Micah Parsons may see less hybrid work under Matt Eberflus

[thunderpimp91]

Don’t 75% of snaps in the NFL come out of a 4-2-5?

Seems like you’re kind of reinventing the league, and the premise of the article, to fit your idea of a 3-4 defense, which only 3 teams actually run.

It’s not the LT/Gastineau era anymore.

If I’m misunderstanding, please clarify, but I imagine we see Micah at DE more often with Eberflus, not less.

Pretty much. It’s a lot tougher to get players for a 3-4 since 70+ percent of snaps are with a 4 man alignment. Even teams that do run a 3-4 like a Pittsburgh are running a very different 3-4 defense than we ran back in the parcells/phillips eras.

 

[gimmesix]

Don’t 75% of snaps in the NFL come out of a 4-2-5?

Seems like you’re kind of reinventing the league, and the premise of the article, to fit your idea of a 3-4 defense, which only 3 teams actually run..

If I’m misunderstanding, please clarify, but I imagine we see Micah at DE more often with Eberflus, not less.

Oh, I think we'll see him more at DE with Eberflus, too. And yes, teams are most often in the nickel or dime defense because this is a passing league, and Parsons will be at DE in those packages. The 3-4 or even full 4-3 are primarily used on early downs and short-yardage situations. I would just like to see Parsons at linebacker in those situations, where he can attack the run or pass but not line up in front of an OT trying to lean on him and wear him down.

It kind of depends on what percentage of the snaps we want Parsons to play. If it's 90 percent (since he's our most valuable defender and we don't want him off the field much), then let's assume that 75 percent of the time we're in nickel and he's at end. Then I think it would do him good to be at linebacker the other 15 percent. Now, maybe the point is moot because even when he'd be at linebacker, he'd still be attacking the line of scrimmage. It would just be harder to target him and especially to double or chip him.

As far as how many teams run a 3-4, there are a lot of teams that are multiple and mix the fronts. Quinn did that when he was here. I'm not advocating switching to a 3-4 full time. In fact, I'm not advocating switching to it all. I think he can play SLB in the 3-4 on early downs and short yardage.

 

[gimmesix]

Maybe that’s the problem.

They are so fixated on the 4-3 they don’t realize they actually have more players for the 3-4 than the defense they refuse to abandon.

I'm not as big on it having to be the 3-4 or the 4-3. I just think we have to get Micah off the line of scrimmage some. He's a hard-charging player and between the energy he expends and having to take on players who outweigh him by 50-80 pounds, it just wears him down. We could rest him more, but we don't want to play too many snaps with our one star player in the front seven off the field.

 

[Rockport]

Completely false. The basic design of a 3-4 defense is to play the run.

This has already been hashed out and proven to be true. Research it.

 

[Rockport]

Lol.

As opposed to how well they have done so far in the 4-3?

Micah was also the highest graded lb in college against the run btw. Just saying.

No Philly fan, if you look at the pro’s and con’s of the 3-4 defense, susceptibility to being gashed in the run is a con.

 

[thunderpimp91]

This has already been hashed out and proven to be true. Research it.

No Philly fan, if you look at the pro’s and con’s of the 3-4 defense, susceptibility to being gashed in the run is a con.

I've done my research and I'm telling you the truth.

If the 3-4 is susceptible to the run why were the top 3 users of the 3-4 (to my knowledge at least) all top run defense, bottom pass defenses?

Baltimore - #1 against the run, but # 31 against the pass
Pittsburgh - #6 run, #25 pass
Denver - #3 run, #19 pass

If what you say is true then why do 3-4 teams primarily use 3 man fronts on early downs, and transition to 4 man fronts on passing downs?

 

[phildadon86]

No Philly fan, if you look at the pro’s and con’s of the 3-4 defense, susceptibility to being gashed in the run is a con.

I’m not saying it isn’t. I’m saying that we have a LB that was tops against the run in college in a 3-4 defense. I’m not disagreeing with you.

And I’m not a Philly fan. At all.

 

[gimmesix]

I've done my research and I'm telling you the truth.

If the 3-4 is susceptible to the run why were the top 3 users of the 3-4 (to my knowledge at least) all top run defense, bottom pass defenses?

Baltimore - #1 against the run, but # 31 against the pass
Pittsburgh - #6 run, #25 pass
Denver - #3 run, #19 pass

If what you say is true then why do 3-4 teams primarily use 3 man fronts on early downs, and transition to 4 man fronts on passing downs?

Agreed. Part of the purpose of the 3-4 is to get three big men in the game instead of two to control the run. The two outside linebackers being defensive ends essentially means you have a five-man front. Now, if you don't have ideal big men for the 3-4, then it can be vulnerable to the run.

 

[visionary]

“Micah is a premier pass rusher. We’re going to use him that way, certainly, and he’s one heck of an athlete that can do a lot of different things for us on defense. And when you have a guy like that, you want to be able to utilize his skill set.

As we’re around him more, we’ll see what that skill set is, and really take advantage of that. … He knows that we’ll just make him in the best light that he can be in terms of position, in terms of pass rush, and really utilizing what he does best, and that’s rushing the passer.”

