Expected defensive lineups?

gimmesix

Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life
Messages
42,411
Reaction score
39,837
Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

1st and 10, 2nd and 6 or less, 3rd and 3 or less
RDE Marshawn Kneeland
NT Jay Toia/Mazi Smith
3T Mazi Smith/Osa Odighizuwa
LDE Payton Turner
WLB Kenneth Murray/Marist Liufau
MLB Jack Sanborn/Kenneth Murray
SLB Micah Parsons/Jack Sanborn
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

The defensive line gives us size and potential run-stopping ability, but not much pass rush. Eberflus likes to rush four, but I see him using Parsons as an attack-the-line player and dropping a DL into zone if the offense decides to pass in these situations.

2nd and 7 or more, 3rd and 4 or more
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas/Mazi Smith
LDE Dante Fowler/Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB Marist Liufau
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kaiir Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

Still have to protect against the run some, but we'll want to get the pass rushers on the field.

2nd and 10-plus, 3rd and 8-plus
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Marshawn Kneeland/Payton Turner
DT Osa Odighizuwa/Sam Williams
LDE Donovan Ezeiruaku/Dante Fowler
LB Markquese Bell
LB Marist Liufau
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kairr Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

This is essentially the NASCAR package.

Obviously, some of this will depend if players we picked up end up busting. It's hard to project whether the rookies will be ready to contribute from the start, and whether the trades will net us starters. Considering there's not much competition for the starting spots at linebacker and corner with Overshown and Diggs projected to start the season on PUP, I think Murray and Elam will play even if they aren't great. In fact, Elam may start over Revel if Revel is slow coming off his injury.
 
If he plays like a 7th rounder, the idea of Toia and Mazi anchoring the center should give you night terrors.
7th rounder doenst mean anything for anchoring , If Toia can play to his size and have decent technique he should be able to anchor and give good run support. ( Unlike Mazi who looks like a Tarzan but plays like Jane)
 
Let us see how Toia and Akingbesote look in TC.
They should be much better than Joey Ivey and Jorden Carrell were. After Rod pounded the table in excitement after they were drafted.
:laugh:
 
Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

1st and 10, 2nd and 6 or less, 3rd and 3 or less
RDE Marshawn Kneeland
NT Jay Toia/Mazi Smith
3T Mazi Smith/Osa Odighizuwa
LDE Payton Turner
WLB Kenneth Murray/Marist Liufau
MLB Jack Sanborn/Kenneth Murray
SLB Micah Parsons/Jack Sanborn
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

The defensive line gives us size and potential run-stopping ability, but not much pass rush. Eberflus likes to rush four, but I see him using Parsons as an attack-the-line player and dropping a DL into zone if the offense decides to pass in these situations.

2nd and 7 or more, 3rd and 4 or more
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas/Mazi Smith
LDE Dante Fowler/Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB Marist Liufau
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kaiir Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

Still have to protect against the run some, but we'll want to get the pass rushers on the field.

2nd and 10-plus, 3rd and 8-plus
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Marshawn Kneeland/Payton Turner
DT Osa Odighizuwa/Sam Williams
LDE Donovan Ezeiruaku/Dante Fowler
LB Markquese Bell
LB Marist Liufau
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kairr Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

This is essentially the NASCAR package.

Obviously, some of this will depend if players we picked up end up busting. It's hard to project whether the rookies will be ready to contribute from the start, and whether the trades will net us starters. Considering there's not much competition for the starting spots at linebacker and corner with Overshown and Diggs projected to start the season on PUP, I think Murray and Elam will play even if they aren't great. In fact, Elam may start over Revel if Revel is slow coming off his injury.
I think Turner/Kneeland will rotated and even kick inside at times in the nickel.
Parsons is going to be our full time RT and move around.
Sam, DE, Fowler, Parsons will form our version of the nascar packake (4 DE'S)
 
7th rounder doenst mean anything for anchoring , If Toia can play to his size and have decent technique he should be able to anchor and give good run support. ( Unlike Mazi who looks like a Tarzan but plays like Jane)
I think you are more of an optimist than I given where he was drafted, but fingers crossed.
 
7th rounder doenst mean anything for anchoring , If Toia can play to his size and have decent technique he should be able to anchor and give good run support. ( Unlike Mazi who looks like a Tarzan but plays like Jane)
I really like Juston Rogers from Auburn as a rotation guy with Mazi on early run downs that guy did pretty good in preseason last year is in his second year and is quick off the snap. if Defense is about getting up field and in a gap that guy could be something for us.
 
We will be in Nickel like 65%, Dime 10%, and base/4-3 at most 25%. There’s no such thing as these ultra specific packages for things like “running downs”…most teams throw the majority of the time on 1st down nowadays. 3rd/4th and 2 or less is about the only sure thing of a run down.

