When after two games Sergio Kindle had failed to de-helmet a single quarterback, let alone record a sack, there was some COME ON CONCERN! amongst some that Kindle needed to pick up his play. Truth be told he was creating pressure, but he didn't do anything against ULM or Wyoming to make SportsCenter.
That, of course, did not last. So why did Kindle get to the quarterback against Texas Tech and UTEP? "Because he's an athletic freak?" Yes indeed, but let's take a frame by frame look to see how he did it and why he's going to get paid to play Sundays. (FYI you may click any image to enlarge.)
UTEP is four wide, no tight end, tailback alongside Vittatoe in the gun. Texas is in its standard nickel package, four-man rush with Muck aligned over the RB, Robinson sliding down to cover the slot receiver, and Sergio highlighted on the end of the line, down in 5-technique (outside the right tackle)
As Sergio explodes out of his stance you can see a couple things. First, he is in fact exploding. Big, quick first steps. Second, look at the big ol' gap created between the right tackle (sliding out to Kindle) and right guard (engaging Houston). Third, we were wondering pre-season if we had a tackle who could occupy two blockers -- Kheeston Randall (hidden here behind the "Play" button) has been terrific in giving us just that.
In the frame below you now see Sergio start to make his move. Note Kindle's body angle, aimed towards the quarterback and squared with the right tackle, who appears well positioned to handle a bull rush or shoot Kindle up the field of play where he'd have to circle back down to get to the quarterback.
A split second later, you can see much of the same, though from this angle it looks as though Kindle's engaged. All appears well, but keep this frame in mind -- we'll come back to it after a bit.
Uh oh.... Not engaged, it seems. And in no time at all Kindle has shifted his positioning from being aimed at the QB to being perpendicular to the sideline, creating space between himself and the slower-footed RT.
And now we get the money shot.... literally. The difference between a good collegiate defensive end and freaks like Sergio Kindle is what you see below. There just aren't many men his size who can plan their right leg two feet out from under their center of gravity, staying upright and squared in the upper body with their target destination.
Kindle not only stays upright but is able to propel forward off the plant, at which point it's game over. The right tackle must either hold/tackle Kindle or wave as he goes by. (Two other things to notice here, by the way: First, this is a nice angle of what we're getting from Randall taking on two blockers. Second, note that right after the snap Muck ran up and across the LOS. Here, the tailback decided to pick him up, but if the RB had stayed in to help with Kindle, the Texas linebacker has an unblocked path to the quarterback.)
And just like that, Kindle's there. As Muck knocks the tailback six feet back on his ass, Kindle unloads the turnover blow.
Okay back to earlier and the frame I told you to keep in mind. Here's another angle of Kindle when he appeared to be engaged with the right tackle. You can see clearly from this angle his excellent use of quick and strong arms to push away the tackle's attempt to engage him.
The separation allows him to continue his move without being slowed by what's now a one-arm reach from an offensive tackle...
And the athletic freakdom allows him to plant and go, go, to Vittatoe, a sack at this point inevitable.
(Watch video of the Vittatoe sack here.)
Of course, this was the second straight week that Kindle unloaded on the QB, so let's take a look at the replay from a week prior. Same situation as before, only Tech's tailback is on the strongside of the field. Kindle is again highlighted below, again in a 5-technique outside the right tackle.
Once more, Kindle appears aimed towards the quarterback, squared and engaged with the right tackle.
Once again, he is not. He's used his quickness to keep the tackle off him while continuing his motion upfield, shifting his body perpendicular to the opposite sideline to create the separation.
Another off-balance, one-armed reach by the tackle means bad, bad news for the quarterback.
He's now one step away from the freaky plant....
Yup, here it is...
And to Potts he goes...
It's curtains for Texas Tech.
(Watch video of the Potts sack here.)
4 recs | 64 comments
Freaky leg plant!
Job well done, PB (and Predator).
I think I sprained my right ankle just viewing those images.
Kool Hand - September 30, 2009
It's amazing how these players can do that
I remember seeing pictures of Jamaal Charles looking almost parallel to the ground on a cut. I thought to myself my weak ankles would just break off of me if I tried that.
