What's a blitz in football? This article breaks down everything you need to know, from what the blitz strategy is, how it works, different types of blitz packages and their advantages.
Football is a sport based on brute force, power, skill and speed, but it’s also a thinking-man’s game. And there’s no better way to outwit your opponent than by dialing up the perfect play call at the perfect time.
For the defense, that often materializes in the form of a well-timed and well-designed blitz. We’ll walk you through precisely what a blitz is, the different kinds that teams employ and how blitzing can even impact your fantasy football team.
What Is a Blitz?
When a defense elects to blitz, it is sending more players rushing after the snap than the offense has to use as protection. If there is a five-man line without any additional blocking help, and the defense aggressively rushes with six or more defenders — defensive linemen plus linebackers, safeties or cornerbacks — this is called a blitz. In this scenario, the defense has a numbers advantage to get into the backfield to sack the quarterback, tackle a ball carrier for a loss of yardage, and generally create problems for the offense.
Blitzes can work against passing plays or rushing plays, and different kinds are designed to work against either. It’s on the coaches to dial the right ones up at the appropriate time.
3 Basic Goals of a Blitz
1. Increase pressure on the quarterback
The more pressure a quarterback is under, the more likely and susceptible the player will be to make a mistake or an errant throw. A blitz is most often used to disrupt the QB and throw an offensive play into disarray.
2. Disrupt an offensive play
As we were saying! So much in football is based on timing. If the offense can’t establish its rhythm; or if a running back doesn’t have a moment to cut after receiving a handoff; or if the QB is rushed and doesn’t have enough time to let a route develop before he throws, then the whole play risks falling apart. An incomplete pass may wind up being the best-case scenario for an under-pressure QB as opposed to...
3. Create turnover opportunities
With all of that pressure on the QB turning into an offensive play that’s not going according to plan, the defense could have a chance to not just shut the play down but instead seize possession of the ball. If a throw is too rushed, for instance, a defensive player could pounce into the passing lane and make the interception. Or if the QB is throwing with defensive players bearing down on him, then it’s quite likely the pass can be tipped into the air, where anything can happen.
Any throw that isn’t what the QB intended to do on a play is ripe for turnover potential, and that, ultimately, is the biggest goal of blitzing.
Types of Blitzes
Blitzes come in many different forms. It’d be awfully predictable for the quarterback to read if there were only one version. Instead, teams will disguise their blitzes pre-snap before deciding whether to send the house or send a darting defensive back into the backfield to throw things off kilter.
Here’s a closer look at some of the different kinds of blitzes teams will utilize over the course of a game and season:
Safety Blitz
This is exactly what it sounds like. One of the safeties will dart forward from the defensive backfield to the offensive backfield, either to make a beeline for the QB or in an attempt to stuff a running back at the line in a short-yardage situation. Pittsburgh Steelers great Troy Polamalu was one of the masters of this.
The downside to a safety blitz is that if it’s picked up or if it’s called against the wrong kind of protection, then the middle of the field could be left wide open for a chunk play — or even worse, a house call and long touchdown.
Zero Blitz
This is when the defense brings the house. There is zero coverage if the offense is able to counter it or read it quickly enough, but the goal for the defense is to force the issue and make a game-changing play, and it’s a safer play call if it’s all but a lock to be a short-yardage running play. It’s a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
Inside Blitz
In this scenario, linebackers will look to race through the inside gaps in the line, with the offensive linemen seemingly occupied by the other rushers and, if it goes according to plan, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of disruptors. If it’s a passing play, this should force the QB out of the pocket, which requires him to read things on the fly while operating on the move.
Cornerback Blitz
This is when cornerbacks race in from the outside to increase the numerical advantage. It’s most effective when the corner is coming from the blind side, so the QB doesn’t even see him coming — and also doesn’t recognize that the receiver he’s supposed to be covering either has acres of space or a favorable set of circumstances.
If the corner gets to the QB in time, then a jarring hit from behind with that much momentum generated from the rush can easily result in a sack and fumble.
Zone Blitz
Here, linebackers will rush forward while defensive linemen or defensive ends will drop back into coverage. This is a more difficult scheme to decipher in the moment, because there is so much unpredictability involved regarding who needs to be blocked, who is actually rushing and what matchups the skill players are left with.
See also:
Blitzes and Fantasy Football
You may think of yards, catches and touchdowns when it comes to fantasy football, but blitzing can impact your fantasy team’s weekly bottom line, too.
How? Well, aggressive defenses that frequently blitz have, in theory, a greater opportunity to rack up the kinds of plays that lead to fantasy points: sacks, turnovers, safeties and defensive touchdowns.
Whether you play with team defense/special teams units or individual defensive players, blitz-heavy and aggressive schemes in real life can provide a benefit in the fantasy realm.
They don’t come without risk, though. A blitz that’s picked up – meaning the running back delivers a key block, or the offensive line holds the defense at bay despite being outnumbered – often means the defense could be burned for big plays, which could potentially mean more points conceded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to know more about the blitz? You’ve come to the right place:
Why is it called blitz?
Blitz is short for blitzkrieg, a German military term that directly translates to “lightning war” and more loosely translates to surprising an opponent with immense speed and strength. In football terms, it’s not literally lethal, but the gist holds up just the same: if you can overwhelm your opponent with force and catch them off guard, you stand a great chance at emerging victorious.
What is the difference between a blitz and a rush in football?
A rush is when a defense doesn’t send any additional players into the offensive backfield outside of the down linemen. A blitz is when the defense adds additional rushers, in hopes of disrupting the play – while also knowing that if the blitz has been picked up, then the defense will be extremely vulnerable in coverage and shorthanded to deal with whatever the offense has in store.
What NFL teams are known for blitzing?
This can be a bit of a moving target given how new defensive coordinators could reshape how an organization operates over time, but there are certainly teams who have developed a reputation for getting after the quarterback aggressively.
One such franchise is the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose teams in the mid-1990s were even known as “Blitzburgh” for their penchant for blitzing under defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
A current defensive coordinator who is known for blitzing is Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings. In 2023, his defense led the NFL by blitzing an astounding 51.5% of the time.
Is it good to be a blitz-heavy team?
If it’s effective and sustainable, then sure, but one could argue that the less you have to blitz, the better. If you can successfully get to the opposing quarterback with just four down linemen, then there should be fewer holes in coverage and less for the opponent to exploit.
Blitzing all the time does not guarantee a positive outcome. Being able to pick your spots and also pressure the QB while not blitzing should be the aim of any team with high aspirations.
Blitz Your Opponents in Sleeper Fantasy Football Leagues
You’ve learned a bit about NFL strategy here, but now it’s time to blitz your friends, coworkers or complete strangers in a Sleeper season-long fantasy football league. You can get started either by signing up on the website or downloading the app, where you’ll find an ad-free and all-around pleasant user experience with unique features that no other fantasy platform can match.
If daily fantasy sports is more your pace, you can also enjoy Sleeper’s flagship paid-entry DFS games, Sleeper Picks and Daily Draft, where you can compete each week of the NFL season for cash prizes.
