We have clearly gone into copycat mode with regard to how we plan to reestablish a defensive presence. Seattle did it. Perhaps we can too. *shrug*
I think that's too simple. It is a copycat league mainly due to offenses do this and then someone finds a way to defeat it. Teams see that and do their thing with it. Then the offense sees it can penetrate the fortress that way so it finds another way and then circle of "life" repeats itself.
Teams are getting big, strong, fast and quick DTs to mix with the same DEs. That's hard to run on so offenses are going to ZBSs with delayed handoffs and having the running back run to daylight. This is a repeat of the cycle beginning in the late 40s and then 50s by the Browns.
Their are substantial changes from that cycle though as players have evolved as well as defenses and offenses.
Right now the 4-3 is back in vogue and teams are running a variant of the Tampa 2 with a mix of passing defenses. Seattle is one of more than a few teams running their version of it. We want to run our own version. Every coach has to adapt his defense to his personnel. And you don't run a base offense even half the time anymore so calling it a 4-3, 3-4 or hybrid 4-3 and 3-4 really is just a label or handle to simplify naming it something.
So yes, they'd love to run a defense like Seattle's. We need a better DL and better DBs to do that though at least as well as they do it.
