mgteich

3-4
We seem to have plenty of personnel for all positions and backups using a 3-4, 2-gap.

4-3
If Mayo, Spikes and Hightower are our starters, who are the backups. Ppatriots.com lists Rivera and White. In a 4-3 it seems that we have 11 linemen and 5 linebackers, including Rivera and White.

I suppose if one of the starters were injured, Scott or Ninkovich would be the backups.
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miDeuce

I don't really see the 3-4 being that prevalent anymore, only in specific situations like in Denver last year where they whipped it up on the fly after getting gashed by Tebow. They just don't have the 5-techs anymore. Deaderick is the closest thing. Outside of him it's basically nosetackles and hybrids.

Cunningham, Ninkovich and Scott have all played outside linebacker, and can fill in there if needed. But I think the defense now is less about 4-3 and 3-4 and more about getting athletes on the field who can rush the passer on every down. Really it almost looks more like a double nose and five linebacker defense that they showed in the preseason.

Sciz

I don't care how many guys are standing up. If there aren't three guys that are at least 290 pounds, it's not a 3-4 in my mind. Considering that we didn't see that at all this preseason, I think it's safe to call the Pats a 4-3 team.

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Gwedd

Or a 2-5. I guess we'll see what transpires this Sunday.

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mgteich

So, we didn't run a 3-4 last year with Andre Carter as DE? We have replaced him with Jones at 260. We still have Wilfork (325), Love (315), Deaderick (305), Brace (330), and rookie Forsten (305).

Sciz

Carter from Jones doesn't change anything. The big change is from Ellis/Deaderick to Ninkovich at left end.

In simple terms, that left end spot was filled by a big DL but is now filled by a small DL.

In slightly more complicated terms, the left end spot went from a player who is a 3-4 DE, 4-3 DT, or 4-3 Under LE to a 3-4 OLB, 4-3 DE, or 4-3 Under Sam.

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Sicilian

I think it might be time for a new set of designations. 3-4 and 4-3 seem to be referring to just whether the player has his hand on the ground or not, which doesn't really tell the whole story (as evidenced by the fact that different 3-4 teams run some very different styles of defense).

What you basically have is:

2 Big Linemen
2 DE/OLB tweeners
3 Linebackers

That's the base. In any given play, this front could play a 3-4 (with one undersized DL), a 4-3, or a 2-5. I think in theory, it's designed the same way they've tried to design their offense: You can have the same set of personnel on the field but run a huge variety of plays and looks, making it harder to exploit weaknesses or gameplan against.

That's the theory anyway, and it all depends on how well the players themselves play. But I think 3-4 and 4-3 are somewhat antiquated designations. The defense needs a new name.

yukon cornelius

antiquated is a good way to put it

the game has evolved rather quickly on the defenisve side (in response to the offensive changes......the heavy use of a TE being one of the newest changes)

it's more about putting bodies out there to create mismatches while trying to minimize mismatches.....so many tweeners, so many multiple front teams, its hard to characterize this defense, or many defenses league wide, as 4-3 or 3-4.....everyone mixes fronts, throws out hybrid fronts and hybrid athletes, its becoming way too complex to characterize with a simple designation

what's nice is it still comes down to the simplicity of creating that bad matchup and exploiting it.......the getting that matchup has just becomethat much more complex

AndyJohnson

Ninkovich is the 4th LB. The patriots.com depth chart is not done by the coaching staff it is guessed at by the website.

AndyJohnson

I will caution that this is what was seen in the preseason, and that was the first time in BBs career he has shown such a personnell grouping, so be careful with the certainty.