TheElusiveShadow - September 30, 2009
rec’d of course
I’m becoming more and more optimistic that Kindle, barring injuries, won’t experience a slowdown in impact when the team faces opponents with better tackles. The guy just has it, and it works against even solid tackles. Kindle vs. Jarvis Jones’ right arm ought to be fun to watch.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
I love it, I love it
The pictures are awesome.. You can now truly understand why Sergio is a freak. I also remember another play from the Tech game where Sergio literally throws a 320 lb lineman to the ground within seconds of engagement
Crimson Fog - September 30, 2009
Yeah, and the guy he threw ended up grabbing Kindle’s facemask, at which point Kindle bear-crawled over him and still almost got the sack. That, not the helmet-dislocation, was my favorite play, because it showed an end with a considerable size disadvantage just plain launching a behemoth.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
link to video for this one?
PAHorn - September 30, 2009
I’d look for it, but I’m at one of those places that has banned YouTube, any other kind of video playback, and even audio streaming or playback.
No, not China or Lubbock.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
PB,
Can you post the video of the Vittatoe sack? Those of us that got stuck watching the Kansas game didn’t get to see it live.
Great job of illustrating what sets Kindle apart. The athleticism displayed is indeed freakish.
ctex80 - September 30, 2009
Links to video added
At the end of each set of frames.
Peter Bean - September 30, 2009
Awesome.
Thanks!
ctex80 - September 30, 2009
Positioning
Has Kindle mainly been lining up at left end or has he been moving to the right side at all? How often does he stand up as a LB and blitz or cover the field?
JohnsonUT - September 30, 2009
You also have to dig:
(a) The plant before hitting Potts is off of his inside leg — unreal
(b) The cloud of dust in the second-to-last frame
godelmetric - September 30, 2009
and,
© Between the third- and fourth-from-last frames, Winn has taken one step and fallen down while Sergio’s taken two huge steps and sped up
(check the dirt marks on the field)
godelmetric - September 30, 2009
Cloud of dust
Been getting a kick out of that this year. Kind of like watching a combination of football and a Roadrunner cartoon.
Horncasting - September 30, 2009
I didn’t even notice the black clouds until the weef pointed it out.
Yes, my weef actually watches the games!
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
Kindle is like two midgets, one sitting on top of the other
The bottom one is the legs obviously, and the top is the torso.
It appears to me that Kindle has such great trunk rotational flexibility, combined with core and upper body strength, that he can trick the defender into thinking he’s being engaged dead-on (bull rush style), while his legs (the bottom midget) is still running completely sideways.
As his legs pull him away, he’s able to twist his torso and shuck the defender to where his body once was, then change direction (his plant) and shoot forward unencumbered.
AWESOME.
TXinDC - September 30, 2009
Both QBs Unaware...Hmmm
Traditionally we’re told LT is the premium position on the OL because (in the case of right-handed QBs) he is protecting against an end-rusher hitting the QB’s blind side. In both these cases the QBs never even looked at Sergio even though he was rushing from the QBs front side. I would guess that some of this is deliberate placement on our part to pit our best pass rusher against what is theoretically a weaker blocker. But the fact that Kindle went unseen suggests bad vision by the QBs, or that he is extremely quick in getting to the ball.
the chairman211 - September 30, 2009
i'll go w/ the latter..nt
vy til i die - September 30, 2009
I think the bad vision plays into it.
While the latter is certainly a factor, slower Sergio=more time to be seen, I think the TT fans complaint about Potts throwing off his back foot along with how square Potts’ shoulders/feet are to the line of scrimmage means he’s not positioning himself to be able to see even a ball side rusher.
The whole blindside/ball side thing may be more true for QBs under center than shotgun, but unless you’re throwing across your body, you want to have your blindside foot forward to shift your weight onto as you throw. If Pott had done this, it would’ve turned his shoulders towards Kindle and he may have seen him coming.
All the above looks to be true of Vittatoe as well.
I have a pretty limited knowledge about this kind of stuff though, so someone with more footbaw know how is welcome to enlighten me. (That even includes Beergut)
ajax77777 - September 30, 2009
great job...
