Mediots -- The 3-4 defense

[ejthedj]

Check out this stupid article...

It might be time to sack the 3-4 defense
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9008317
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst

(Oct. 27, 2005) -- Heading into 2005, all we heard was that many teams were experimenting with the 3-4 defense. Bill Belichick and his Patriots team had won three of the past four Super Bowls using the 3-4, so the rest of the league was supposed to follow their lead.

Not so fast! The top four teams in the NFL in sacks play the 4-3 defense and have no intention of jumping ship with the results they're getting.

Indianapolis, Atlanta, Seattle and Tennessee get to the QB better than anyone. It's only Week 8 and these four teams already have 95 sacks combined. The most impressive stat is that 79 of the 95 sacks belong to guys who start out with their hand on the ground. Indianapolis leads the NFL in sacks with 26, and 24 of them are by the front four.

A few years ago, Charlie Weis and his Patriots offense, with a complete understanding of the 3-4 defense from Bill Belichick, spread out the Steelers' 3-4 defense with "spread sets" and empty formations. The result was outside linebackers could not get to the QB. In the 4-3 package, the front four stayed intact.

As one Patriots coach said, "You will never see (Colts defensive end) Robert Mathis leave the rush box because of offensive alignments."

Another 4-3 coach said, "With the proper stunting up front -- which the 3-4 can't do, but the 4-3 can -- it's not hard to get your best pass rusher on the right offensive lineman."


I can't believe this guy gets a paycheck

First, learn how to read -- your own website, nfl.com, lists San Diego, Dallas, and Atlanta all tied for second in sacks at 24 (2 behind Indy). That is two of the top five from 3-4 defenses (Tennesse also has 24).

Second, only 1/4 of the league runs the 3-4 -- The fact that 40% of the top 5 in sacks (and 50% of the top 10) are in the 3-4 when there are so few teams running it should prove something.

Third, I saw a stat last week about the Boys having the most sacks per passing play.

Fourth, 3-4 defenses are avergaing 18 sacks on the season. 4-3 defenses are averaging 16.6.

Fifth, If you exclude Houston and Cleveland from the 3-4 list (cause they just suck) -- The margin is even larger. 5 of the 8 total 3-4 teams are in the top 10 in sacks.

Sixth, the Colts have the best pass rusher in the league. They should be doing well.

Fire this guy immediately. His moustache makes him look more like a porn star than a sports journalist anyway.

 

[ejthedj]

bump - no one ever replies to my posts

 

[NYCowboy22]

Check out this stupid article...

It might be time to sack the 3-4 defense
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9008317
By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst

(Oct. 27, 2005) -- Heading into 2005, all we heard was that many teams were experimenting with the 3-4 defense. Bill Belichick and his Patriots team had won three of the past four Super Bowls using the 3-4, so the rest of the league was supposed to follow their lead.

Not so fast! The top four teams in the NFL in sacks play the 4-3 defense and have no intention of jumping ship with the results they're getting.

Indianapolis, Atlanta, Seattle and Tennessee get to the QB better than anyone. It's only Week 8 and these four teams already have 95 sacks combined. The most impressive stat is that 79 of the 95 sacks belong to guys who start out with their hand on the ground. Indianapolis leads the NFL in sacks with 26, and 24 of them are by the front four.

A few years ago, Charlie Weis and his Patriots offense, with a complete understanding of the 3-4 defense from Bill Belichick, spread out the Steelers' 3-4 defense with "spread sets" and empty formations. The result was outside linebackers could not get to the QB. In the 4-3 package, the front four stayed intact.

As one Patriots coach said, "You will never see (Colts defensive end) Robert Mathis leave the rush box because of offensive alignments."

Another 4-3 coach said, "With the proper stunting up front -- which the 3-4 can't do, but the 4-3 can -- it's not hard to get your best pass rusher on the right offensive lineman."


I can't believe this guy gets a paycheck

First, learn how to read -- your own website, nfl.com, lists San Diego, Dallas, and Atlanta all tied for second in sacks at 24 (2 behind Indy). That is two of the top five from 3-4 defenses (Tennesse also has 24).

Second, only 1/4 of the league runs the 3-4 -- The fact that 40% of the top 5 in sacks (and 50% of the top 10) are in the 3-4 when there are so few teams running it should prove something.

Third, I saw a stat last week about the Boys having the most sacks per passing play.

Fourth, 3-4 defenses are avergaing 18 sacks on the season. 4-3 defenses are averaging 16.6.

Fifth, If you exclude Houston and Cleveland from the 3-4 list (cause they just suck) -- The margin is even larger. 5 of the 8 total 3-4 teams are in the top 10 in sacks.

Sixth, the Colts have the best pass rusher in the league. They should be doing well.

Fire this guy immediately. His moustache makes him look more like a porn star than a sports journalist anyway.

Those are some real good points. This journalist had nothing to write about, so he decided to conjur up his own false data and turn it into a story. It's not the first time and it won't be the last.

