Any Reason Why Offense Struggles more Against 3-4s

[Alexander]

Several teams and commentators have commenting on how nimble our guards are for their size. Especially Kosier.

"For their size".

That doesn't necessarily mean they are equipped to handle speed and recover quickly when out of position. Adams is a walking example of that. In fact, most of our lineman are maulers who can punish anyone they lock onto, but you can't maul what you can't catch.

I think the issue really isn't anything more than the fact that we've happened to play some good defenses that were 3-4s.

We have played better defenses that are 4-3 and did not have nearly the confusion and breakdowns we have seen against the likes of Green Bay. 3-4 defenses are about exploiting mismatches. We do have problems handling speed, especially when we throw more than pass and allow them to feel comfortable using it. That happened against both Denver and Green Bay.

 

[Crad|e]

That rookie clay matthews had a field day on us. He was everywhere.

 

[jterrell]

Peyton has always struggled versus 3-4's as well.

Big OL's traditionally struggles versus smaller more active players.
Timing offenses also struggle versus defenses who throw off the timing with various blitzes and change ups.

We man up on the Line so we don't always get the gaps right. If a guy mans up then his dude drops off that probably leaves someone free and the RB picking who to block.

 

[jterrell]

"For their size".

That doesn't necessarily mean they are equipped to handle speed and recover quickly when out of position. Adams is a walking example of that. In fact, most of our lineman are maulers who can punish anyone they lock onto, but you can't maul what you can't catch.



We have played better defenses that are 4-3 and did not have nearly the confusion and breakdowns we have seen against the likes of Green Bay. 3-4 defenses are about exploiting mismatches. We do have problems handling speed, especially when we throw more than pass and allow them to feel comfortable using it. That happened against both Denver and Green Bay.

both defenses used run blitzes early to cause Garrett to lose confidence there then they just pass rushed us to death once we were in passing downs.

it's what every good defense wants to do, including ours. we did it to atlanta and philly fwiw.

all in all i think it was just a bad game by our team, coaches included.

 

[NextGenBoys]

With 3-4 looks a defensive coordinator can disguise his blitzes, run support, etc. They can more easily line up showing one look and then morphing to execute another. That's wht Garrett gets in trouble with his "take what the defense gives us" mentality. A 3-4 scheme has the opportunity to trick him better into the wrong formation and play call. And the more easily Garrett gets baited/outcoached, the worse the offense plays. So at the end of the day, the root of the problem is not a 3-4 opposition; it's an inferior offensive coordiantor that gets more outcoached against a 3-4 team.

All of which you just discussed has to do with a QB making reads/adjustments not an offensive coordinator.

It's not like Garrett is calling plays while Romo is at the line. The 3-4 is hard against a QB, but it doesnt mean jack squat while Garrett is calling plays.

Garrett has his play call in far before the defense is lining up.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Bingo


This Offense faces a 3-4 everytime they practice. And I think I would hold Ware and Spence up against almost any LB's in the game.

They are play good 3-4 defenses and coming up short in those games on offense.

Dallas struggles with teams period. Some more then others.

Can we stop the myth that first team offense practices against first team defense? We practice against a 4-3 defense if we're going to be playing a 4-3, and we practice against a 3-4 if we're going to be playing a 3-4.

This week, Ware is going to practice against Free, but besides that, the first team offense NEVER practices against first team defense, unless its a scrimmage, which rarely if ever happen.

 

[Idgit]

Yeah, but two of those games were there man. Oh wow how the Ravens and Stealers game stung last year.

The Ravens win was on the D.

Offense sputtered away a great effort in Pissburgh, just to come up short.

I think this team is on the verge of getting the December monkey off of their backs.

Oh, no doubt. Those games were there for the taking and we spit the bit. It's just that it had to do with the level of competition and not the date on the calendar in 2008.

 

[jterrell]

All of which you just discussed has to do with a QB making reads/adjustments not an offensive coordinator.

It's not like Garrett is calling plays while Romo is at the line. The 3-4 is hard against a QB, but it doesnt mean jack squat while Garrett is calling plays.

Garrett has his play call in far before the defense is lining up.

Point still holds that when two plays are called but when you have 8 in the box it's pretty easy for the defense to wait until Romo gets his kill call in and then drop back into coverage.

Romo gets 1 of 2 plays as his choice not the entire playbook.

Peyton and the Colts have the same type system and also struggle versus 3-4s.

 

[Idgit]

I can't believe we're wasting a perfectly good Redsk*ns week complaining about how poorly our excellent offense has played this year.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Point still holds that when two plays are called but when you have 8 in the box it's pretty easy for the defense to wait until Romo gets his kill call in and then drop back into coverage.

Romo gets 1 of 2 plays as his choice not the entire playbook.

Peyton and the Colts have the same type system and also struggle versus 3-4s.

Ok, and your point is?

A 3-4 does not impact an offensive coordinator at all by moving players around, disguising blitzes, etc.

 

[perrykemp]

That rookie clay matthews had a field day on us. He was everywhere.

I was very impressed with Matthews. Did the Cowboys have an opportunity to draft him? It looked like he was shot out of cannon on every play.

 

[Don Corleone]

In the 90's we destroyed 3-4 D's. Our O-line were licking their chop's to run the ball.

...and it is true that the success of the Cowboys O-line and Emmitt Smith is what drove the move away from the 3-4 to a 4-3 by many teams back in the 1990's.

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]