Hornsup21 - September 30, 2009
Nice write up
Watching these plays at live speed really makes one appreciate the athleticism Sergio Kindle possesses. Even not coming from the blindside, he gets off too quickly for the QB to reasonably expect to get lit up.
And Muck destroying that RB was hilarious. He knocked him over as if he was shooing away a gnat and didn’t pay him any attention afterwards.
TheElusiveShadow - September 30, 2009
Optical Illusion
What you see in the stills is not what you see in real-time. He’s going to break the bank. Even a 4-3 NFL team would have to take a look at him as a pass-rush specialist. Not sure he can immediately play an every-down 4-3 linebacker, but he could given some time.
Brackens, Orakpo, Kindle – all freaks. Even Robison is a freak.
Eskimohorn - September 30, 2009
Freaky plant
Any guesses whether that freaky plant will hold up on grass?
Magnificent Bastard - September 30, 2009
It would
If the grass held up.
The turf is really really freaking close to perfect condition grass.
If that chunk was already loose or muddy or something like that, then yeah he would eat it. But in normal average grass, no problem.
BoddickerIsClutch - September 30, 2009
Anyone checked how often he has lined up against the LT vs. the RT this season?
Coming into the season, Kindle was supposed to be the Buck, the weakside DE, taking the position Orakpo played last season. I questioned the wisdom of moving Kindle to that position, b/c it meant he would be placed against the opposing team’s best blocker, their LT. Through the first two games, it appeared my questions were well-founded, as he was a virtual non-factor.
Now, he has two sacks in his last two games, but it has come with him moving to the Strong end spot, going up aganst the opposing team’s RT, usually the stronger and less-athletic of the two tackles. So, in order for Kindle to be productive in the pass rush, they need to move him to face a less-athletic tackle, b/c he isn’t enough of a freak to beat left tackles.
So much for Muschamps’ “they’re gonna need a GPS” comment; they just need to look to the RT on obvious passing downs.
Beergut - September 30, 2009
He'd beat Barrera
Magnificent Bastard - September 30, 2009
you're assuming Barrera would start against texas
We’ve changed LTs so often this season, I’m not sure who will start week-to-week.
In any case, if Barrera does play against texas, saying Kindle would beat a kid who is 6 months out of high school is REAL impressive.
Beergut - September 30, 2009
Ass
UT2001 - September 30, 2009 via mobile
nice argument
I can’t argue with what you said, so I’ll just resort to name-calling.
Nice logic.
Beergut - September 30, 2009
not much arguing...
…I’m guessing the ass comment was intended to your refusal to capitalize TEXAS
vy til i die - September 30, 2009
Warning
UT2001 this is a second warning on provoking Beergut. Disagree if you like, but refrain from provocations.
Peter Bean - September 30, 2009
Not particularly productive.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
Boy howdy you sure do an ace job of making yourself look like an idiot
TXinDC - September 30, 2009
more name-calling
national champion debaters in Austin, huh?
That is, of course, assuming you actually WENT to Austin.
Beergut - September 30, 2009
I'VE BEEN OUTED FOLKS
I didn’t actually go to UT, GASP!
We’re 1/4 of the way through the season, and you’re writing off a DE who’s playing his first season at the position.
Your observation that the two sacks mentioned above came from the strongside is interesting, I’ll give you that. But just because you’re one of three people who posts on an Aggie website doesn’t really make me consider you an expert on why or why not Kindle has so far shown success on the strongside. Could be the differences between the LT and the RT, but then again, it could be something even more nuanced that even the Great Eye of Beergut missed.
And I never made it past district in UIL debate, so once again, you’re absolutely dead on with your guess as to my past. Don’t get that wife-beater too dirtied up after you finish jerking yourself off in congratulations for going two-for-two on your guesses.
TXinDC - September 30, 2009
A virtual non-factor?
Swing and a miss. He didn’t have the sacks, but the looks were vanilla, because the teams weren’t of any real concern, and he did get great pressure.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
How many Texas games have you watched this season?
learned hand - September 30, 2009
3 tackles against ULM and 5 tackles against Wyoming is a virtual non-factor
for someone who is supposed to be an All-American DE
The person who has been playing like an All-American has been Sam Acho.
