It’s in the best interest of the defense not to let a pass attempt get past the line of scrimmage. That’s the easier route to an elite pass defense.
Of course, sacking the quarterback takes care of that. But sacks are somewhat rare in the grand scheme of a game. There are plenty of defensive snaps where sacks don’t happen. It’s not easy to reach the quarterback and bring him to the ground.
The next best thing in stopping a pass from getting anywhere near a receiver is batting it down.
The Alabama football defense did so successfully in the season opener, batting four passes, per Pro Football Focus’ charting. That’s more than any other SEC team in the opening weekend. LSU was second most with three. Four teams didn’t even bat a single pass.
“Sometimes when you’re rushing three, you’re not always going to get home,” Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach said. “We try to affect the quarterback. A lot of people talk about sacks and stuff like that. If there’s a guy open down the seam or on a wheel route, we bat the ball down, that takes the air out of them. That’s just something we work on, we’ve always worked on. We were fortunate to get our hands on some.”
Sophomore James Smith led the team with two batted passes. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell and defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis had one apiece.
Campbell and Oatis are known commodities on the defense, but Smith is a rising talent. A player in the defensive line rotation, he made an impact in his 26 snaps vs. Western Kentucky.
“He’s done a great job,” Roach said. “James has grown up. James is working hard. The older guys are bringing him a long. Looking forward to seeing him play for years to come.”
