BlindFaith
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http://www.fieldgulls.com/2011/5/31...roll-4-3-under-defense-part-i-an-introduction
Very informative article on the 4-3 Under Defense that was originally crafted by Kiffen. This article demonstrates how Pete Carroll modified it. Marinelli has incorporated some of these changes at times. But as you can see, we don't have the right pieces as of yet to make it work.
The 4-3 Under, in it's simplest terms, is a gap control system meant to stop the run and to pressure the passer. For the most part, each lineman and linebacker is responsible for one gap - this makes each player's responsibility fairly cut and dry and eliminates a lot of the reads and thinking from the game. Now, the 4-3 Under can be run with 2-gapping personnel as well, and that was something that we saw Red Bryant and Colin Cole doing when they were healthy in 2010, but it really depends on if you have the horses to 2-gap or 1-gap in this system.
As a refresher, here is how the gap and defensive alignment system works.
In the late 1980's, Monte Kiffin began coaching for the Minnesota Vikings with a coach named Floyd Peters and they further developed the 4-3 Under that emphasized rushing the passer. The 4-3 Under system uses almost exclusively a staggered alignment to the offense in this basic set.
SAM linebacker - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the tight end off the line of scrimmage a yard or two and is responsible for the D gap (to the outside of the tight end). He's also responsible for running in pass coverage from time to time.
Strongside defensive end - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the tackle, in a 5-technique alignment, and is responsible for the C gap (to the right of the tackle).
Strongside defensive tackle - Usually lined up shading the center in a 1-technique alignment and is responsible for the strongside A gap.
Weakside defensive tackle - Lined up in a 3-technique alignment off the weakside guard and is responsible for the weakside B gap in front of him.
Weakside defensive end - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the weakside offensive tackle and is responsible for the C gap on his side.
This leaves the strongside B gap and the weakside A gap open. These are the responsibilities of the MIKE and WILL linebackers.
The defense that Pete Carroll now employs uses the basic tenets of the Monte Kiffin 4-3 Under defense and mixes in a variation originally pioneered by the legendary George Seifert in San Francisco. Seifert wanted to create mismatches against the opposing offensive line so he started using his weakside defensive end to rove around and rush the passer from a two-point stance (standing up position). This was the beginning of the "Elephant" position and one that Carroll uses today. We also see this position called the LEO, and in the Hawks' defense can rush standing up or in a three-point stance.
It's the same basic alignment but as you can see, the SAM linebacker comes up closer to the line to play hard contain and the weakside LEO is pushed out a bit, maybe a yard off of the weakside tackle. The LEO's main job is to control the C gap while rushing the passer like a wild banshee and the SAM plays contain against the TE, runs in pass coverage with him, or rushes the passer in some situations.
Here is the basic description of each position in the Pete Carroll 4-3 Under.
LEO - Can be a little bit smaller than a normal DE and Pete Carroll tends to like a more athletic and versatile body type for his Elephant position; a guy that can speed rush the QB but also react quick enough to control his gap. Must also be able to drop back into coverage occasionally in zone blitz situations.
Strongside defensive tackle - Can be short and squat but must be able to take on a double team consistently.
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - Must be your premiere interior pass rusher and have an explosive first step. His main job is to pressure the QB and stop the run in his weakside B gap.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - Can be a bigger guy and must be great against the run. This is why you saw Red Bryant move out there in 2010.
SAM linebacker - Needs to be athletic and rangy; great against the run but able to run with tight ends and running backs in pass coverage.
WILL linebacker - Is going to get a lot of tackles and in Pete's system is typically a faster, smaller linebacker with range.
MIKE linebacker - Needs to be the field general; very instinctual and savvy. He needs to be quick enough to drop back down the middle third of the field in pass coverage in the Tampa-2 coverage.
Free safety - A guy that's going to move around a lot and be very instinctual as well. He's going to come up to the line a lot and will get a lot of tackles.
