Inside The Mad Scientist Mind of Manny Diaz
While the Penn State defensive coordinator’s ‘line games’ often appear like a jumbled, nonsensical mess, there’s actually a method behind the madness.
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Defensive statistical accolades roll call (trumpet sounds):
Through the first quarter of the 2023 season, Manny Diaz’s Penn State defense stands tall at No. 1 in total defense.
The Lions also rank No.1 in the FBS in passing yards allowed.
More? OK, more: Penn State is No. 3 nationally in sacks per game, No. 3 in defensive EPA, No. 1 in passing dropback EPA, No. 2 in scoring defense, No. 11 in Red Zone defense, No. 2 in first downs allowed per game, No. 14 in third down conversions per game, No. 5 in opponent time of possession, No. 1 in yards per play allowed…
(pauses for a sip of water)
…No. 6 in opponent punts per play, No. 15 in tackles for loss per game, No. 8 in third-down conversion percentage, No. 10 in takeaways, No. 4 in rush yards allowed per game, No. 7 in opponent completion percentage.
Should we keep going (because we can, trust us) or are you finally picking up what we’re putting down? Numbers on paper (or screens, we suppose, because who prints stuff on paper these days?) support the popular notion/narrative that Coach Diaz’s aggressive identity allows Nittany Lion defenders to consistently attack with their foot on the gas, play instinctively, and harvest multiple, game-changing defensive splash plays per contest.
Schematically, Diaz loves to blitz. Duh. From double-bird Cover 0 blitzes to “fire zones” and “creepers,” Diaz thrives in creating unique and unpredictable pressure packages that, yes, are made to confuse offensive linemen and specifically the QB.
But it’s more than that.
The true genius found in Diaz’s complicated, dizzying, sometimes captivating, sometimes frustrating, Cat’s Cradle-resembling “line games” is that the majority of the stunts and twists he deploys are multi-stage diabolical dances designed to encourage certain decisions from the offense that initially seem correct only to be completely wrong one second later.
In other words – both in run and pass defense – Diaz’s first chess move is nothing more than a set-up for his second and third chess move on a given play. He 1. Presents an immediate problem, thus setting the trap. 2. Offers an obvious escape valve for the offense, luring them into the trap. 3. Has free-running defenders waiting at the trap point.
For example:
So this is a “flush stunt.” Through a year-and-half in Happy Valley, it’s been one of Diaz’s most potent weapons during predictable 3rd down passing scenarios. The overall objective of a flush stunt is to entice the QB to flee the pocket (normally to his throwing strength – so right for right-handed QBs, and vice versa) where an untouched, looping defender will already be waiting or in hot pursuit to create a scramble drill, and hopefully force a throwaway or, even better, a sack.
Diaz dialed this up at 7:50 of the first quarter in the opener vs. WVU. The playside DE, 44-Chop Robinson, has the sacrificial task of attacking the inside of the right tackle, purposely surrendering outside contain toward the boundary. Robinson’s goal isn’t to sack the QB (although if he does GREAT) it’s to usher West Virginia QB 6-Garrett Greene into a logical choice/option – ‘Oh, I’ll just bail to the right and use my above-average legs to scoot for an easy first down!’ Unfortunately for Greene, PSU LB 11-Abdul Carter looped all the way around to be in position juuuust in case something like this happened (wink wink). Although Carter misses a sack he’ll get 9 times out 10, the flush stunt suckered Greene into a no-win situation. 4th down. Punt.
Here’s the play one more time:
Chop is the “set-up” – wildly ducking inside, slyly coloring outside the lines – in charge of duping the QB into the waiting arms of the “pay-off,” Carter. Again, this is a designed, multi-stage/multi-phase pressure in which one guy is asked to be a bit of a pawn (Chop) so another piece can checkmate the king. This unselfish, for-the-greater-good, spread-the-wealth approach explains why Penn State dominates FBS statistical categories as a team, yet isn’t well-represented in individual player B1G statistical rankings.
Another Diaz classic is simulated-pressure. This is where a defense may appear as if they are gonna rush seven defenders, but end up dropping out and rushing only 4 or 5 guys — the assortment of rushers never being the same. For example, maybe a defensive end drops into coverage and a nickel blitzes. Let’s take a look at this sack versus Delaware:
PSU, in its Prowler sub-package, shows 7 defenders that are likely to blitz pre snap. We got 23-Curtis Jacobs and 11-Carter “mugged” in the A-gap, and defensive backs 3-Johnny Dixon and 1-Jaylen Reed in sprinters’ stances on the edge. The remaining 4 defensive backs are “birds on a wire” in the secondary. This means they are all standing at the same depth.
For the Delaware QB and OC, this entire pre-snap picture screams Cover 0. To counter that look, the Blue Hens are definitely trying to get the ball out quick to a “hot” over the middle, which is normally the weak point of a Cover 0 defense. Sadly for the Hens, Carter and Jacobs engage with the OL for just a second, then drop into “hot zones” to take away any quick slant or in-breaking route. This engage-then-bail technique also prevents the OL from properly fanning out to the perimeter rushers, as they were occupied by the LBs lined up in the a-gap.
Different design and execution, but same philosophy as before – Set Up, Predictable Response from the Offense, Pay Off.
Of course, it also doesn’t hurt to have multiple future-millionaires hunting the QB, either. It is definitely easier to have a great scheme when you have great players executing it. There are countless examples throughout the first five games that illustrate Jimmies & Joes > X’s and O’s, so I’ll pick one out of a hat (maybe with a slight bias towards the Iowa game, well, because no one likes Iowa).
Hey, look at that, Chop Robinson’s strip sack at the end of the 3rd quarter vs. Iowa! (BTW, sorry about the missed opening to this play. Not sure what CBS was thinking. Perhaps Iowa’s warm milk offense put the director to sleep?)
Robinson is in a pure one-on-one matchup with Iowa’s left tackle 78-Mason Richman – the Hawkeyes best pass protector according to PFF entering the White Out. What’s crazy is that this pass rush might have been the least technically sound Chop had the entire night. Typically, he has a faster get-off/first step — this is one of his slower reps off the line. Typically, he has a more violent cross-chop or bullrush — he gets a tad stuck upon engaging on this play. I bring this to light because with the first half of the rep being not great, it makes the result even more impressive!
The LT doesn’t stand a chance against Chop’s speed as he bends the corner and hunts the ball. Strip sack.
Nice!