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...brid-work-defensive-coordinator-matt-eberflus

This is a good sign. Figure out what he does best and take advantage of that. Sounds simple but sometimes coaches overthink things.

Can you show a quote from a coach saying “we will not try to figure out what this player does best” or “we will figure out what this player does best but make him do something else completely”

I will wait

 

[rags747]

I think he should be used more like the Giants used LT. Parsons is not LT, but he's talented enough to be used more than just a pass rusher.

100%! He would not get as beat up too. The Giants had some great LB’ers and D lineman back when LT was playing so they could afford to have him freelance a bunch. In Dallas Micah is pretty much the only game in town when it comes to rushing the qb so he has been stuck at DE a lot.

 

[Praxit]

Having Fowler, Williams and the rookie 2nd round pick should go a long way in freeing up Parsons.

..yep, hoping so. ..

 

[conner01]

I think you overlooked the title of this and what Eberflus said about him being a premier pass rusher and we're going to use him that way. Eberflus uses blitzes less than most coaches, so I won't be surprised if we play Micah almost exclusively at end.

Now, he does do that best, but it's tough to ask him to hold up at 250 pounds to going up against offensive tackles down after down. Frankly, I'd play him at SLB on early downs and have him attack the run and pass (not drop into coverage much), even if that means dropping a lineman so we're only rushing four. I also think if we're going to rest him, it needs to be on downs where a run is more likely.

I’d play him much like we have. Who ever is the weak link on the oline. But I’d hold him to less snaps per game. His job is rushing the passer so I’d have him rushing the passer on which ever side he has the best advantage and over center some too. Moving him makes doubling him a bit harder. But hopefully we have more help on the other edge which would hopefully open up more pass pressure too

 

[gimmesix]

I’d play him much like we have. Who ever is the weak link on the oline. But I’d hold him to less snaps per game. His job is rushing the passer so I’d have him rushing the passer on which ever side he has the best advantage and over center some too. Moving him makes doubling him a bit harder. But hopefully we have more help on the other edge which would hopefully open up more pass pressure too

I'm not sure Eberflus likes moving players around. He's not into complicating the scheme, but instead getting everyone so comfortable with what they are doing that they can just fly to the ball.

 

[plasticman]

Not good.

If they make Micah stationary, then he is going to get beat up by a double team of 300 pounders.

You will notice a pattern if you study Micah's stats. His sack rate, QB hits and pressures gets cut in half after 12 games. It gets cut in half again during playoffs.

Micah averages about .9 sacks a game during the first 12. He averages about .46 sacks for the remainder of the regular season. He averages .26 sacks in the playoffs.

Linebackers can play effectively up to 15 years in some cases. As a DE, I seriously doubt that Parsons will get to 10 years. in addition, they are wasting elite talents. Parsons has the speed of a CB and is a big play generator.

Parsons would be far more effective if the opponents were unsure of his location on a particular play

 

[Majic]

Same topic we keep coming back to. Why play Micah as a full time end? With a talent like Micah this needs to be a 3-4 base to keep him fresh.
This is why I don't think the deal gets done with him. If you were serious about re-signing him you would not put him out at DE full time and if you moving back to LB you are narrowing his strengths.
This is not rocket science. Still waiting for the first person in the Dallas media to actually put this to Stephen, Jerry or Will.

 

[CCBoy]

I've done my research and I'm telling you the truth.

If the 3-4 is susceptible to the run why were the top 3 users of the 3-4 (to my knowledge at least) all top run defense, bottom pass defenses?

Baltimore - #1 against the run, but # 31 against the pass
Pittsburgh - #6 run, #25 pass
Denver - #3 run, #19 pass

If what you say is true then why do 3-4 teams primarily use 3 man fronts on early downs, and transition to 4 man fronts on passing downs?

Where the size and location of big players were located and outside heat.

 

[CCBoy]

I’m not saying it isn’t. I’m saying that we have a LB that was tops against the run in college in a 3-4 defense. I’m not disagreeing with you.

And I’m not a Philly fan. At all.

So, are you saying the Dallas linebackers are good or not?

 

[CCBoy]

Can you show a quote from a coach saying “we will not try to figure out what this player does best” or “we will figure out what this player does best but make him do something else completely”

I will wait

That premise in sports starts out stupid as hell...wait!

 

[CCBoy]

Same topic we keep coming back to. Why play Micah as a full time end? With a talent like Micah this needs to be a 3-4 base to keep him fresh.
This is why I don't think the deal gets done with him. If you were serious about re-signing him you would not put him out at DE full time and if you moving back to LB you are narrowing his strengths.
This is not rocket science. Still waiting for the first person in the Dallas media to actually put this to Stephen, Jerry or Will.

More elements to open up selections and reduce wear by putting opponents and their heels. 3 more sacks?

 

[phildadon86]

So, are you saying the Dallas linebackers are good or not?

Our best Lb is being forced to play DE.

I’m excited to see what Murray can bring, hoping the light goes on for Liafu, and Overshown comes back healthy.

Right now it’s probably our biggest weakness next to DT