theogt;2925223 said:
Where does it say the Patriots are switching to a 4-3?
I've been reading on some other sites that they've been playing more 4-3 this preseason, so maybe that's where it's coming from.
I'll see if I can find a couple blurbs, but we're talking needle in the haystack research.
Edit: Guess not.
Patriots adding 4-3 elements to defense
Posted Aug. 22, 2009 @ 9:43 a.m.
By Matt Sohn
Bill Belichick has never been one to stand schematically pat, and his penchant to shake things up appears to be brewing in the front seven of the Patriots' defense. A longtime proponent of the 3-4 alignment, Belichick threw many for a loop in the preseason opener when he trotted out a four-man line and kept at it for the duration of the game. Does that mean the Patriots are abandoning their long-preferred scheme? Hardly. But the way we hear it, there will be a lot more variety in the "D" than the Pats have traditionally employed.
Much of the dabbling in the even-front relates to New England's pass-rushing difficulty. After racking up the second-best sack total (47) in the league in 2007, the club sank to a tie for 14th (31) last season. Because the personnel in the front seven hasn't changed significantly — save for the loss of OLB
Mike Vrabel and the addition of DE-OLB
Derrick Burgess — employing a more diverse game plan could revive the Pats' QB-takedown ways.
The Pats have dabbled with the four-man front in the past, most notably against the Colts in 2007. Deeming it necessary to get as much pressure on
Peyton Manning as possible while also keeping many defensive backs in the secondary to cover the wideouts, New England went with a 4-2-5 alignment throughout the contest.
With enviable depth on the line and in the secondary and a dearth of proven ability at linebacker, Belichick has many believing that four-down-linemen, nickel looks will be heavily utilized again. A less LB-saturated lineup also fits well with the linebackers they do have, most notably
Jerod Mayo. Belichick feels that the 2008 Defensive Rookie of the Year is a superstar in the making, and Belichick is intent on expanding his role in his sophomore campaign. After primarily manning the second level as a rookie, Mayo will be given more blitzing opportunities in '09, and his tremendous speed in pursuit will be better-utilized with fewer linebackers with whom to share the middle of the field.
The defensive line is in fine shape regardless of whether it has three or four players comprising it. DE
Richard Seymour ranks among the league's more versatile linemen, boasting the strength and quickness to penetrate when shifted inside. The Pats have even more flexibility to do that with Seymour now that they have Burgess, who's at his best when given the green light to attack the quarterback off the edge.
http://profootballweekly.com/2009/08/22/patriots-adding-4-3-elements-to-defense
