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I apologize if this has been posted elsewhere. It's a year old 4 part series on the evolution of the "Belichick Defense" up to April 2011. I did a couple of different searches and couldn't find anything, so I'm posting it for those who are interested:
It's an interesting read. I don't agree with everything, but for me the most interesting part is how it provides a framework for looking at how BB is tinkering with the current defense, and the interdependence between personnel and scheme. BB is very rooted in football history, and there's not a lot under the sun that's totally new. A lot of the things that he appears to be tinkering with now are things that he tinkered with in 2000-2001.
Again, my apologies if this has already been posted elsewhere.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
Good read! Belichick is loading up on toys on the defensive side, so I have a feeling he has some more innovations in mind. Can't wait to see what schemes and wrinkles BB and Patricia cook up for the Pats defense in 2012!
Good read! Belichick is loading up on toys on the defensive side, so I have a feeling he has some more innovations in mind. Can't wait to see what schemes and wrinkles BB and Patricia cook up for the Pats defense in 2012!
I found part 2 of the series particularly interesting, detailing how BB evolved the defense when he took over the team in 2000:
Quote:
Now, we turn the page to year 2000 and what Belichick (now the Head Coach of the Patriots) began building what they call a Hybrid defense. Belichick inherited a wreck of a team after the Pete Carroll era, and instead of installing the 3-4, he opted for the 4-3 since he didn't have the talent for his preference (the 3-4). However, he did do something interesting, as the 2 gap philosophy the 3-4 used, he applied to the 4-3. In order to accomplish this, he started to bring in some Jets veterans from the Jets who he coached the previous year. Bobby Hamilton and Otis Smith were imported veterans from the Jets to help players who needed some insight of the system that was run in New York. Carroll ran a fire/ zone concept and the personnel fit better for a 4-3 scheme.
The Defense Tackles were (DT) Bobby Hamilton, (DT) Brandon Mitchell and they lined up between the center and guards. They would 2 gap and clog the middle. Hamilton, a bit undersized, had tremendous technique. Mitchell had size and upper body strength. The combination made a solid inside. Linebackers were (OLB) Willie McGinest, (MLB) Ted Bruschi, (MLB) Ted Johnson and (OLB) Chris Slade. Belichick would use a rotation, but one player had a skill set that would be key for years to come. Willie McGinest, a 1994 first round pick, who had never lived up to expectations while under Carroll, would begin a transformation, and would become a key contributor to the Patriot way. But first he would have to prove he could be what his potential had been flashing.
in 2000, Eric Mangini was the defacto DC. Belichick had used a practice that was once used on him, when Bill Parcells moved him to DC, but did not give him the title until 2 years later. This was to deflect the pressure away from his young DC, thus giving him time to grow. Mangini was to follow that plan. However, the defense never gelled and his relationship with the players was jagged at best - you could see players yelling back at him on the sidelines. The 2000 season was a failure and changes needed to be made. One year under his belt, Coach Belichick would make some key choices.
In 2000, Belichick hired many coaches from the disbanded New York Jets after his infamous departure that left them standing at the alter. After his first years in NE, he turned to an old trusted source who had coached by his side under the Parcells coaching tree. Available in 2001 after being let go by the Browns, Romeo Crennel would come to New England and change not only the climate of the defense, but the way they would play going forward.
They identified DL as a priority in the draft by selecting Richard Seymour, a versatile Lineman who could play in the 3-4 or 4-3, and either at tackle or end. They now had two linemen who could move around, with McGinest also being able to play OLB - This was the first brick in the foundation of the hybrid defense. Grizzled veterans Brian Cox (ILB), Anthony Pleasant (DT), Roman Phifer (LB) were added as free agents to add leadership and depth. The core had been set.
Crennel simplified the concepts for the players, where Mangini (now the DB coach), couldn't. And with his ability to communicate, he could get them to understand the complex schemes Belichick wanted to run. Using McGinest in a joker type role allowed him to roam and exploit gaps he was going to rush. The key here is that McGinest could position himself down or up on the line, thus creating a link from 4-3 to 3-4. So one of a QB's reads are: who's on the edges? If McGinest is standing up he's probably in pass coverage (one may think ) and if he's down, he's rushing (again, one might think). Now, use the inverse and there's the QB's conundrum - is he coming or dropping? McGinest could do this from either side of the line, creating 4 different options. Seymour could line up at tackle or end, again creating mismatches that are favorable for the defense. Crennel also installed a larger percentage of stunts and linebacker blitzes more suitable for the the personnel they had. He also tweaked the secondary by having more man to man schemes (this was the Pre-Polian "hates everything the Patriots do era"), jamming WR's at the line to give the stunts and blitzes time to get to their mark. Crennel also used alot of zone coverages (Cover 1/2/3 /- 4 - Across) to offset man to man. The Patriots were going to play physical in your face football. They didn't want to run around you. They wanted to run through you.
