Defensive Scheme most difficult in NFL?

[Sciz]

I know Junior Seau once said that this defensive scheme is different from all others in that in tells players to take on blocks rather than going around them, and I know that at one point the Patriots were the only team to run pattern matching as their primary coverage scheme. I know everybody says the scheme is complex, but how complex?

Would you say that the Patriots' defense is one of or even THE hardest to learn in the NFL? In terms of complexity and amount of knowledge needed, are there any defenses that are harder to learn?

Oh yeah, and does anybody have any quotes from players or former players telling how difficult the scheme is to learn?

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

It's probably harder to learn because it's based on patience, letting the play develop and giving your opponent an opportunity to make a mistake you can exploit. The oh so popular blitzing and attacking defenses try to force the mistake and dictate the terms, whereas NE does that (or is trying to do that) by stopping what you do well and forcing you out of your comfort zone.

 

[D-cleater]

It's certainly different than what a lot of players are used to, as far as I can tell. It's not just scheme, but also the fact that the emphasis is on different technique than is taught in other systems. But if there wasn't a good return on the extra time needed to learn it, you wouldn't see it being adopted by other teams. KC is definitely reaping the rewards of year 2 in the Belichick defense.

 

[ahmed]

I would rather we play whatever defense the Steelers or Ravens play. They seem to be very good every year.

 

[SuperPatsFan]

Two-gapping as a technique for taking on blockers is not widely taught, but it's not inherently complex -- just requires learning.

Two-gapping in terms of being responsible for defending two gaps, is more of a challenge, especially for D lineman who tend to be gap shooters (1-gappers) coming out of college.

For linebackers, even coming from a vanilla 43, defending two gaps (one playside, one cutback/backside) is rather common.

However, ILBs in this system often take on OG's using the two-gap technique, and they can be physically overmatched, as you may sometimes see with Spikes and Mayo. And while they're wrestling the 300+ pound OG they have to locate the ball carrier, make a read (run/pass/draw/play action/screen/which hole) then shed their guard and react accordingly. That might be challenging.

 

[Sciz]

I know one of the big things about the coverage scheme is that every player needs to know the assignments of all the other players. It is actually possible (in other schemes) to play without knowing what the guy next to you or behind you is doing?

 

[denverpatsfan]

The flippin Stealers draft well and always have a good D. The exception being last season when their best player was out. Why can't the Pats do the same. Seems like plenty of picks don;t work out and the D is a "work in progress". Always excuses for these guys. Why don;t they draft some athletes that can flippin play for a change. I see the Stealers headed to Dallas. DISGUSTING!!!

 

[sbpatfan]

The flippin Stealers draft well and always have a good D. The exception being last season when their best player was out. Why can't the Pats do the same. Seems like plenty of picks don;t work out and the D is a "work in progress". Always excuses for these guys. Why don;t they draft some athletes that can flippin play for a change. I see the Stealers headed to Dallas. DISGUSTING!!!

If the Steelers draft so well why is their entire starting defense over thirty besides like two guys? They just have a bunch of veterans. The Steelers won't last.

 

[nabwong]

I would rather we play whatever defense the Steelers or Ravens play. They seem to be very good every year.

The steelers have Harrison and Polamalu. The ravens have Lewis and Reed. We used to have Bruschi and Harrison. Now we have Mayo and Chung. Only time will tell if they can raise their games consistently.

 

[Metaphors]

And while they're wrestling the 300+ pound OG they have to locate the ball carrier, make a read (run/pass/draw/play action/screen/which hole) then shed their guard and react accordingly. That might be challenging.

Let me help then. If a guard is downfield wrestling with an ILB, it is a run play. If they do pass, just wait for the "illegal man downfield" flag, walk them back 5 yards and do it again.

 

[lillestroom]

The Pats 2007 D playbook is on the net.

Doesnt look that hard to me.

And if we were willing to pull the trigger on Keith Rivers (wonderlic score of 15) instead of Mayo, it cant be that hard....

