The general concept seems to be to use a use a formation that is 1/2 step bigger.
By 1/2 step bigger I'm referring to the ratio of front players (DL and LBs) vs DBs and/or the small DE at LB.
The big 4-3 with the DE/LB hybrid at OLB is bigger than a normal 4-3.
The 3-4 vs 3 WRs is a 1/2 step bigger than going to the 4-2-5 Nickel (4 DBs vs 5) but the extra OLB gives some flexibility in coverage over a 4-3.
The 3-3-5 is a 1/2 step bigger than than a 4-1-6 (5 DBs vs 6) but gives more flexibility than a 4-2-5 in coverage.
Mike Nolan had another formation where the Safeties crowd the line and
#71 drops deep into the middle of the field in coverage.
He had
#71 doing a little bit of everything. The draft pick Anae played a similar DE/LB hybrid role in college and has almost identical size to #71.
The reason for Mike Nolan's varied fronts appears to be focused on different methods to stop the run without sacrificing too much in coverage.
The #1 problem for the 2019 Cowboys defense and the Cowboys defense vs the Rams in the 2018 season playoff game was stopping the zone run.
- Marinelli's scheme had a weak spot vs zone runs and he wouldn't change his DL scheme.
- In 2019 Kris Richard tried to solve the problem by variations in the back 7, but without changing the DL scheme it just made things worse.
- Offenses were able to routinely get 2 OL out to block LBs when they ran the outside zone which has a cut back to the inside option for the RB.
- The biggest weakness was when the outside zone run started towards the side where the 1tech was aligned.
- Both the 1tech and the 3tech are 1 gap further from the outside when the run is to the side of the 1tech.
- Marinelli had the 1tech quickly jump towards the outside which put him in a bad leverage situation when the RB cut back inside behind him.
- In the Cowboys vs Rams playoff game the Rams started their runs towards the side of the 1tech almost 100% of the time.
- In the Rams vs Patriots Super Bowl, the Rams only ran a small number of times to the side of the 1tech DT because of a small alignment adjustment that Belichick made.
In the 2018 season Super Bowl, Belichick made a small alignment/assignments adjustment from the base 4-3 and 4-2-5 that he had been using that season.
- Belichick's adjustment screwed up the Rams precision zone blocking scheme and removed the weakness of the 4-3 and 4-2-5 vs the outside zone.
- The Rams resorted to trying to run inside zone or man blocking which took away the advantage that had gotten them to the Super Bowl.
- Belichick moved one of the behind the DL LBs to the outside and up near the line.
- He had that big LB play outside contain and the DE on that side would play the B gap inside the OT.
- Belichick would keep the LB there even when the slot WR was on that side.
- In Nickel, he often swapped the SS and Nickel CB with the NCB back as one of the 2-deep Safeties and the SS up near the line.
- The Rams focus vs the Cowboys had been to box out the LBs horizontally.
- LB stays inside the OL block, the RB stays outside. LB stays outside the OL block, the RB cuts back inside.
- Belichick's adjustment put the LB outside and limited the LB's need to move a significant distance horizontally.
- With the DE playing the B gap instead of C gap, it squeezed down the gaps in the DL.
- The 1tech could stay in his A gap instead of trying to just towards the outside against the outside zone run.
- In 2019 Belichick went back to a base 3-4 on 1st downs and short yardage.
- In 2019 he mixed it up on 2nd and 3rd downs with 3-4, 4-2-5, 2-5, 1-5-5 and even a 0-6-5 and 0-5-6.
- As you indicated the coverage has to be in sync with the front.
- In the 2018 season Super Bowl Belichick played a lot of 2 deep Safety often with the SS and Nickel CB swapped.
- Mike Nolan also used a base 2 deep Safety look as a base. Each Safety has the option to move up towards the line based on the offensive alignment to their side.
Cowboys and the hybrid DE/LB:
- As mentioned previously, the draft pick Anae played a hybrid DE/LB role in college.
- I could see Jaylon or Randy Gregory taking some of those responsibilities.
- Jaylon appeared to be 250+ in 2019.
- They did have Jaylon play somewhat of a hybrid role in 2019 when they would pull a DT on passing down and replace the DT with a LB.
- See my next post for a screenshot of that alignment.
- Jaylon basically replaced the DT and another LB replaced Jaylon's normal role. Jaylon primarily aligned in one of the wide gaps on either side on the lone DT.
- Jaylon would often pass rush either from the inside or outside in that formation.