Beergut - September 30, 2009
You don't think that could have something to do with
not wanting to show scheme before Tech?
ctex80 - September 30, 2009
wow
it must be fun being a coach at texas
The fans believe virtually everything you say.
So, the sneaky scheme Muschamp was going to break out against Tech was to move Kindle to the strongside? Brilliant!!!!
Beergut - September 30, 2009
wow
it must be fun being a wanna-be coach in your mom’s basement
What school do you coach at, again? I think I missed that. How much does that school pay you? Does it compare to anything the coaches at TEXAS make? They must be doing something right. Brilliant, indeed.
vy til i die - September 30, 2009
Who put a bug up your ass today?
Normally you have some decent stuff to contribute, but today, you’re trolling.
ctex80 - September 30, 2009
Goodness guys
How long has Beergut been around? A long time… Either engage him with what he’s saying or just ignore him. It’s that simple.
Peter Bean - September 30, 2009
Does he get a pass since he 'works' for SBN?
Honest question. I don’t see anyone else come around near as often just to stir up trouble. It seems most folks would get a warning and then a ban.
TXinDC - September 30, 2009
I think it’d be unfair to ban someone for coming around and stirring the pot, as long as said stirring does not include offensive material or initiation of personal attacks. I haven’t been on SBN that long, but I don’t think I’ve seen either from BG.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
Bingo
It’s not that he’s getting a “pass.” He’s saying things that are very Aggie and that we disagree with. Agree with him or not, this community protects that kind of conversation. We either disagree with civility or (hint hint hint) ignore it when it’s something we think only a fan of another team could believe.
The only rule is that you’re not to call him a jackass. That’s it. Either disagree with his opinions or ignore them. Very easy.
Peter Bean - September 30, 2009
man...
..if only his site ran on the same principles.
vy til i die - September 30, 2009
Fair enough. Thanks for the clarification.
TXinDC - October 1, 2009
1) Bill Belichick lists/listed Tom Brady as “questionable” every game for several years prior to his wicked leg injury last year. Coaches, even the best of them, play mind tricks even if everyone in the known universe knows the opposite is true.
2) Your absolute refusal to capitolize Texas (you know, the state in which your own beloved school resides) is as good a reason as any to call you an ass. Some of us are proud to be Texan, regardless of school affiliation. So, yes, you are an ass.
3) Regardless of whether or not he was hiding his defensive packages or not, Kindle is doing better because of the packages being implemented. For you to insinuate otherwise is disingenuous at best.
GoHorns - September 30, 2009
For someone who claims to know the down-in-the-weeds aspects of football so well, it’s odd that you do dismiss non-statisical impact out of hand.
burntorangehorn - September 30, 2009
Why Does LE vs. RE Matter
You touched on one of my points, Kindle is placed against the RT both times. I find this interesting rather than some sort of indictment that he lacks elite talent. If he is pressuring the QB I don’t care if he’s beating the LT or the RT. Neither Potts nor Vittatoe is a threat to run. I will be interested to see where he lines up against a mobile QB, who would (in theory) see him coming and could scramble left away from pressure and towards his stronger blockers.
the chairman211 - September 30, 2009
Beergut's insinuation is that kindle isn't athletic enough to beat the LT of ULM or Wyoming
But can handily beat the RT of Tech. Basically, it’s a thinly veiled indictment of Kindle’s athleticism and skill based on hours and hours of Texas film study and scouting.
learned hand - September 30, 2009
Better said
For future BONizens who want to engage Beergut without just calling him an ass, this is the way to go.
Alternatively, you could remember he’s an Aggie biased by Aggie thoughts and just ignore.
Peter Bean - September 30, 2009
Oh I understand what he was saying
I just don’t think it makes a lick of sense
the chairman211 - September 30, 2009
Making sense isn't necessary if it will rile up the 'sips.
learned hand - September 30, 2009
the reason it matters if he doesn't get pressure against a LT
is b/c it means he is ineffective as a weakside DE
What the plays against Red Raiders and the Miners highlight is that Kindle is able to get sacks when he is on the strongside, facing the oppositions’ right tackle. My question in the offseason was if Kindle would be able to make a difference going against team’s best blockers as a weakside end. So far this season, the answer to that question appears to be ‘no’.
