[Woods]

Originally Posted by WoodysGirl

Monday, February 18, 2013

Newbury: On the New Defensive Line


David Newbury is back to examine the changes in the Cowboys defensive line as it applies to the new scheme and the players needed to fill those roles. Enjoy.

The Cowboys recorded 35 sacks last year. DeMarcus Ware recorded 11.5 sacks. Anthony Spencer had 11. No other Cowboy finished the year with 5. Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett felt like Dallas needed more plays from their defense so they made a change. They fired Rob Ryan and his 3-4 Defense and hired Monte Kiffin. Kiffin brings with him an impressive resume and the 4-3 defense. So, what does the 4-3 defense bring?

Switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3

[View Full Quote]

Last year the Broncos, Rams, Bengals, Vikings, Dolphins, Bears, Panthers and Titans finished in the top 10 in sacks. Those 8 teams run a variation of the 4-3 defense. The strength of the 4-3 defense is that it allows the defensive lineman to attack the line of scrimmage and read the play on the move. They can literally defend the run on their way to pressuring the quarterback. Last year the Rams and Bengals recorded 35 and 32 sacks respectively on 1st and 2nd down alone. Remember the Cowboys had 35 sacks all year. The 3-4 Defense Dallas ran relied too much on the talent at OLB to make plays. Dallas got 7 sacks from their entire defensive line last year. Dallas needed a scheme change to get more production from the defensive line.

Remember the 4-3 defense is a 1 gap system. It allows undersized defensive lineman to win with quickness and technique. The 3-4 Defense requires specific personnel. 3-4 Defensive linemen are worker bees. They need to do the dirty work so the linebackers around them can fly around and make plays. The 4-3 defense allows coaches to get the most out of their personnel. Terrific players like Geno Atkins and Henry Melton excel in the 4-3 defense. They would struggle mightily to make plays in a 3-4 Defense. There isn’t room in a 2 gap 3-4 defense for an undersized defensive lineman. Josh Brent and Kenyon Coleman are gone so Dallas doesn’t have a good two gapping player on their roster at the present time. So how does the switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 impact the Cowboys defensive line?

Read the rest: http://sturminator.blogspot.com/2013...sive-line.html

Thanks WG.

That article was a really good read.