Really it’s just a matter of rotating the DLine to keep them fresh
 
I think Turner/Kneeland will rotated and even kick inside at times in the nickel.
Parsons is going to be our full time RT and move around.
Sam, DE, Fowler, Parsons will form our version of the nascar packake (4 DE'S)
I figure Kneeland and Turner to be the base ends to keep offensive linemen from leaning on Parsons in the run game and wearing him down. Both players have shown more ability to play the run better than the pass. The question for me is whether we'll put Parsons out there at LB during those downs. I mean, we've got to take him off the field some, so it's best to do it on downs with a higher probability of a run.

I'm not sure on the NASCAR package if we'll think Williams is a better option than Odighizuwa. I'm not even sure if Williams will make the team.
 
If he plays like a 7th rounder, the idea of Toia and Mazi anchoring the center should give you night terrors.
Toia could turn out no better than Rogers or Ridgeway before him, but all we can do is include the players that we have.
 
I really like Juston Rogers from Auburn as a rotation guy with Mazi on early run downs that guy did pretty good in preseason last year is in his second year and is quick off the snap. if Defense is about getting up field and in a gap that guy could be something for us.
It could be him, but I like what I see from Toia in that rotational role. Of course, there's a reason he didn't go until the seventh.
 
We will be in Nickel like 65%, Dime 10%, and base/4-3 at most 25%. There’s no such thing as these ultra specific packages for things like “running downs”…most teams throw the majority of the time on 1st down nowadays. 3rd/4th and 2 or less is about the only sure thing of a run down.

Really it’s just a matter of rotating the DLine to keep them fresh
I agree with you on the percentages, but I believe there are players you use for specific situations. You don't want your nose tackle types out there when it's third-and-10, for instance. First-down package is a lot harder to predict because teams do throw a lot on first down, but I think the first goal is to stop the run and you have to use players who are good at that in order to do it. Ideally, you'd have DTs who are adept at both, but we don't have those kinds of players. Odighizuwa is probably the closest we have and he can be blown off the ball at 280-plus pounds.

I do think whoever our second run-stopping tackle is will play 20 percent of the snaps or less. Mazi will probably play 30 percent at most.
 
Figuring out what the first-down lineup will look like is a bit difficult for me because I don't know what Eberflus wants to do with Parsons on the early down. Does he play him at linebacker even though he doesn't like to blitz his linebackers? Does he leave him off the field on first down? I don't think that's likely, though it would be good to give him some rest on that down and save him for pass rush situations even though obviously teams do pass on first down. Eberflus's defense overall have been pretty good at stopping the run, so I do think there will be an emphasis on playing the bigs out there on first down.

1st and 10, 2nd and 6 or less, 3rd and 3 or less
RDE Marshawn Kneeland
NT Jay Toia/Mazi Smith
3T Mazi Smith/Osa Odighizuwa
LDE Payton Turner
WLB Kenneth Murray/Marist Liufau
MLB Jack Sanborn/Kenneth Murray
SLB Micah Parsons/Jack Sanborn
CB Shavon Revel
CB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson

The defensive line gives us size and potential run-stopping ability, but not much pass rush. Eberflus likes to rush four, but I see him using Parsons as an attack-the-line player and dropping a DL into zone if the offense decides to pass in these situations.

2nd and 7 or more, 3rd and 4 or more
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Osa Odighizuwa
DT Solomon Thomas/Mazi Smith
LDE Dante Fowler/Donovan Ezeiruaku
LB Marist Liufau
LB Kenneth Murray
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kaiir Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

Still have to protect against the run some, but we'll want to get the pass rushers on the field.

2nd and 10-plus, 3rd and 8-plus
RDE Micah Parsons/Dante Fowler
DT Marshawn Kneeland/Payton Turner
DT Osa Odighizuwa/Sam Williams
LDE Donovan Ezeiruaku/Dante Fowler
LB Markquese Bell
LB Marist Liufau
CB Shavon Revel
CB Kairr Elam
NCB DaRon Bland
S Malik Hooker
S Juanyeh Thomas

This is essentially the NASCAR package.

Obviously, some of this will depend if players we picked up end up busting. It's hard to project whether the rookies will be ready to contribute from the start, and whether the trades will net us starters. Considering there's not much competition for the starting spots at linebacker and corner with Overshown and Diggs projected to start the season on PUP, I think Murray and Elam will play even if they aren't great. In fact, Elam may start over Revel if Revel is slow coming off his injury.
You don’t put one of the top 3 DE’s in the NFL on the bench on 1st down. Other than that, the starting lineup will depend on who wins the jobs in training camp and injuries.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
465,253
Messages
13,861,154
Members
23,788
Latest member
mattyice
Back
Top