 

[AdamJT13]

We'd actually lead the league in sacks right now if our opponents hadn't intentionally grounded the ball three times while on their way down in the past two games.

I still think those types of plays should be counted as sacks -- if you're in the grasp and going down when you intentionally ground the ball, it should be a sack.

 

[jterrell]

Whats most notable is the 4-3 defenses having success are doing so with what could be described as 3-4 personnel.

Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Terrell Suggs? 3-4 OLBs in many systems. Even Jevon Kearse and Julius Peppers.

3-4 defense are outperforming 4-3 defenses by percentage but honestly its a matter of putting good players in position to make plays regardless of specific titles.

The best 2 pass rushing rookies are Merriman and Ware both of whom could be DEs or OLB depending on scheme. As long as you get the players and get them as many one on one match ups as possible you'll do well.

 

[jterrell]

We'd actually lead the league in sacks right now if our opponents hadn't intentionally grounded the ball three times while on their way down in the past two games.

I still think those types of plays should be counted as sacks -- if you're in the grasp and going down when you intentionally ground the ball, it should be a sack.

absolutely.

 

[fortdick]

Hey, what is up with the moustache hate?

 

[Nors]

I agree - we are losing sure fire sacks as QB's rifle the ball away.

I think that our schemes and players are making offenses work a lot harder. We are getting pressure and also starting to get a lot of turnovers.

That we have allowed only 3 TD's last 4 games is outstanding. Noticed Spears starting and Canty out there more and more.

Look at the size we have now at OLB!

 

[THUMPER]

Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Terrell Suggs? 3-4 OLBs in many systems. Even Jevon Kearse and Julius Peppers.

Julius Peppers would be awfully huge for an OLB at 6'7" and 283 lbs. I don't see him as an OLB in any system. Agree with the rest though.

 

[junk]

The best scheme is the one that fits your personnel. Neither is superior.

Teams will continue to switch between the two depending upon the talents on their roster.

 

[Hiero]

I agree - we are losing sure fire sacks as QB's rifle the ball away.

I think that our schemes and players are making offenses work a lot harder. We are getting pressure and also starting to get a lot of turnovers.

That we have allowed only 3 TD's last 4 games is outstanding. Noticed Spears starting and Canty out there more and more.

Look at the size we have now at OLB!

yep I am really happy that Marcus is starting now, he's been getting better as the season goes on, i was disappointed as first, but very glad to see him overcome ratliff and coleman. He has been getting solid pressure so far, although I havent really been scouting him much.

 

[junk]

Whats most notable is the 4-3 defenses having success are doing so with what could be described as 3-4 personnel.

Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Terrell Suggs? 3-4 OLBs in many systems. Even Jevon Kearse and Julius Peppers.

3-4 defense are outperforming 4-3 defenses by percentage but honestly its a matter of putting good players in position to make plays regardless of specific titles.

The best 2 pass rushing rookies are Merriman and Ware both of whom could be DEs or OLB depending on scheme. As long as you get the players and get them as many one on one match ups as possible you'll do well.

The 4-3 defenses having success are the one with good pass rushers.

Those positions are so similar that you are going to have the same type of player playing both.

 

[VACowboy]

Atlanta plays a 4-3.

 

[VACowboy]

Julius Peppers would be awfully huge for an OLB at 6'7" and 283 lbs. I don't see him as an OLB in any system. Agree with the rest though.

He may be huge but he moves more than well enough to play OLB. Pittsburgh had a 280 lb. linebacker who played in multiple Pro Bowls.

 

[AdamJT13]

Atlanta plays a 4-3.

Nobody said Atlanta plays a 3-4.

 

[HanfordDixon]

Somebody needs to learn how to read.

Kirwan wrote that piece on THURSDAY, long before this weekend's games were played.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Atlanta gets a ton of sacks and so does the Colts. But, both have major problems stopping the run and in Atlanta's case, they really can't stop the pass either.

The Pats are getting killed because they lost Rodney Harrison and Wilfork is pretty lousy right now.

Rich........

 

[Hostile]

Nobody said Atlanta plays a 3-4.

First post in the thread. 7th paragraph from the bottom.

The author also forgets that the games played yesterday are not included in the stats because they had not been played on October 27th. Indy was on a bye this week, so was Atlanta

 

[Nors]

Atlanta gets a ton of sacks and so does the Colts. But, both have major problems stopping the run and in Atlanta's case, they really can't stop the pass either.

The Pats are getting killed because they lost Rodney Harrison and Wilfork is pretty lousy right now.

Rich........

Seymour has been out and their secondary is decimated
No more Ty Law catching up on them!

We are better than Pats right now.

 

[ejthedj]

Maybe it was writtenm before yesterday's games - but there were still 5 3-4 teams (out of 8) in the top 10 -- he was still dead wrong
((BTW, I did notice that before, and I was hoping someone would point that out so I could illustrate even more how Kirwan jumped the gun)

And, as for the moustache -- I don't hate moustaches, just porn-star ones