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

The flippin Stealers draft well and always have a good D. The exception being last season when their best player was out. Why can't the Pats do the same. Seems like plenty of picks don;t work out and the D is a "work in progress". Always excuses for these guys. Why don;t they draft some athletes that can flippin play for a change. I see the Stealers headed to Dallas. DISGUSTING!!!

Obviously you never watch the Steelers.

There defense was terrible last year and not very good in 2007/2006 and much of 2005. If they don't blow out Palmer's knee, the Bengals hang 40+ points and they are "one and done" in 2005.

There is a big difference between statistics great defenses and situational football great defenses. The thing to note about one gap defenses is that they "pad" their stats against inferior opponents. Watch these defenses against "elite" offenses.

The Steelers won SB XLII despite the fact that their defense pitched the worst collapse in Super Bowl history. Likewise, the Seahawks were the superior team done in by horrendous officiating.


It's no accident that Brady always lights up the Steelers. They are too one dimensional. Once you master the zone blitz, spread them out and it's easy.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Obviously you never watch the Steelers.

There defense was terrible last year and not very good in 2007/2006 and much of 2005. If they don't blow out Palmer's knee, the Bengals hang 40+ points and they are "one and done" in 2005.

There is a big difference between statistics great defenses and situational football great defenses. The thing to note about one gap defenses is that they "pad" their stats against inferior opponents. Watch these defenses against "elite" offenses.

The Steelers won SB XLII despite the fact that their defense pitched the worst collapse in Super Bowl history. Likewise, the Seahawks were the superior team done in by horrendous officiating.


It's no accident that Brady always lights up the Steelers. They are too one dimensional. Once you master the zone blitz, spread them out and it's easy.

Let's hope you are right. They just won 3-games with schmucks at QB. Rothlisdbag comes back in a week...

 

[Clonamery]

The Pats 2007 D playbook is on the net.

Doesnt look that hard to me.

And if we were willing to pull the trigger on Keith Rivers (wonderlic score of 15) instead of Mayo, it cant be that hard....

"In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen."

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Let's hope you are right. They just won 3-games with schmucks at QB. Rothlisdbag comes back in a week...

That's not say we shouldn't now adopt some of their philosophies since the defense is now more athletic and faster.

However, how you treat a bad vs elite offense is very different.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

"In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen."

On the plain or was it plane?

 

[fair catch fryar]

The flippin Stealers draft well and always have a good D. The exception being last season when their best player was out. Why can't the Pats do the same. Seems like plenty of picks don;t work out and the D is a "work in progress". Always excuses for these guys. Why don;t they draft some athletes that can flippin play for a change. I see the Stealers headed to Dallas. DISGUSTING!!!

Apples versus oranges. The Steelers have a long-time resident genius comparable to Bill Belihick when it comes to defense. His name is **** Lebeau. If you look at their numbers over the past few years their defense has also ebbed and flowed. It is only week 3, let's see how well they're doing by week 14 after contending within their own division, which isn't exactly a walk through the daisies.

 

[JackBauer]

The Steelers haven't drafted any better than the Patriots.

 

[bucky]

In an attempt to get this thread back on topic, I too have heard that this defensive scheme is very complicated. I don't have any quotes, but I do remember Rodney Harrison talking about it when he got here. I don't believe, however, that the 2-gap approach has anything to do with the complexity. I think it has more to do with the number of pre-snap and even post-snap adjustments that BB has his players make. Most of these, being based on the other team's tendencies, or on creating/avoiding certain match-ups.

That said, I don't think BB's defense is terribly complex right now because (a) the defense is very inexperienced, and (b) the defensive players' ability is quite limited - e.g. you're not going to make an adjustment to have an OLB cover a RB when your OLBs can't cover man to man.

 

[AzPatsFan]

If the Steelers draft so well why is their entire starting defense over thirty besides like two guys? They just have a bunch of veterans. The Steelers won't last.

Good Point. The Steelers you are seing now are the one-more-time, aging Pats of 2006-7.