Hmm, let's see ...
- A hybrid defense that mixes 3-4 2-gapping with 4-3 spacing. Check.
- A versatile LB corps that can move around, combined with a lot of stunts and blitzes, making it hard for opposing teams to know where the pressure was coming form. Check. Adding Dont'a Hightower to the mix with Mayo, Spikes and Ninkovich, combined with DEs who can stand up, gives the Pats tremendous fexibility.
- A cornerstone elephant player who could stand up or play on the line, on either side. Check.
- A physical defensive line that could "run through" opposing linemen rather than around then. Check. Chandler Jones, Jake Bequette and Jonathan Fanene are all power players.
- A versatile secondary that combined a lot of zone coverages offset by press man coverage. Check.
- A bright young defensive mind who was made "de facto DC" but not given the title for a while. Check. Hopefully Mike Patricia will be less abrasive and a better communicator than Eric Mangini.
- A more experienced defensive mind who worked with the defense to simplify the concepts and communicate the essence of a very complex defense. Check. Presumably that's a lot of what BB has been doing working with the defense since Dean Pees left.
It certainly seems like BB has been down this road before. Not surprising, as this isn't exactly his first rodeo.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
Thanks for the links; as a fan who's less savvy on the technical aspects of football I'm sure it will be educational, even if I don't grasp it all.
As a Pats fan, period, I just hope the next step in the Evolution of the Bill Belichick Defense is to stop giving up the heart-breaking drive at the end of Super Bowls and Championship Games. I mean, as a longtime fan I know what a blessing it is that this is even an issue, but it's been quite a trend since the AFCCG in Indy. Even Joe Freakin' Flacco almost pulled it off.
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With all of the discussion of sub vs. base defense and of an evolving hybrid that can "morph" flexibly without changing personnel, there is some stuff in part 3 which quite nicely describes how the 2003-2004 defense was able to achieve much of a similar effect:
Quote:
This was the defense that confused the great Peyton Manning, and for a stretch of 2 years (2003-2004), they were arguably the best defense in the NFL. The Cover 5 was created just for Manning. The concepts were mind boggling to opposing offenses. How do you block against it? Having the linebackers, who's versatility to play the run or be back in coverage, was the key. Along with the 3-4 base came zone blitzing. Seymour and Warren were athletic enough to drop into coverage now and then, and this is what made the hybrid so dangerous. So, now the QB has to read what's happening on the edges, is it a 3-4 or 4-3? Furthermore, much like the Giants, they had the ability to keep the same personnel on the field, and disguising the blitz was a huge weapon. Sub packages give away a defense's intent - the less you sub, the less they know what's going on. Belichick is a great defensive coach because he knows this: the more you specialize the game, those are more ways to be exposed. That's why Belichick loves versatile players who can play multiple roles: less specialization.
Again, something to think about in terms of recent personnel moves in FA and the draft, and where the 2012 defense might be heading. The Pats now have the strongest group of LBs that they have had since 2003-2004, and some big, strong DEs who are fluid enough to stand up and occasionally drop into coverage. Sounds very similar.
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To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. "OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid
"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi
It will be interesting to see what defense the Patriots play against Manning in his new offense. The Steelers drawing Denver in week 1, with no film, didn't get lucky.
It will be interesting to see what defense the Patriots play against Manning in his new offense. The Steelers drawing Denver in week 1, with no film, didn't get lucky.
or did they? A years worth of rust is tough to shake.......
Unless I overlooked his name, I'm surprised that Mike Vrabel wasn't mentioned, esp. in parts 2 & 3.
I'm not surprised, however, to read that the fat little rat ManJudas nearly sank the ship before it had
a chance to leave the harbor. Thank you, Romeo, for rescuing it from that back-stabbing bastard.
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Question Authority.
Last edited by captain stone; 05-24-2012 at 08:04 AM..
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The Evolution of the "Belichick Defense"
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