Clayton LB Article

[bucky]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2439793

This article is nothing special, but it brings up 2 interesting thoughts:

1) This explains why so many teams are putting an emphasis on TEs and running 2 TE offenses. The TEs have a better chance of getting a block on the smallish LBs and are very effective at flooding both the cover 2 and cover 3 zones.

2) If everybody wants the small and fast LBs, where the hell are the bigger LBs? Shouldn't we be seeing some of them here where they're valued?

 

[Ochmed Jones]

The law of supply and demand may be at work here. Especially with 10 teams now running the 3-4.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

From that article come two curious quotes:

"You want as much speed as possible on defense," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. "Overall, speed at the linebacker position has been increasing. Speed is the name of the game now."

and

"I see a time pretty soon where you are going to see three linebackers on the field who will pretty much all look the same," Titans general manager Floyd Reese said. "Those old 6-4, 255-pound strongside linebackers are being weeded out and being replaced by faster guys. Pretty soon, you are going to see three linebackers out there who aren't going to be as big but are out there because of speed."

I guess these two haven't been paying attention to the LB corps of the last 3 (not to mention 4 of the last 5) super bowl champions

 

[chowder]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2439793


2) If everybody wants the small and fast LBs, where the hell are the bigger LBs? Shouldn't we be seeing some of them here where they're valued?

We are seeing some of them here. Guys like Roach have the size to work in our system and due to everone else drafting small and fast LBs, the bigger and slower guys like Parham and Roach were left for the taking after the draft. I'll bet BB knew that too! lol

 

[teamplay]

"Eventually, teams will line up in two-tight-end sets and pound the ball with the running game," Reese said.

Three key components of NE offense:
1. Pounding the ball with 2-TE sets or otherwise
2. Screen passes (again, bulk over speed)
3. WRs who can read defenses and adjust routes

...with just enough vertical game to keep the D honest.

The goal: negating the speed advantage

 

[BelichickFan]

Truly mysterious stuff.

I guess this :

"Dungy's defense is revolutionizing the league"

is because it's worked so well for Indy. The more teams want to move to Indy style defenses the better for us I guess.

 

[BelichickFan]

And then there's this :

"But, eventually, offenses will adjust to the increasing speed and smaller defensive bodies running around. "Eventually, teams will line up in two-tight-end sets and pound the ball with the running game," Reese said."

What kind of team would emphasize TE ? I can't imagine. The sad thing about this is that when we play Indy we usually beat them by passing the ball despite this ball washing of Dungy's speed defense.

I don't get this article at all. I guess he didn't notice all the DE being drafted to be 3-4 OLB this year

 

[Amnorix]

The law of supply and demand may be at work here. Especially with 10 teams now running the 3-4.

10?! Is that right?

Cleveland, Dallas, Pats, Steelers. Who else? Are the Ravens a 3-4 or a 4-3 these days? I thought they had gone with 4-3 a year or two ago? Raiders (Rob Ryan) tried 3-4 but then went back to 4-3 I think.

My memory also suggests the 49ers are going to a 3-4, or already use one. And we know the Texans are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3.

Anyone got a list handy?

 

[BelichickFan]

10?! Is that right?

The linked Clayton article says 25 (of the 32) teams run a 4-3. Using the math that was so helpful in 2+2=4, I figure that's seven 3-4 teams

 

[bucky]

I would expect the Jets to line up in a 34. SF is also playing 34. The Chargers are a 34 team, so that's 7 teams. With so many coaching and coordinator changes, it's getting confusing to keep track.

 

[spacecrime]

Truly mysterious stuff.

I guess this :

"Dungy's defense is revolutionizing the league"

is because it's worked so well for Indy. The more teams want to move to Indy style defenses the better for us I guess.

This made me laugh when I read the article. Clayton says it about three times. DUngy is revolutionizing NFL defenses.

I did like the end of the article:

"Eventually, teams will line up in two-tight-end sets and pound the ball with the running game," Reese said.

Until then, enjoy the speed.

Too late. The Pats aleady us 2 TE offenses a lot. How Clayton can write an article like this, saying that 4-3 teams will are gearing up in a way that their vulnerability will be 2 TE offenses, just a week after calling the Patriots drafting 2 TEs a "headscratcher" is beyond me!

 

[bucky]

I don't know what this "eventually" crap is all about. The Pats have been doing it for 3 years already and are now better equipped than ever do this. St Louis drafted 2 TEs in the first 3 rounds. Parcells drafted Fasano to go along with Witten and talked about how important it is to have multiple pass-catching TEs and that he'd draft another one early next year if there's one available.

The thing that makes the 2 TE offense so effective is the ability to attack the zone right up the middle. If the D is in a cover-3, you just send both TEs right up the seams. If it's a cover-2, you have one do a short curl and the other one runs a post and splits the safeties. You balance that off with a size advantage in the running game and the ability to do play action, and I like our chances against all these Tampa-2 teams.

 

[D-cleater]

Jets will definitely be 3-4. I think Miami will too. Buffalo has been 3-4 for a *long* time.

I have a hunch the Giants are going to go 3-4 while Strahan has some years left. They let a DT tackle go, drafted an another DE in the first round, and have been stacking up at LB - Antonio Pierce, Short, Arrington, Carlos Emmons, Green...

 

[bucky]

Jets will definitely be 3-4. I think Miami will too. Buffalo has been 3-4 for a *long* time.

I have a hunch the Giants are going to go 3-4 while Strahan has some years left. They let a DT tackle go, drafted an another DE in the first round, and have been stacking up at LB - Antonio Pierce, Short, Arrington, Carlos Emmons, Green...

I don't get your Buffalo joke. As for the Giants, I don't see how Strahan or Kiwanuka fits into the 34 at all. And who are they going to play at NT, William Joseph?

 

[A.C Vegas]

Didn't you gues relize ESPN hates us. either that or they forgot we exsist but they'll remember come late in the season when all there precious monday night games have nothing to do with who is the top team in the AFC becasue we will have wrapped it up.

 

[D-cleater]

!

I don't get your Buffalo joke. As for the Giants, I don't see how Strahan or Kiwanuka fits into the 34 at all. And who are they going to play at NT, William Joseph?

My bad, I just looked at the Bills depth chart and see that they are 4-3, but I thought there were still playing a 3-4, I wasn't joking. I believe they were playing a 3-4 up until a few years ago. Maybe I'm having flashbacks? oh well.

Strahan and Osi do fit the 3-4, and Fred Robbins plays NT. They also drafted a DT in the third round who could play DE, and the Kiwanuka is kind of a tweener ( only 266 lbs). But now that I think about it, Osi is a little light to play 3-4 DE, may not be the best fit. Just something I was talking about with some Giant fans. sorry to digress.... I should probably call it a night!

 

[onegameatatime]

Truly mysterious stuff.

I guess this :

"Dungy's defense is revolutionizing the league"

is because it's worked so well for Indy. The more teams want to move to Indy style defenses the better for us I guess.

FWIW: It's the Colt offense that has been the no-show in the playoffs. 14-24 and 3-20 against the Pats? First game, Peyton throws all the INTs, second game he can bareyl hit the open guy, and when he did they dropped it.

 

[spacecrime]

FWIW: It's the Colt offense that has been the no-show in the playoffs. 14-24 and 3-20 against the Pats? First game, Peyton throws all the INTs, second game he can bareyl hit the open guy, and when he did they dropped it.

Their D sucked too. Give up 24 points and expect to lose. Two of those points came from a safety, but five wereFGs. We were driving alll over the field,just not finishingthe drives.

Both O and D were no-shows agaisnt the Jets (41-0)