecting the chip. At that point, I’ve got two options: I can do a spin move to get inside, or I can get really low and dip around his shoulder on the outside.
The problem with dipping around is that the best QBs get the ball out of their hands in three seconds. Those guys aren’t gonna give you four seconds to take the scenic route. Sometimes you’ve gotta find a way to get inside and blow things up quick.
Let me break it down for you. Anticipating a snap count is kind of like playing that reflex game Hot Hands (aka Red Hands, aka Slap Jack). You have to develop a sixth sense for the quarterback’s timing. Of course, the QB can always give you a hard count to draw you offside, but if you’re really in tune with the game, you can feel the hard count coming. With young QBs especially, you can sense it. You see them coming up to the line, and something is a little different about their demeanor — maybe their body language is different, or their voice is a little deeper. Some quarterbacks even have a little tell where they lift their heels up right before they call for the snap.
But now let me really, really break it down for you.
Let’s say I sniff out the count, and my brain says, “Here we go.” That signal still has to get from my brain all the way down to my legs. So I have to get a slight lean forward, and then as soon as the ball is snapped I have to explode in a split second. This reaction doesn’t just come naturally. Whenever I train, I’m always taking my first step off a whistle or a flashing green light or something — and I have to react instantly.
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/von-miller-the-5-toughest-guys-in-the-nfl/