Nick Saban on zone defenses

[beware_d-ware]

I found a super-old video of Michigan State head coach Nick Saban at a coaching clinic, breaking down his 4-3 zone defenses. 1 hour long but hugely informative if you're a strategy wonk, and even a casual 5 minute viewing at some random timestamp will have you coming away with some great insights.




This has a relevance for the Cowboys because

-we play almost all the zone concepts that Saban discusses here.

-Saban, like Marinelli, is VERY focused on giving players simple and easy-to-digest assignments for every play. They've got the same mentality - think less, play fast. Richard did the same sort of thing in Seattle.

-Saban discusses the importance of playing man and forcing receivers off of routes, even in what would nominally be zone looks (he calls it pattern matching). "If you're going to sit back off the receiver and watch the quarterback's eyes, all you're going to see is him completing a pass." We've all been sick of seeing that since ~2012, and this is the year that that's all supposed to change.

So think of this as kind of a primer on the Cowboys 2018 defensive strategy.

 

[Ranching]

I found a super-old video of Michigan State head coach Nick Saban at a coaching clinic, breaking down his 4-3 zone defenses. 1 hour long but hugely informative if you're a strategy wonk, and even a casual 5 minute viewing at some random timestamp will have you coming away with some great insights.




This has a relevance for the Cowboys because

-we play almost all the zone concepts that Saban discusses here.

-Saban, like Marinelli, is VERY focused on giving players simple and easy-to-digest assignments for every play. They've got the same mentality - think less, play fast. Richard did the same sort of thing in Seattle.

-Saban discusses the importance of playing man and forcing receivers off of routes, even in what would nominally be zone looks (he calls it pattern matching). "If you're going to sit back off the receiver and watch the quarterback's eyes, all you're going to see is him completing a pass." We've all been sick of seeing that since ~2012, and this is the year that that's all supposed to change.

So think of this as kind of a primer on the Cowboys 2018 defensive strategy.

So we are playing the Eagles with 20+ year old schemes?

 

[GMO415]

I ain't watching an hour but wish he was our HC

 

[DiResta]

I ain't watching an hour but wish he was our HC

he claps
a lot
sorry

 

[Rockport]

I found a super-old video of Michigan State head coach Nick Saban at a coaching clinic, breaking down his 4-3 zone defenses. 1 hour long but hugely informative if you're a strategy wonk, and even a casual 5 minute viewing at some random timestamp will have you coming away with some great insights.




This has a relevance for the Cowboys because

-we play almost all the zone concepts that Saban discusses here.

-Saban, like Marinelli, is VERY focused on giving players simple and easy-to-digest assignments for every play. They've got the same mentality - think less, play fast. Richard did the same sort of thing in Seattle.

-Saban discusses the importance of playing man and forcing receivers off of routes, even in what would nominally be zone looks (he calls it pattern matching). "If you're going to sit back off the receiver and watch the quarterback's eyes, all you're going to see is him completing a pass." We've all been sick of seeing that since ~2012, and this is the year that that's all supposed to change.

So think of this as kind of a primer on the Cowboys 2018 defensive strategy.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[xwalker]

I found a super-old video of Michigan State head coach Nick Saban at a coaching clinic, breaking down his 4-3 zone defenses. 1 hour long but hugely informative if you're a strategy wonk, and even a casual 5 minute viewing at some random timestamp will have you coming away with some great insights.




This has a relevance for the Cowboys because

-we play almost all the zone concepts that Saban discusses here.

-Saban, like Marinelli, is VERY focused on giving players simple and easy-to-digest assignments for every play. They've got the same mentality - think less, play fast. Richard did the same sort of thing in Seattle.

-Saban discusses the importance of playing man and forcing receivers off of routes, even in what would nominally be zone looks (he calls it pattern matching). "If you're going to sit back off the receiver and watch the quarterback's eyes, all you're going to see is him completing a pass." We've all been sick of seeing that since ~2012, and this is the year that that's all supposed to change.

So think of this as kind of a primer on the Cowboys 2018 defensive strategy.

The Cowboys secondary coach is Kris Richard...

 

[acr731]

he claps
a lot
sorry

Maybe. But he's proven he's a much better coach than Garrett between all the pointless clapping.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Is there a part of making sure you load the defense with 5 star recruits?

 

[robjay04]

Maybe. But he's proven he's a much better coach than Garrett between all the pointless clapping.

Yes

15-17 NFL record would serve us well.

 

[acr731]

Yes

15-17 NFL record would serve us well.

And what are Garrett's accomplishments? Well?

 

[Idgit]

Maybe. But he's proven he's a much better coach than Garrett between all the pointless clapping.

 

[robjay04]

And what are Garrett's accomplishments? Well?

Well?

Better than 15-17

 

[acr731]

Its called taking the high road. How much you wanna bet he wishes the SEC was loaded with Garrett-level coaching? Alabama would NEVER have anything to worry about.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Well?

Better than 15-17

BOOM!

*crickets*

 

[waving monkey]

Maybe. But he's proven he's a much better coach than Garrett between all the pointless clapping.

his not a good NFL coach

 

[waving monkey]

Its called taking the high road. How much you wanna bet he wishes the SEC was loaded with Garrett-level coaching? Alabama would NEVER have anything to worry about.

silliness

 

[Sydla]

Yes

15-17 NFL record would serve us well.

Yeah, I’d still take him over Garrett.

 

[Sydla]

his not a good NFL coach

Lol based on 2 years?

 

[G2]

Maybe. But he's proven he's a much better coach than Garrett between all the pointless clapping.

Yeah, he was amazing in Miami.

 

[Screw The Hall]

I found a super-old video of Michigan State head coach Nick Saban at a coaching clinic, breaking down his 4-3 zone defenses. 1 hour long but hugely informative if you're a strategy wonk, and even a casual 5 minute viewing at some random timestamp will have you coming away with some great insights.




This has a relevance for the Cowboys because

-we play almost all the zone concepts that Saban discusses here.

-Saban, like Marinelli, is VERY focused on giving players simple and easy-to-digest assignments for every play. They've got the same mentality - think less, play fast. Richard did the same sort of thing in Seattle.

-Saban discusses the importance of playing man and forcing receivers off of routes, even in what would nominally be zone looks (he calls it pattern matching). "If you're going to sit back off the receiver and watch the quarterback's eyes, all you're going to see is him completing a pass." We've all been sick of seeing that since ~2012, and this is the year that that's all supposed to change.

So think of this as kind of a primer on the Cowboys 2018 defensive strategy.

I really appreciate that video! A lot of great info packed in there.

Unfortunately, it has become impossible for anyone to post anything of value around here without an alarming amount of people glossing over anything substantive that might have been shared and instead spouting the same sarcastic rhetoric we've all heard a million times before, which without fail derails the entire thread into the repetitive, mundane arguments you see on every other thread regardless of how the original post was intended. It's boring as hell.

There's a time and place for sarcasm, but a lot of people around here need a refresher course on how and when. Sarcasm needs to be fresh and creative in order to be effective and what people have been passing off around here never was one of those things and stopped being the other a long time ago.