Defensive snaps per Reiss: Base is now a "niche" package

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots

LINEBACKER
Jamie Collins -- 81 of 81
Dont'a Hightower -- 74 of 81
Jonathan Casillas -- 21 of 81

Quick-hit thoughts: Hightower played every snap up until the final drive when the outcome was decided. ... Casillas was the third linebacker in the base 4-3 defense, as his acquisition at the trade deadline not only added a strong special teams player but someone who is also contributing on defense in a niche role.

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No big surprises in player usage, but I thought the bolded part was funny.

Chung is playing an LB-like role, so it is not really a full nickel. Hmmm I wonder if they might have a name for that personnel group in Foxboro?

letekro said:

Chung is playing an LB-like role, so it is not really a full nickel. Hmmm I wonder if they might have a name for that personnel group in Foxboro?

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The Big Nickel when first we heard the term included three guys who were, by consensus, listed as safeties. So this isn't exactly the same thing.

A great adjustment by the coaching staff to having only 2 starting-caliber LBs!

Bonzo said:

A great adjustment by the coaching staff to having only 2 starting-caliber LBs!

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Even more so when you consider that one of them is on IR!

Bonzo said:

A great adjustment by the coaching staff to having only 2 starting-caliber LBs!

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I think it's probably the opposite. The Pats were willing to go light with LB depth at the beginning of the year because they knew they would be playing fewer of them.

Base is the new sub.

Oswlek said:

Even more so when you consider that one of them is on IR!

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I see what you did there!

This has been trending for years, and I think the final straw actually happened last off season.
BB built this defense to play sub. Hell, he built his base like a sub package, starting the season in a 34 with one of the DEs being 260 lbs in order to play the pass better out of base.
It seems that now the 11th defender depends upon the offensive personell.
With the exception of 3rd and long dime, we will always have 2 DTs, 2 DE/OLBs that are more like 43 DEs, 2 LBs, 2 corners and 2 safeties.
The 11th guy will be dictated by the offensive formation.
3 wides gets a corners.
2 TE 2 WR gets a safety,or depending on the team, a LB.
2 WR, TE, 2 RB gets a LB.
Teams that are really, really run heavy (and probably to tendency) gets another DT and a DE drops back to LB.
Then there are all of the variations.

On one 3rd and long yesterday we had 0 DL on the field, with Nink being the closest thing to a DL.
Either he or Hightower was the biggest player on the field.

Oswlek said:

Even more so when you consider that one of them is on IR!

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In his defense, he would have been a better player if we never drafted Wilson.

AndyJohnson said:

This has been trending for years, and I think the final straw actually happened last off season.
BB built this defense to play sub. Hell, he built his base like a sub package, starting the season in a 34 with one of the DEs being 260 lbs in order to play the pass better out of base.
It seems that now the 11th defender depends upon the offensive personell.
With the exception of 3rd and long dime, we will always have 2 DTs, 2 DE/OLBs that are more like 43 DEs, 2 LBs, 2 corners and 2 safeties.
The 11th guy will be dictated by the offensive formation.
3 wides gets a corners.
2 TE 2 WR gets a safety,or depending on the team, a LB.
2 WR, TE, 2 RB gets a LB.
Teams that are really, really run heavy (and probably to tendency) gets another DT and a DE drops back to LB.
Then there are all of the variations.

On one 3rd and long yesterday we had 0 DL on the field, with Nink being the closest thing to a DL.
Either he or Hightower was the biggest player on the field.

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This is a very crisp summary, Andy. Thanks.

Fencer said:

The Big Nickel when first we heard the term included three guys who were, by consensus, listed as safeties. So this isn't exactly the same thing.

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You're right that, at least when Harmon is not in the field, it is not exactly the same, but it is the same principle isn't it? There is a safety playing full time in the box in a hybrid SS/LB role. It is just the difference between having one (McCourty) or two deep safeties (McCourty and Harmon) in addition to that.

letekro said:

You're right that, at least when Harmon is not in the field, it is not exactly the same, but it is the same principle isn't it? There is a safety playing full time in the box in a hybrid SS/LB role. It is just the difference between having one (McCourty) or two deep safeties (McCourty and Harmon) in addition to that.

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Perhaps we're talking past each other. If there are only 4 DBs, then it's not a nickel, so in particular it's not a Big Nickel. If there are 5 DBs, and one of them is a safety playing in the box, then unless I'm mistaken that's a straightforward old-fashioned nickel.

The Brandon Five said:

Base is the new sub.

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It is all about the bas(t)e
Darn it, why can't I embed this video


maybe this works
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/whxdql79Oxg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Looks embedded just fine to me. No need for the code after "maybe this works"

lurker1965 said:

It is all about the bas(t)e
Darn it, why can't I embed this video

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I like this one:

Oswlek said:

Even more so when you consider that one of them is on IR!

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When are they going to realize Collins was a reach and cut him?

Akeem Ayers can play OLB when Chandler Jones comes back from injury.

Fencer said:

The Big Nickel when first we heard the term included three guys who were, by consensus, listed as safeties. So this isn't exactly the same thing.

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Good ol 02 Pats big nickel w victor green, tebucky jones and milloy...man that defense sucked

MrNathanDrake said:

Akeem Ayers can play OLB when Chandler Jones comes back from injury.

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So, to be clear, when we are in 4-3 base using 3 linebackers, you would play Ayers instead of Casillas. We used to being in Skinner to play in the base. I suspect that Ayers is not a linebacker in the base.

If we are talking about a 3-4, then Ninkovich and Jones are our OLB's. Would you sit Ninkovich for Ayers? I presume that you are kicking Collins inside almost always.