Our Misguided Defensive Philosophy

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I agree with you on the general principle about not needing big bodies and how overrated the 3-4 defense is in the modern game. I'm surprised that Cowboy fans are so quick to forget Dontari Poe and how easily teams just shielded and ran around him, but not sure this is a great example.

Brown is a C gap player here. He gets shielded off, but that isnt what makes this play work for Dallas. Your 1T and middle backers should be responsible for the dive. The nose gets blown out of the play. He started inside the hash mark, and ended up on the 1st and 10 graphic. I love Frankie Luvu as a player, but this is a horrible play. This was a power run play all the way and his first step was back. Just a bad read by Luvu which caused him to not initiate contact with the FB until 4 yards past the LOS. The other back should be playing in the UFL from this film. You're absolutely right that the scheme puts him at a disadvantage and this is the major downside of playing a 5-2 look as he needs to cover the dive as well as the back side gaps. That said though this is horrible LB play. The C completely failed to get to the 2nd level (because of how dominated the nose was) and barely got hands on the backer. Absolutely zero excuse for that backer to not fill the gap and make that play for a 2-4 yard gain.

This is why defensive depth is so important. You can have stars on the defensive side of the ball, but if you have a weakness it can be exploited and none of that star power matters.

I know it isn't Brown's fault. The point is that players like him can't make enough of a difference and it doesn't matter if your LBs run free from OL when they have too many gaps to cover.

Luvu might be a little bit late, but you can't just ask him to nose dive the A-gap at the snap - he has a coverage responsibility either on the TE or a slant from Cooks. You want 54 to make a play, but there's not much he can do because TP is just reading off of him - this alignment is effectively asking him to be in 3 gaps lol.

This is all solved by simply rolling the safety down and shifting the LBs over a gap A. But, you can't do that if you want to go 2-high.

 

[thunderpimp91]

To be fair, Dallas had the #5 defense in the NFL (2023) based on yardage, and the #5 defense based on scoring. Certainly there were some weaknesses, but that's a pretty good defense. I'm not sure Zimmer can match it, much less surpass it.

Yeah this doesn't get discussed enough. Situationally I think there are areas to improve, but the overall results will be very difficult for this years defense to replicate. In addition to what you've already said they were 4th in the NFL in creating turnovers as well.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

To be fair, Dallas had the #5 defense in the NFL (2023) based on yardage, and the #5 defense based on scoring. Certainly there were some weaknesses, but that's a pretty good defense. I'm not sure Zimmer can match it, much less surpass it.

That's mostly just schedule and the ability to play a lot of time with a lead.

That said, it's what most defenses need to be. Good defense is just a product of your passing offense in today's game. You can't have consistently strong defensive performances against capable offenses if your own offense is not scoring. The levy will always break.

 

[Chasing6]

So you must believe we drafted Mazi to capture a gap. Ok.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I know it isn't Brown's fault. The point is that players like him can't make enough of a difference and it doesn't matter if your LBs run free from OL when they have too many gaps to cover.

Luvu might be a little bit late, but you can't just ask him to nose dive the A-gap at the snap - he has a coverage responsibility either on the TE or a slant from Cooks. You want 54 to make a play, but there's not much he can do because TP is just reading off of him - this alignment is effectively asking him to be in 3 gaps lol.

This is all solved by simply rolling the safety down and shifting the LBs over a gap A. But, you can't do that if you want to go 2-high.

Disagree that Brown and similar player can't make enough of a difference, but mostly agree with you the rest of the way. The scheme Carolina ran was horrible, didn't put guys like Brown in position to maximize their impact, and you need to have a pair of elite LBs to pull it off. I hate nothing more than teams with elite interior players like Brown and pushing them outside. There is a reason that only a few teams still run a 3-4, and most have gone to a hybrid form that really isnt a true 3-4.

Bill Parcells refused to come out of retirement for a year when Sean Payton asked him to because he felt his schemes were outdated and that was over a decade ago.

 

[speedkilz88]

Lawrence and Kneeland have little bend,

You have quoted undersized LB'S on the whole. Anything under 240 is undersized

Broaddus bad mouthed Kneeland about that and now he says he's been proven wrong.

17:00

 

[speedkilz88]

Broaddus tells Will McClay also about how much more bendy, explosvie he is now.