Amateur attempt to build D scheme

[Ring 6]

After 5 games we have seen the good, bad and ugly of the defense and I think we have seen a lot of experimenting.
Based on what we have seen so far here is how I would construct the defense going forward.

I think we need to be a man heavy defense. Just as we were with revis in 14, Gilmore should be taking away the #1 threat most of the day. (I am good with based on the matchup Gilmore on the 2 and a double on the 1 also).
I've been critical of the McCourty at SS experiment but I'm warming to it after Thursday. If we go heavy in man he can cover the top TEs or take a WR on teams without a TE threat. We can actually play 43 base man with McCourty at SS against either 2wr and a TE or 3 wr. Rowe when healthy and butler mix with Gilmore to give us a very complementary group of skill sets to match up against wr groups.
Harmon isn't McCourty at FS but is fine.

Upfront there are 2 different packages to address. Early down and passing down.
One thing I have been convinced of us that we need to play a 4 man front. The 335 not only takes Hightower out of the action in a lot of plays but also weakens the middle of the field. I'm fine with HT at whatever you want to call it (33 olb or 42 de) in passing situations and as a scheme wrinkle but not consistently.
For early downs flowers at one DE is probably our best DL overall.
On the other side butler played de in the 43 some on Thursday, we have wise and if we had the DT spot solved could kick guy out there too. Marsh seems to be better suited to playing passing downs as he is struggling in the run game.
Brown is fine at DT but I'd much rather see branch or valentine back and being the space eater NT guy.
Guy is competitive but he is more like brown than a brown complement.
In passing downs Hightower and marsh/wise outside with flowers moving inside next to guy or brown. (Getting a better rotation will make these guys more effective on passing downs also).

At LB Van Noy looks fine to me in the right role. Playing him as mike in a 335 is certainly not the right role and has to stop.
HT is my dilemma because I want 2 of him. His versatility and overall skills as an off the line LB are so valuable to the defense but if he was ever cut loose to play like Von Miller does he would wreck havoc.
Ultimately I have to fall on the BB side that steady reliable and affecting a bigger part of the field helps you win more than 1-2 big flashy plays a game.

If we commit to a heavy man scheme, we also get better at playing it, get better at 2 minute d and 3rd down and get the confidence to blitz the crap out of people on 3rd down(or make them afraid we will then drop out of it after they check off)

The more I look at this defense the more I see almost every spot on the field being a new player or a player with a new role. I also see many players who have already played many different roles already this year. We have also seen schemes we never aw before like a 326 base.
I think we have gone through an experimentation period to see what we have and build the unit from the ground up. I think BB had learned a lot maybe more about what can't be done.
If you look at the talent base it screams to me as a defense that should stress the following:

Play big upfront to defend the run

Play a butt load of man. We may have the best man to man secondary in the NFL and as good a one as BB has had in a long time.

Augment the man schemes by bringing blitzes on 3rd down and in 2 minute (back to the early 00s amoeba confuse the hell out of them look)

Of course none of this changes the philiosophy of when you are playing from ahead you get conservative and make the clock your friend.

That said BB and Matty P are probably reviewing film as we speak and seeing something totally different.

 

[Hammer of Thor]

Just posting to bump this thread, as I think it's a great discussion point and don't want it to be ignored.

Question though - hasn't McCourty been used as a SS in certain situations in the past as well? Meaning he hasn't exactly played single high FS since 2012, he's been flexible. I seem to recall McCourty going up directly against certain TEs in the past although maybe I'm mistaken here? I know it's not the 2013 NO game where Talib covered Jimmy Graham and McCourty played CB, but I thought there were other games when he played more of a SS role?

I agree so far this year he has played more of a traditional SS role, although my impression was he did that far less against the Bucs -- with Chung playing in all 71 snaps.

 

[Ring 6]

Just posting to bump this thread, as I think it's a great discussion point and don't want it to be ignored.

Question though - hasn't McCourty been used as a SS in certain situations in the past as well? Meaning he hasn't exactly played single high FS since 2012, he's been flexible. I seem to recall McCourty going up directly against certain TEs in the past although maybe I'm mistaken here? I know it's not the 2013 NO game where Talib covered Jimmy Graham and McCourty played CB, but I thought there were other games when he played more of a SS role?

I agree so far this year he has played more of a traditional SS role, although my impression was he did that far less against the Bucs -- with Chung playing in all 71 snaps.

McCourty has been playing in the box this year. That's something he has rarely if ever done in the past.
When we have 2 safeties on the field Harmon is playing what McCourty played last year and McCourty is in chungs spot.

 

[n6249c]

...
HT is my dilemma because I want 2 of him. His versatility and overall skills as an off the line LB are so valuable to the defense but if he was ever cut loose to play like Von Miller does he would wreck havoc.
...

Why stop at two, my friend? I agree with most of what you said, but I'd prefer three or even four Hightowers. Now that would wreak havoc!

 

[luuked]

This reminds me a lot of the great post by @mayoclinic back in 2014. It should still be somewhere in the draft board where he made a series of posts setting up a blue print for the defense he would like to see.

Great stuff..