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Defense adjusting to voices in their head
by Alex Marvez
Updated: June 19, 2008, 5:49 PM EST 138 comments add this RSS blog email print HOUSTON - Texans middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans hears voices in his head.
On this particular Wednesday, the sound is of Houston Texans linebackers coach Johnny Holland relaying signals during practice. Defensive coordinator Richard Smith will soon be doing the same in training camp and the regular season.
Hearing prepared Alex Marvez was at the Texans' training facility recently, where he got an up close look at the new defensive helmets. See what he learned about the new system and what the Houston players think about them.
To defensive players like Ryans, such jargon is music to their ears.
After long making rules changes designed to increase scoring, NFL owners reversed course this off-season by allowing the use of defensive helmet transmitters. Teams like the Texans recently began experimenting with the new technology during minicamps and OTA (organized team activity) sessions.
Rather than have to worry about reading signals from the sideline, Ryans is told the play through the transmitter. Ryans then conveys the information to his teammates just like the quarterback does on offense when receiving calls in his helmet.
"It's not a big adjustment for me," Ryans said after his first practice using the transmitter. "I just have to focus in and try to hear the coach. Usually, you don't have a coach talking to you until you get to the sidelines. Now, he's in your ear on the field."
Formations, stunts and blitzes won't be the only information verbally passed from coach to player. Like on offense, a line of communication will be open for 25 seconds before the transmitter is shut off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock.
"This gives you an opportunity to give a little more, like reminding a guy there's an opportunity for a quick count or to be on alert for something," Smith said. "That will be much more of a (defensive) advantage."
And a legal one.
Last season, New England was caught breaking NFL rules by videotaping the New York Jets' defensive signals. It was later learned the practice dated back to the 2000 season. That led the league to levy $750,000 in fines against the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick as well as strip a first-round draft choice.
Hoping to prevent another "Spygate" scandal, NFL teams approved the installation of defensive transmitters after the proposal didn't have the 24 owner votes needed to pass the previous off-season.
The offensive helmet transmitter was adopted in 1994 with a frequency system that has 268 million different encryption codes, league spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email. Aiello said there has never been evidence of a team tampering with the current frequency system.
"Each team has it own code, indecipherable by any other team or person attempting to listen in," Aiello said.
Defenses didn't have that luxury. Players, scouts and coaches league-wide have tried deciphering those signals by watching the opposing sideline.
Smith said he has "constantly" used mechanisms to prevent that from happening, like having multiple coaches signal at the same time. A designated assistant would wear a color-coded wristband that let Ryans know which play to call.
"Teams now can't see your blitz signals and alert their quarterback," said Ryans, Houston's leading tackler the past two seasons. "They don't know what's coming. It puts us all on a fair playing field."
At least in theory.
Smith and Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio are two of the coaches concerned whether the transmitter will continue to work when heavy contact is involved. The finalized helmets won't be sent to teams until July, plus NFL rules force teams to minimize hitting during the off-season.
While playing earlier this decade, retired NFL quarterback Jim Miller said his transmitter would sometimes malfunction following a strong blow.
"I have had both of my headsets fly out and just hang by their wires -- and they're velcroed-in pretty good," said Miller, who is now an NFL analyst for Sirius radio. "This may be a problem to the linebackers who dole out some good hits unless they have perfected the system."
The Arena Football League began using the defensive transmitter this season with generally positive results.
"No machine is perfect," said Utah Blaze defensive back Damon Mason, who is the AFL's all-time leading tackler. "Sometimes you get calls that cut out. Also, all the guys are waiting on you to give them the call so there is added pressure. But if I had a choice, I would rather have the headset than not. It makes it much easier to communicate and eliminates mistakes."
Other potential problems involving frequency or hardware that have affected quarterbacks won't surface for defensive players until game day. Some teams also may struggle to choose the defender that will wear the special helmet marked by a florescent dot on the back.
Only one defensive transmitter is allowed on the field, which has teams likely to designate an every-down player like Ryans and a similar backup in case of injury. But there are some defenders who don't want helmet communication with coaches. Crowd noise also may limit the transmitter's effectiveness.
"There will be some things we have to work through, much like the offense did years ago," said Del Rio, who plans to experiment with the defensive helmet during this week's Jaguars practices. "Finding out how you can best utilize it, there will be a little bit of experimentation with that this year."
Smith can't wait for the testing to begin.