Strong safety - Has to be good against the run but like the free safety, will move around a lot and have to defend against the deep pass a lot. He will need to be fast and have some ball skills.
Cornerbacks - Need to be physical and long. They will get involved in run defense a lot so they must be good tacklers. They are protected over the top a lot of the time so typically they're not all-world defenders but need to be pretty fast.
So why is our defense so bad? We don't have the talent.
LEO - We have no one on this team with the athletic talent to be this guy. Mincey is not even close to this and I have my doubts that Lawrence is explosive enough to be that guy.
Strongside defensive tackle - Hayden does not control nor demand double teams
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - Melton has played well, but for whatever reason doesn't seem to be playing a lot. T Crawford has played well there, but I still don't see him as the ideal candidate long term.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - Selvie is not good vs the run and has disappeared against the pass.
SAM linebacker - Carter doesn't have the heart
WILL linebacker - Hutchins is a rook and may be a step slow for long term
MIKE linebacker - Ro Mac, when healthy, has been a reason why the defense isn't at the very bottom again
Free safety - Church/Wilcox. Church is too slow and Wilcox is not instinctual
Strong safety - See above
Cornerbacks - Carr is not physical. Scandrick is a keeper.
So we need some speed up front, in the middle and at the back end. What I'd like to see next year?
LEO - Lawrence to start, but I'd love to get a draft pick here than can rush the passer
Strongside defensive tackle - Let's see what Brent can bring. Maybe Bishop?
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - I'd work with Melton and do a reasonable contract.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - I still think T Crawford could be this guy
SAM linebacker - Ro Mac if he still wants to play and does so for a reasonable contract
WILL linebacker - Maybe Durrant comes back. He was playing very well. I'd still draft a guy here.
MIKE linebacker - Lee
Free safety - Wilcox
Strong safety - Draft
Cornerbacks - Get rid of Carr.
Going into next year's FA and Draft I'd be looking for the following:
Draft - Pass rushing end, Safety, WILL LB, 3Tech
FA - Corner, 1Tech DT
Very informative article on the 4-3 Under Defense that was originally crafted by Kiffen. This article demonstrates how Pete Carroll modified it. Marinelli has incorporated some of these changes at times. But as you can see, we don't have the right pieces as of yet to make it work.
The 4-3 Under, in it's simplest terms, is a gap control system meant to stop the run and to pressure the passer. For the most part, each lineman and linebacker is responsible for one gap - this makes each player's responsibility fairly cut and dry and eliminates a lot of the reads and thinking from the game. Now, the 4-3 Under can be run with 2-gapping personnel as well, and that was something that we saw Red Bryant and Colin Cole doing when they were healthy in 2010, but it really depends on if you have the horses to 2-gap or 1-gap in this system.
As a refresher, here is how the gap and defensive alignment system works.
In the late 1980's, Monte Kiffin began coaching for the Minnesota Vikings with a coach named Floyd Peters and they further developed the 4-3 Under that emphasized rushing the passer. The 4-3 Under system uses almost exclusively a staggered alignment to the offense in this basic set.
SAM linebacker - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the tight end off the line of scrimmage a yard or two and is responsible for the D gap (to the outside of the tight end). He's also responsible for running in pass coverage from time to time.
Strongside defensive end - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the tackle, in a 5-technique alignment, and is responsible for the C gap (to the right of the tackle).
Strongside defensive tackle - Usually lined up shading the center in a 1-technique alignment and is responsible for the strongside A gap.
Weakside defensive tackle - Lined up in a 3-technique alignment off the weakside guard and is responsible for the weakside B gap in front of him.
Weakside defensive end - Lined up to the outside shoulder of the weakside offensive tackle and is responsible for the C gap on his side.
This leaves the strongside B gap and the weakside A gap open. These are the responsibilities of the MIKE and WILL linebackers.
