Fencer
Pro Bowl Player
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 14,293
- Reaction score
- 3,986
1. BB's old 3-4 scheme is played out. As he observes, it's a passing league. Also, the advantages the scheme had in terms of availability of personnel are long gone, as many other teams pursue similar approaches.
2. BB has been drafting for speed for years -- really since after the Polian rule changes. This is a marked contrast to before, when he sacrificed speed to get everything else he wanted.
3. As per the frequently linked Grantland article, the Patriots evolved last year to a system that hybridized 1-gapping and 2-gapping on the same downs. This change was, IMO, predetermined the moment they acquired Haynesworth, a move that made no sense if they were going to play a purist 2-gap system.
4. The year ago offseason was BB's best chance for tinkering for years, given the labor strife and hence delay in teaching. More precisely, it was his best chance for thinking about how to tinker; implementing what he came up with was a whole other matter, given the compressed off-season time.
Now, however, he has a full off-season to teach.
5. BB is acting as his own DC, but it's not for in-game play-calling reasons.
6. The roster BB is putting together this offseason doesn't really make sense from a classic 2-gap 3-4 perspective: Who's the WOLB? Who are the two DEs?
7. The roster BB is putting together this offseason also doesn't make sense from a classic 1-gap 4-3 perspective: Wilfork would have to be retrained as a 1-gapper. Mayo would have to be the Will. Who exactly are the DEs, and how much confidence do we have in them?
8. BB has had huge success from time to time as a mad scientist, most dramatically by reintroducing the spread offense to the league, then pivoting to a 2-TE scheme.
Conclusion 1: BB is planning a seriously innovative scheme for the base defense.
9. BB has been very open that passing-down sub packages are even more important than the base defense now.
10. The Pats have been terrible defending passing downs in recent years.
Conclusion 2: BB is planning to shake up his passing-down schemes as well.
2. BB has been drafting for speed for years -- really since after the Polian rule changes. This is a marked contrast to before, when he sacrificed speed to get everything else he wanted.
3. As per the frequently linked Grantland article, the Patriots evolved last year to a system that hybridized 1-gapping and 2-gapping on the same downs. This change was, IMO, predetermined the moment they acquired Haynesworth, a move that made no sense if they were going to play a purist 2-gap system.
4. The year ago offseason was BB's best chance for tinkering for years, given the labor strife and hence delay in teaching. More precisely, it was his best chance for thinking about how to tinker; implementing what he came up with was a whole other matter, given the compressed off-season time.
Now, however, he has a full off-season to teach.
5. BB is acting as his own DC, but it's not for in-game play-calling reasons.
6. The roster BB is putting together this offseason doesn't really make sense from a classic 2-gap 3-4 perspective: Who's the WOLB? Who are the two DEs?
7. The roster BB is putting together this offseason also doesn't make sense from a classic 1-gap 4-3 perspective: Wilfork would have to be retrained as a 1-gapper. Mayo would have to be the Will. Who exactly are the DEs, and how much confidence do we have in them?
8. BB has had huge success from time to time as a mad scientist, most dramatically by reintroducing the spread offense to the league, then pivoting to a 2-TE scheme.
Conclusion 1: BB is planning a seriously innovative scheme for the base defense.
9. BB has been very open that passing-down sub packages are even more important than the base defense now.
10. The Pats have been terrible defending passing downs in recent years.
Conclusion 2: BB is planning to shake up his passing-down schemes as well.