The 43 Flex, from Tom Landry to Rob Ryan

[dwmyers]

http://codeandfootball.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/the-43-flex-from-tom-landry-to-rob-ryan/

The Tom Landry Flex:

The Rob Ryan Flex:

Excerpt:

When introduced, it caused a lot of confusion, because Dallas soon came to be able to play the 43 inside/outside from the Flex set. That was the upside, as no one knew what they were actually playing. The downside is the weak side defensive end’s pass rush was effectively stuffed whenever the Flex was played. By the late 1970s early 1980s, it became almost automatic for teams to pass when they saw the Flex. Consequently, as Charlie Waters explains in Golenbock’s book, the Flex was played less and less.

 

[jterrell]

excellent work there.

the truth is ryan plays it like his dad's 4-4.
he loves having that 8th man as a wild card.

he is slanting the OL into gaps but only they know if they were reading or attacking. ryan's 4-4 was all out attack, landry's 4-3 flex was about reading the play.

i was taught to key the guards as a linebacker running a 4-3 flex type scheme.
in a more aggressive scheme you dont read anything you assault an area.

 

[dwmyers]

The interesting thing about the 46 (Buddy's 4-4) is that it's very much a living defense in the high schools and small colleges, because with smaller linemen and lesser talent you're able to defend the run.

So, in places like the Coach Huey forum, there are 46 threads that have been going on for years. From what I've read on Coach Huey, the linebackers in the 46 have keys, usually one of the backs. But the 46 places enormous emphasis on great skills on the "outside" backers, especially the "W" backer (Will in a 43), who often is the adjuster and has to be able to rush like a lineman and then handle slot receivers. Your "Sam", your "Will" need coverage, linebacker, and lineman skills, and your SS needs coverage and linebacker skills.

In Rob's systems, it seems that players get trained in a variety of skills, and then he moves them around so that it becomes impossible to trend on the basis of look. The eventual goal is to confuse the offense, and when that happens, the defense can dictate what the offense can do.

A lot of my 43 flex discussion was keyed off chapter 20 in Pete Golenbock's book, which is the most confusing thing until you realize that Dick Nolan is using Tom's jargon for the offensive and defensive lines, which is flipped compared to the common convention. That threw me for the longest.

D-

 

[BARRYRAY]

I must confess that it's beyond me to understand.What I did get was that this is the same old tired Cowboys defensive personnel getting shoved down the field pretty much.Did you all see something I missed.If we win this year it will 51-49 or something like that.Ware still looks like the team and other ten guys despite all the hoopla are still bad..It looked like they shoved it down our throats all the way down the field.The "flex" didn't do a whole lot that I could see.

 

[Kilyin]

I must confess that it's beyond me to understand.What I did get was that this is the same old tired Cowboys defensive personnel getting shoved down the field pretty much.Did you all see something I missed.If we win this year it will 51-49 or something like that.Ware still looks like the team and other ten guys despite all the hoopla are still bad..It looked like they shoved it down our throats all the way down the field.The "flex" didn't do a whole lot that I could see.

It was only used the first play of the game. And it resulted in a batted down pass attempt (D. Ware). Honestly, maybe they should use it more.



[youtube]H0gAF4GzaLo[/youtube]

 

[dwmyers]

Found something akin to Ryan's 43 Flex described on the blog Compete in All Things, link here.