It's easy to regurgitate unoriginal opinions. Especially when they sound reasoned and sophisticated. We've all heard our moms do it trying to "fit in" during a Neanderthal football-watching Sunday afternoon. Heck, we all do it in unfamiliar territory from time to time.
Kumbaya over.
The fingernail-on-the-chalkboard regurgitation this offseason has been the ever-so-popular, "Dallas is trying to force 3-4 personnel into a 4-3 scheme, and it won't work."
People I respect have said this, media and former coach alike. The NFL Network characters, struggling with postcareer irrelevance, puke it up ad nauseum.
Frankly, I find it stupid. I mean.....a miscalculation of reasoning. (My children have informed me that 'stupid' is now akin to an f-bomb, so they're told in wussification class, which falls right after cup stacking period.)
Let's completely ignore, for a second, that Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer have put their hand down hundreds of times in their careers already, or that Dallas played 4-3 often a year ago. In fact as we contemplate this mud-at-the-wall epiphany, if defensive players only "fit" one scheme....well, our Swiss cheesers certainly didn't fit the 3-4 either, did they? Scrap the team and start over, right?
The myriad of overthought fallacies in this theory would be impressive, if not for its utter garbage.
Can Sean Lee not play middle linebacker in any scheme? Of course he can. So can Carter. In fact, both could excel at outside linebacker, too, which one of them will.
Not worried in the least there.
Have we not clamored to get Jay Ratliff off the nose for years? The off-tackle (3-technique) will benefit him greatly, and possibly extend his career. And Hatcher has basically lined up inside and played well much of his career already. Yes, we need a nose tackle, but we needed that anyway, regardless of scheme.
This should only help.
I'm told we "only have press corners." OK, fine, we have "press corners". Does that mean Carr and Claiborne are useless in a zone? Does that mean Kiffen is disallowed from taking advantage of their press-coverage ability altogether? Does that mean that we might (gasp!), not play the EXACT SAME DEFENSE AS TAMPA did during Bush's first term? Oh my gawd, I KNEW this was going to be a disaster! Please, if anything, the secondary assignments are supposed to be much easier to understand, which should only help our young safeties. I expect our secondary play to improve dramatically.
Check.
Basically, all the fear is tied up in two players, Ware and Spencer. Hmm, so we're missing sleep that two of our best, most experienced players are going to have to adjust to only half their former responsibility? You mean, no longer covering tight ends and running backs 10 yards down field? You mean, rushing the passer EVERY time the other team drops back? And playing the run otherwise? You mean, putting their hand down as they did their entire college career and 1/3 of the time in the pros?
Check mate. It's silly.
We haven't played good defense around here since Zimmer and his 4-3 left town. I've been stomping around about going back to the 4-3 like a child for long as I can remember. I HATE the 3-4, what it does to your best pass rushers and how it takes pass rushing defensive ends out of draft consideration. Defensive lineman should do more than just occupy blockers.
I'll go on record: our defense will be the biggest improvement of the team next year, simply because of a change in scheme and the minds of Kiffin and Marinelli. These guys know what they're doing. The defense is simpler in design and understanding, and they're both known as great teachers. This team HAS considerable defensive talent, and these gents will take advantage of it finally. Unlike Coach Hair the past few.
