Using the Play Clock to Time Blitzes

Few defenses do a better job of using the playclock to their advantage when blitzing than Steve Spagnuolo-coached teams.

The below examples come from the 2024 Divisional Round matchup between the Chiefs and Texans.

The biggest sequence of the game came in the 4th quarter with about 10 minutes remaining and the Chiefs leading 20-12. This was the best chance the Texans would have to tie the game.

In this sequence, the Chiefs did a great job of holding their looks and not revealing their hand until the protection was set and there wasn’t enough time on the play clock to adjust.

Let’s start with 2nd-and-10 from the Chiefs’ 40-yard line. Below is the look that the Chiefs presented and the Texans would set their protection to. They had 4 to protect 4 to the left, and right tackle Blake Fisher was responsible for defensive end George Karlaftis over him:

The Chiefs were counting on them setting their protection that way.

But with just 4 seconds left on the play clock, and just as Houston was getting into its silent-count, linebacker Nick Bolton crept down into the B-Gap: