Gregg Easterbrook's NFL column, and its running item Stop Me Before I Blitz Again makes me wonder about the efficacy of blitzing. This item from the Dec. 7, 2004 column is just one of many,
"Leading 16-14 with 1:38 remaining, Jacksonville had Pittsburgh on its own 42 and out of timeouts. The Steelers had not scored on the Jaguars in the second half to that point, so prudence seemed in order. Instead, it's a blitz! Six gentlemen cross the line, including two defensive backs. Easy completion to the Jax 40, and the Steelers are just two snaps away from being in range for the winning field goal."
I wonder if there are any sabremetric studies of football that indicate the efficacy of blitzing.
I thought of this because of Nestor's comment that we should blitz Romar versus OU. The conventional wisdom is that you blitz new/young QBs.
As a side note, it could be that the blitz is a bad play in the NFL but a good one in college. I just don't know.