The defense that Pete Carroll now employs uses the basic tenets of the Monte Kiffin 4-3 Under defense and mixes in a variation originally pioneered by the legendary George Seifert in San Francisco. Seifert wanted to create mismatches against the opposing offensive line so he started using his weakside defensive end to rove around and rush the passer from a two-point stance (standing up position). This was the beginning of the "Elephant" position and one that Carroll uses today. We also see this position called the LEO, and in the Hawks' defense can rush standing up or in a three-point stance.
It's the same basic alignment but as you can see, the SAM linebacker comes up closer to the line to play hard contain and the weakside LEO is pushed out a bit, maybe a yard off of the weakside tackle. The LEO's main job is to control the C gap while rushing the passer like a wild banshee and the SAM plays contain against the TE, runs in pass coverage with him, or rushes the passer in some situations.
Here is the basic description of each position in the Pete Carroll 4-3 Under.
LEO - Can be a little bit smaller than a normal DE and Pete Carroll tends to like a more athletic and versatile body type for his Elephant position; a guy that can speed rush the QB but also react quick enough to control his gap. Must also be able to drop back into coverage occasionally in zone blitz situations.
Strongside defensive tackle - Can be short and squat but must be able to take on a double team consistently.
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - Must be your premiere interior pass rusher and have an explosive first step. His main job is to pressure the QB and stop the run in his weakside B gap.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - Can be a bigger guy and must be great against the run. This is why you saw Red Bryant move out there in 2010.
SAM linebacker - Needs to be athletic and rangy; great against the run but able to run with tight ends and running backs in pass coverage.
WILL linebacker - Is going to get a lot of tackles and in Pete's system is typically a faster, smaller linebacker with range.
MIKE linebacker - Needs to be the field general; very instinctual and savvy. He needs to be quick enough to drop back down the middle third of the field in pass coverage in the Tampa-2 coverage.
Free safety - A guy that's going to move around a lot and be very instinctual as well. He's going to come up to the line a lot and will get a lot of tackles.
Strong safety - Has to be good against the run but like the free safety, will move around a lot and have to defend against the deep pass a lot. He will need to be fast and have some ball skills.
Cornerbacks - Need to be physical and long. They will get involved in run defense a lot so they must be good tacklers. They are protected over the top a lot of the time so typically they're not all-world defenders but need to be pretty fast.
So why is our defense so bad? We don't have the talent.
LEO - We have no one on this team with the athletic talent to be this guy. Mincey is not even close to this and I have my doubts that Lawrence is explosive enough to be that guy.
Strongside defensive tackle - Hayden does not control nor demand double teams
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - Melton has played well, but for whatever reason doesn't seem to be playing a lot. T Crawford has played well there, but I still don't see him as the ideal candidate long term.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - Selvie is not good vs the run and has disappeared against the pass.
SAM linebacker - Carter doesn't have the heart
WILL linebacker - Hutchins is a rook and may be a step slow for long term
MIKE linebacker - Ro Mac, when healthy, has been a reason why the defense isn't at the very bottom again
Free safety - Church/Wilcox. Church is too slow and Wilcox is not instinctual
Strong safety - See above
Cornerbacks - Carr is not physical. Scandrick is a keeper.
So we need some speed up front, in the middle and at the back end. What I'd like to see next year?
LEO - Lawrence to start, but I'd love to get a draft pick here than can rush the passer
Strongside defensive tackle - Let's see what Brent can bring. Maybe Bishop?
Weakside defensive tackle/3-tech - I'd work with Melton and do a reasonable contract.
Strongside defensive end/5-tech - I still think T Crawford could be this guy
SAM linebacker - Ro Mac if he still wants to play and does so for a reasonable contract
WILL linebacker - Maybe Durrant comes back. He was playing very well. I'd still draft a guy here.
MIKE linebacker - Lee
Free safety - Wilcox
Strong safety - Draft
Cornerbacks - Get rid of Carr.
Going into next year's FA and Draft I'd be looking for the following:
Draft - Pass rushing end, Safety, WILL LB, 3Tech
FA - Corner, 1Tech DT