"It's going to be outstanding if it works," Smith said. "But we're going to continue to train with our signals because we'd be crazy not to. If the transmitter system goes down, you've got to have that ability."
by Alex Marvez
Updated: June 19, 2008, 5:49 PM EST 138 comments add this RSS blog email print HOUSTON - Texans middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans hears voices in his head.
On this particular Wednesday, the sound is of Houston Texans linebackers coach Johnny Holland relaying signals during practice. Defensive coordinator Richard Smith will soon be doing the same in training camp and the regular season.
Hearing prepared Alex Marvez was at the Texans' training facility recently, where he got an up close look at the new defensive helmets. See what he learned about the new system and what the Houston players think about them.
To defensive players like Ryans, such jargon is music to their ears.
After long making rules changes designed to increase scoring, NFL owners reversed course this off-season by allowing the use of defensive helmet transmitters. Teams like the Texans recently began experimenting with the new technology during minicamps and OTA (organized team activity) sessions.
Rather than have to worry about reading signals from the sideline, Ryans is told the play through the transmitter. Ryans then conveys the information to his teammates just like the quarterback does on offense when receiving calls in his helmet.
"It's not a big adjustment for me," Ryans said after his first practice using the transmitter. "I just have to focus in and try to hear the coach. Usually, you don't have a coach talking to you until you get to the sidelines. Now, he's in your ear on the field."
Formations, stunts and blitzes won't be the only information verbally passed from coach to player. Like on offense, a line of communication will be open for 25 seconds before the transmitter is shut off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock.
"This gives you an opportunity to give a little more, like reminding a guy there's an opportunity for a quick count or to be on alert for something," Smith said. "That will be much more of a (defensive) advantage."
And a legal one.
Last season, New England was caught breaking NFL rules by videotaping the New York Jets' defensive signals. It was later learned the practice dated back to the 2000 season. That led the league to levy $750,000 in fines against the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick as well as strip a first-round draft choice.
Hoping to prevent another "Spygate" scandal, NFL teams approved the installation of defensive transmitters after the proposal didn't have the 24 owner votes needed to pass the previous off-season.
The offensive helmet transmitter was adopted in 1994 with a frequency system that has 268 million different encryption codes, league spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email. Aiello said there has never been evidence of a team tampering with the current frequency system.
"Each team has it own code, indecipherable by any other team or person attempting to listen in," Aiello said.
Defenses didn't have that luxury. Players, scouts and coaches league-wide have tried deciphering those signals by watching the opposing sideline.
Smith said he has "constantly" used mechanisms to prevent that from happening, like having multiple coaches signal at the same time. A designated assistant would wear a color-coded wristband that let Ryans know which play to call.
"Teams now can't see your blitz signals and alert their quarterback," said Ryans, Houston's leading tackler the past two seasons. "They don't know what's coming. It puts us all on a fair playing field."
At least in theory.
Smith and Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio are two of the coaches concerned whether the transmitter will continue to work when heavy contact is involved. The finalized helmets won't be sent to teams until July, plus NFL rules force teams to minimize hitting during the off-season.
While playing earlier this decade, retired NFL quarterback Jim Miller said his transmitter would sometimes malfunction following a strong blow.
"I have had both of my headsets fly out and just hang by their wires -- and they're velcroed-in pretty good," said Miller, who is now an NFL analyst for Sirius radio. "This may be a problem to the linebackers who dole out some good hits unless they have perfected the system."
The Arena Football League began using the defensive transmitter this season with generally positive results.
"No machine is perfect," said Utah Blaze defensive back Damon Mason, who is the AFL's all-time leading tackler. "Sometimes you get calls that cut out. Also, all the guys are waiting on you to give them the call so there is added pressure. But if I had a choice, I would rather have the headset than not. It makes it much easier to communicate and eliminates mistakes."
Other potential problems involving frequency or hardware that have affected quarterbacks won't surface for defensive players until game day. Some teams also may struggle to choose the defender that will wear the special helmet marked by a florescent dot on the back.
Only one defensive transmitter is allowed on the field, which has teams likely to designate an every-down player like Ryans and a similar backup in case of injury. But there are some defenders who don't want helmet communication with coaches. Crowd noise also may limit the transmitter's effectiveness.
"There will be some things we have to work through, much like the offense did years ago," said Del Rio, who plans to experiment with the defensive helmet during this week's Jaguars practices. "Finding out how you can best utilize it, there will be a little bit of experimentation with that this year."
Smith can't wait for the testing to begin.
"It's going to be outstanding if it works," Smith said. "But we're going to continue to train with our signals because we'd be crazy not to. If the transmitter system goes down, you've got to have that ability."
