Could someone explain to me...

[Shuttemdown41]

...why exactly it is that one of the premiere defenses in the league over the past five or six years is making the transition FROM the 3-4 TO the 4-3 this upcoming season? Of course I'm talking about the Ravens and all this hype and excitement about the 3-4 has me wondering why Baltimore is abandoning the 3-4. Thoughts?

[jobberone]

Proper personnel to play and coach it. It's still a front seven.

[THEHEREAFTER]

...why exactly it is that one of the premiere defenses in the league over the past five or six years is making the transition FROM the 3-4 TO the 4-3 this upcoming season? Of course I'm talking about the Ravens and all this hype and excitement about the 3-4 has me wondering why Baltimore is abandoning the 3-4. Thoughts?


And didn't two of the most dominant defenses of the last decade.. the 00-01 Ravens.. and the 02-03 Bucs run a 4-3! Did we not run a 4-3 in 03-04 :confused:

[Shuttemdown41]

Proper personnel to play and coach it. It's still a front seven.

I know it's still a front seven job. What I don't understand is why a team with the DT, DEs, LBs and Secondary to play the 3-4 would make the switch to the 4-3 and why a team that is missing some key pieces to playing the 3-4 scheme would go out of their way to transition to that scheme. At the end of the day I don't care what scheme Dallas plays, I just want results. I have no agenda at all with my post, I'm just looking for an explanation to what I think is a valid question.

[Tobal]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but our defense was never that good. Good teams thrashed it when they needed too. When our offense was terrible teams just went conservative against us becuase they new we couldn't score.

Our defense was good at times but never dominant. How many times did we let teams convert thrid down late in games?

[CanadaBoys]

Proper personnel to play and coach it. It's still a front seven.


It's fairly simple. This past year they had a terrible time keeping blockers off Ray Lewis and he had a down year because of it. He was at his best when he had Sam Adams and Goose to hold off the Oline blockers and free him up to run and make plays. They no longer have the talent on the Dline to do this especially in the 3-4, since they are losing Doulgas AND Hartwell and Boulware stilla question mark it just amkes sense to invest in a couple big DT's and go with Suggs-Lewis-Thomas/Boulware.

For a shorter answer: To maximize Ray Lewis's freedom to run and make plays.

[Fan Since 77]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but our defense was never that good. Good teams thrashed it when they needed too. When our offense was terrible teams just went conservative against us becuase they new we couldn't score.

Our defense was good at times but never dominant. How many times did we let teams convert thrid down late in games?

nope. wrong.

[Chocolate Lab]

It's fairly simple. This past year they had a terrible time keeping blockers off Ray Lewis and he had a down year because of it. He was at his best when he had Sam Adams and Goose to hold off the Oline blockers and free him up to run and make plays. They no longer have the talent on the Dline to do this especially in the 3-4, since they are losing Doulgas AND Hartwell and Boulware stilla question mark it just amkes sense to invest in a couple big DT's and go with Suggs-Lewis-Thomas/Boulware.

For a shorter answer: To maximize Ray Lewis's freedom to run and make plays.
Plus IMO Suggs isn't really a linebacker, he's strictly a passrusher, so why not put him up on the line. This isn't a guy you want chasing guys in pass coverage anyway.

JMO and I hope this doesn't touch off THAT old debate again.

[CanadaBoys]

Plus IMO Suggs isn't really a linebacker, he's strictly a passrusher, so why not put him up on the line. This isn't a guy you want chasing guys in pass coverage anyway.

JMO and I hope this doesn't touch off THAT old debate again.

I bet he stay at LB. He's come far enough anow that it wouldn't make much sense to move him back up to the line on a permanent basis... Baltimore loves having that Pass rushing LB anyway. Suggs already plays DE on passing downs anyway. His job is to be adequate in run support on early downs, pass rush on 2nd a bit and move to DE on 3rd... he's rarely if ever asked to drop into pass coverage.

[Shuttemdown41]

I bet he stay at LB. He's come far enough anow that it wouldn't make much sense to move him back up to the line on a permanent basis... Baltimore loves having that Pass rushing LB anyway. Suggs already plays DE on passing downs anyway. His job is to be adequate in run support on early downs, pass rush on 2nd a bit and move to DE on 3rd... he's rarely if ever asked to drop into pass coverage.

I believe I read somewhere that Suggs said he'd been told by the coaching staff that he will be lining up with his hand down on the ground full-time next year.