I watched what I could of texas’ games against ULM, Wyoming, Tech, and UTEP, and when the defense is on the field, I focus on Kindle. When he goes up against LTs, he is a largely ineffective. I don’t see him working off blocks well, or getting pressure on the QB. I see Sam Acho doing some great things, but Kindle really contributes very little.
Now, on the strongside, Kindle seems to do much better against RTs. This was the reason for my original question about how often he has lined up against LTs versus RTs. I’d like to know that number, and what the breakdown is for his production when coming from either side.
I thionk y’all may have an elite, playmaking defensive end on your team, but he wears #81, not #2.
Beergut - October 1, 2009
Yes, that would matter if he weren’t getting pressure against LTs, but of course he was, in fact, getting pressure against the left tackles in the first couple of games. He was getting pressure against a lot of people in those games, in fact. A guy can wreak havoc and put lots of pressure on the QB and yet still be virtually indistinguishable in the box score from a guy who plays just five snaps in the game.
burntorangehorn - October 1, 2009
Not so fast
Kindle being more effective against RT than LT could easily be because (right now) his left leg is better than his right leg for planting. I played some DE in high school (also DT and MLB on D), had an ankle injury but had to keep playing. IIRC, the problem was with my right ankle so the coach put me at left end. If this is the problem for Kindle, it will be fixed when he gets healthy.
Kindle may also be getting double teamed more when he plays right DE.
Kindle might also prefer to play left DE because maybe he is right handed and feels more comfortable having his right arm as the inside arm. If this is the problem, more practice will fix it.
Kindle may simply have more experience or naturally be more comfortable playing left DE than right DE. If this is the case, more practice should fix it.
The point is, who knows? It is interesting to discuss but we don’t have enough info to know for certain why Kindle is doing better at left DE than right DE. Personally, I don’t have enough information to know that Kindle is actually playing better at left DE than right DE.
Kafka - October 1, 2009
Another thing conveniently left out of beerguts analysis
This is Kindle’s first year playing DE. Ever. There is a learning curve no matter the athletic ability. It’s entirely possible that to speed up that curve, or eliminate it all together that he plays on the left side to compensate for that.
Acho has been playing DE since hs and was playing against far weaker talent so he had the opportunity to learn the right side of the line.
I respect beerguts knowledge of football. He displays it quite frequently and with great clarity (uncommon amongst aggies), but here, he’s showing his aggie bias and neglecting many factors that would influence the analysis.
GoHorns - October 1, 2009
actually
I haven’t completed my analysis yet, which is why I’m asking for data on appearances at WDE vs. SDE
I suspect one of the reasons Kindle may not be as successful against LTs is he may not be as strong as they are. Given that he is often giving up anywhere from 60-90 lbs (I’m not sure I believe that Kindle is over 250, he doesn’t look it) to these linemen, that wouldn’t be a surprise. One of the thngs that made Orakpo a freakish was his strength; he could overpower a LT just as easily as he could run by him. Kindle doesn’t appear to have that freakish strength, but then, few people do. That is what made Orakpo so good.
Beergut - October 1, 2009
Kindle's strength seems to be his speed and cutting ability,
as shown in the picks above. Part of the reason that he hit Vittatoe and Potts before they saw him is that he is taking such a wide angle that he comes at them directly from the sideline. Whereas QB’s are always concerned about their blindside, Kindle is coming from an angle that they don’t see very often. Thus, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 turnovers, 1 badass DE.
When he decapitates Jarrod Johnson, I’ll be sure to send Beergut a link back to this thread.
ctex80 - October 1, 2009
That's two frequent commentors that have been highly critical of Kindle,
HornChamps and Beergut. I guess you can judge Kindle by the quality of his detractors.
ctex80 - September 30, 2009
Tks
For putting up the videos. Never saw it live because of the Kansas v Southern Miss game.
Orangechipper - September 30, 2009
Yeah I just watched the video of the Vittatoe sack
and then kept watching and man Goodwin can fly. Anyone else notice him come out of nowhere and almost catch Monroe on the kickoff return? He passed half of the UTEP team in the process. I’m excited to see this kid in action for the next 4 years, he is impressive.
2Cor12:9 - September 30, 2009
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