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In American football, a blitz, or quarterback rush, is a defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage during a play, are instead sent across the line to the opponent's side in order to try to tackle the quarterback. The name of the play is taken from the Blitzkrieg, a German strategy of the "lightning war" during World War II.
The most common blitzes are linebacker blitzes. Safety blitzes, when a safety (usually the free safety) is sent, and corner blitzes, where a cornerback is sent, are less common. Sending a defensive back on a blitz is even more risky than a linebacker blitz, as it removes a primary pass defender from the coverage scheme, but is also less likely to be picked up by the offensive team's blockers.
History
Don Ettinger, a defensive tackle for the New York Giants, invented the blitz during his brief NFL career (1948 – 1950). Larry Wilson, free safety for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1972, pioneered and perfected the safety blitz, a play originally code-named "Wildcat". Defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis is widely credited with inventing the safety blitz.
See also
External links
"Blitz (American football)"