Why did we switch schemes?

[erod]

we had some elite guys at their positions?

Lee and Carter (when healthy) was looking like the best 3-4 ILB tandem outside of San Fran. Now, Carter gets benched and Lee is getting torched on passing plays.

Ware is the best 3-4 OLB since LT and Spencer was rated at the top 3-4 OLB last year. I know Ware is getting up there in age, but he doesn't look better in the 4-3. Also, you can't predict injuries, but it's doubtful Spencer would've graded out as the top 4-3 if he played this season.

Carr was very good and, despite what people think, Claiborne wasn't THAT bad in the man to man scheme. It fits the two of them better anyway. The move may have ruined Claiborne for good. That's not smart when you spent a 1st and 2nd on him the year before.

The only real upside from the switch seems to be the safety position, but that probably would've happened anyway with a healthy Church and now Wilcox.

I wasn't thrilled after the Giants game when we caused six turnovers. Everyone was telling me to shut up, but we got torched by Eli. The next time we played a good QB (Rivers) we got torched again. I'll take stingy defenses like the one we had last year over praying that a turnover keeps us in the game.

Because Ryan's defense gave up the most yards and forced the fewest turnovers in team history. Because Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer were routinely dropping into pass coverage. Because the 3-4 is infinitely vulnerable to the read option, and we have Vick and RG3 in this division.

And Lee and Carter are too small to take on linemen. The 4-3 frees them up so they can run.

The problem isn't the scheme. The scheme is far better suited for this defense, in fact.

 

[erod]

And for the record, Philip Rivers threw for four touchowns against JJ Watt and the Texans, too. He's having a great season.

 

[kramskoi]

And for the record, Philip Rivers threw for four touchowns against JJ Watt and the Texans, too. He's having a great season.

Second only to Peyton Manning...

 

[TwoCentPlain]

I was all for the change from the 3-4 to the 4-3. It seems to be working for me so far. We seem to be getting more pressure. We seem to be getting sacks and turnovers. The new guys (Selvie, Hayden, etc.) replacing injured players have been producing. I doubt those new guys would be as productive in the 3-4. So, I think it is easier to find 4-3 type DL in the draft and FA.

 

[mahoneybill]

2 second releases , short passing game . 3-4 or 4-3 that's tough to defend

 

[TimHortons]

I'm glad we switched to the 4-3. It's been 4 games and it is too early to give up on it. We ran the 3-4 with three different styles and they are all ineffective. I always heard how we were going to confuse QBs with the 3-4 and be more aggressive. None of that happened.

I don't understand why people think that a cb can't play both man and zone. If they are NFL players they should be good at both point blank. To me man coverage is much more difficult than zone. There shouldn't be any issues at all. Maybe Claiborne is a bust, soft or whatever. Personally, I wished they would have kept Sterling Moore. I'm more comfortable with him than Claiborne out there.

I'm glad that we are back to the 4-3. I want no part of the 3-4 ever again.

That's just completely false there are many more things that you need to pay attention to in zone as opposed to man where you're simply locked up

 

[BAZ]

Ryan wasn't a scapegoat, people that think different need to go back and watch the Browns game from last year, all those three man rushes and 3rd down penalties from guys getting on the pitch late will change your mind. I loved the Rob signing at the time, but seeing him go was an easy break up. Still though, hes quite the character. Ryan got what two years? Monte should get at least a half season, things might pick up if Rat comes back.

 

[jnday]

Jerry needed a scapegoat so he could sell hope and change.

There was plenty of buyers as you can see.

 

[kevm3]

The only constants have been on the OFFENSE. Romo and Garrett... and year in and year out we change every and anything but them and we find some new scapegoat. This year it's Claiborne and the fanbase will soon turn on Kiffen And Marinelli. Apparently the defense sucks when it held both the Chiefs and Rams to their lowest point totals this season. Six turnovers is more than enough to blow out the Giants... but you know what isn't happening? The offense isn't putting points on the board and constantly goes 3 and out, putting the defense out on the field, and guess who gets the blame when games are close and we end up not winning?

 

[theebs]

an outsider probably told jerry if we had more turnovers we would win and convinced him that the tampa 2 allowed our defense to see the qb instead of being in man.

I loved the 34 and hate the tampa 2 and always have.

if our defensive line was healthy we would probably be fine though.

 

[zack]

That's just completely false there are many more things that you need to pay attention to in zone as opposed to man where you're simply locked up

Like good communication between the secondary. You need to have that. But again, he's a top pick and there shouldn't be as many growing pains.

 

[cowboyvic]

The only constants have been on the OFFENSE. Romo and Garrett... and year in and year out we change every and anything but them and we find some new scapegoat. This year it's Claiborne and the fanbase will soon turn on Kiffen And Marinelli. Apparently the defense sucks when it held both the Chiefs and Rams to their lowest point totals this season. Six turnovers is more than enough to blow out the Giants... but you know what isn't happening? The offense isn't putting points on the board and constantly goes 3 and out, putting the defense out on the field, and guess who gets the blame when games are close and we end up not winning?

Best post in this thread. it's right on the money.

 

[Idgit]

Oh, boy. The capacity of some of your guys to believe the silliest things for the flimsiest of reasons never ceases to surprise me. The reasons for the defensive scheme change were obvious, and have been beaten to death, and I'm not going to rehash the good arguments in support of it here, but I will say that it had zero to do with 'scapegoating' anything or anyone.

I'd rather use the space to try to figure out why we can't get our coverage any better despite the scheme, coaches, or players we're putting on the field. Figure that out, and there won't be any need to pretend anybody got blamed or a failure they didn't deserve in the first place.

 

[Alexander]

I believe Callahan will go with Garrett. At least I certainly hope so.

Depends on how much money Jerry Jones owes him and for how long.

He has a habit of gently suggesting that current upper level assistant coaches be retained when making a full head coaching change.

 

[Alexander]

I remember people worried about the switch to zone coverage because we just invested so much in two man to man corners. Those concerns seem to be warranted. Most people assumed Lee and Carter would be better in the 4-3. That has yet to be seen.

Nobody in the organization was "worried" about any defender being able to adjust to the scheme change.

A bunch of Alfred E. Neumans.

 

[The Natural]

2 second releases , short passing game . 3-4 or 4-3 that's tough to defend

Seems to me the answer would be for the corners to get up and jam their man at the line of scrimmage instead of playing 5-6 yards off every down

 

[Rack]

we had some elite guys at their positions?

We did?

Lee and Carter showed a lot of promise, but I wouldn't have called either of them "Elite" just yet (regardless of what front we play).

Ware is different. In the 3-4 he was a pass rusher. In the 4-3 he is a pass rusher (hell he doesn't even put his hand on the ground even in a "4-3 alignment" sometimes) so nothing really changed there.

At CB... NEITHER of them were "Elite" before.

Other than Ware I wouldn't call anyone on our team "Elite". Hell, not even Ware is elite anymore. Still very good, but not "Elite".