It still blows my mind how this team doesn't run a 3-4 defense

[Zekeats]

They will still put out 3 guys who weigh less than 280 lbs and one who looks like he barely tips the scale at 300. That will never stop the run and we will continue to get gashed up the middle. If you stack 3 300lb+ interior lineman and have Micah and the 2nd rounder on the outside and Murray and Overshown in the middle this team would not only stop the run but it would allow all that speed to shine and make plays. It's a joke, the worst offseason move this team made was resigning a shrimp at DT to 20+ million a year.

 

[gtb1943]

when the front office is obsessed with pass rush and cares not at all with stopping the run, this is what you get

Mazi, unless he takes a HUGE step forward, is a bust

the only person we have on this team that could be a real NT is our seventh round rookie

we certainly have no one who could be 3-4 DE's

 

[visionary]

Agree
It will also truly unlock the potential of Micah and EZ

 

[SportsGuru80]

Yeah I think a 3-4 might be the best defense for the personnel....

 

[Bagman]

With guys like Micah, the BC kid, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler this team is LOADED with good 3-4 pass rushers. It would make sense to load up on some huge interior guys to make it work.



This team. Uggggh

 

[big dog cowboy]

Yeah I think a 3-4 might be the best defense for the personnel....

Only if you count Micah and Ez and LB's.

 

[gtb1943]

With guys like Micah, the BC kid, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler this team is LOADED with good 3-4 pass rushers. It would make sense to load up on some huge interior guys to make it work.



This team. Uggggh

we got pass rushers but you do realize the difference between a 3-4 DE and a 4-3 DE?
a 3-4 DE has to be bigger and stronger then anyone we have on the roster

 

[thunderpimp91]

Tough part about running a 3-4 and why I think very few teams do (most seem to be hybrids more than true 3-4) is because those 3 interior guys have to be spectacular players. It used to be that you could plug in three bigger run stuffers and get elite athletes for the edges, but with the evolution of the game interior pressure is so important against the pass. Pittsburg and Baltimore probably run the most true versions of the 3-4 as you'll see but look at how they load up on interior players who can get after the passer too.

 

[gtb1943]

Tough part about running a 3-4 and why I think very few teams do (most seem to be hybrids more than true 3-4) is because those 3 interior guys have to be spectacular players. It used to be that you could plug in three bigger run stuffers and get elite athletes for the edges, but with the evolution of the game interior pressure is so important against the pass. Pittsburg and Baltimore probably run the most true versions of the 3-4 as you'll see but look at how they load up on interior players who can get after the passer too.

one of the reasons BP liked the 3-4 more was because its easier to get LBs then DL that excel. I disagree about the priority put on DT's getting interior pass rush. Very few big DL ever will get a serious pass rush. you look at the teams winning SBs and how many of them have any real interior Pass Rush from the DTs?

 

[thunderpimp91]

one of the reasons BP liked the 3-4 more was because its easier to get LBs then DL that excel. I disagree about the priority put on DT's getting interior pass rush. Very few big DL ever will get a serious pass rush. you look at the teams winning SBs and how many of them have any real interior Pass Rush from the DTs?

20 years ago I think BP was absolutely correct, but the way the game has evolved has changed that.

I don't think I could disagree with you more in your saying that DTs pass rush should never be a priority. That is a common theme that pretty much all modern day super bowl teams have in common.

Philly - Milton Williams / Jalen Carter
KC - Chris Jones
SF - Javon Hargrave / Arik Armstead / Kinlaw
LA - Aaron Donald
Tampa - Vea / Gholston / Suh
Even Cincinnati in 21' didnt have elite players up the middle but still had a nice tiro of Ogunjobi/Hill/Reader who were all 300+ pound guys that combined for 111 total pressures that year

I bring up Pittsburgh and Baltimore in my previous posts in the example because look at the guys inside...

Pitts - Heyward (56 pressures), Benton (22 pressures as a NT) and they just used a 1st round pick on an interior guy with rush skills this year.
Baltimore - Madubuike (56 pressures), Jones (30 pressures at a NT), plus Oweh who isnt a true DT but does bump inside at times as well.

Compare those numbers to a guy like Mazi who totaled 8 pressures all year.

I haven't looked into the numbers much but I would be a pretty large sum of money that the worst defenses in the league last year are also among the worst in interior pressure rates as well...with maybe one outlier in there somewhere.