Interestingly the 3-4...4-3 argument goes back to 2005 in some questions Sean Morrey was asked after the first game of the season.
Judging from what we've seen thus far (preseason - game one) the inability to stop the run remains a problem. When the Patriots finally shifted to the 4-3, there was much better control of the line. It also produced greater pressure on the QB. Belichick has consistently stated that they will play whatever front is necessary in order to get he best matchup. My question is, what advantage do the Patriots gain by playing the 3-4 as their base defense? Last year, with the two Ted's it was obvious that the 3-4 was a strength and in part a necessity for coverage reasons. This year with all the depth in the secondary it makes more sense to leverage the obvious strengths that the 4-3 presents. What do the experts think? Thanks.
John Farrell
The Patriots prefer to play a 3-4. It’s typically a stouter defense against the run and gives the defense more speed by replacing a lineman with a faster linebacker. The Pats version calls for seven players to play two gaps each, which leaves four in coverage. Now the Patriots play a similar two-gap scheme when they switch to a 4-3 defense on early downs so the principles remain the same in terms of defending the run. It’s just that a defensive lineman plays the two gaps normally defended by a linebacker. But the 3-4 allows for more flexibility against the pass. In addition to having a faster player on the field who can cover, it forces the pass protection to identify the fourth rusher in a non-blitz situation since that rusher can be anyone of the four linebackers as opposed to using four D-linemen. Rushing more than four adds to that problem for an offense. The defensive linemen prefer a 4-3 because they see more one-on-one blocks when rushing, but that is, in theory, easier for an offense to account for. But if one of the linebackers isn’t playing well enough, then the Patriots are flexible enough to turn to Jarvis Green and play a 4-3. They already play more 4-3 in subpackages, but it’s a different concept with guys in the gaps and the players more suited to rushing the passer.
OK, a win is a win; it wasn't a pretty one, but at the end we did what was necessary to win: the defense stiffened up in the 2nd half after letting Oakland eat us alive (as well as we did). The 1st concern I have is that we went to the 4-3 defense (although it worked). Does that mean that we are going to see just a larger dose of 4-3 throughout the season or was it just in use because the game plan didn't quite work? I sure hope that we stick to the 3-4 defense because our defense is built for that and it has worked for us the last few years, saying that, I hope the linebackers can grow more accustomed to the scheme and run it the way it is supposed to be run (congrats to Monty Beisel as he had a fairly nice game. I have high hopes on him, even more than my man Chad Brown) 2nd concern: did you catch the Colts/Ravens last night? Shame on Baltimore fans for cheering when Kyle Boller went down. Never in my life had I been more ashamed of being a football fan. 3rd just a comment: Ty Law got his first INT with the Jets. He still remains my favorite player and I think he will return to his Pro Bowl shape (if they throw to him because yesterday they almost never threw to his side) Thanks for your attention and keep up the good work.
Alex Quezada
Panama
The Patriots won by 10 and it wasn’t pretty? Was it perfect? No. Would you have liked to prevent that first Raider drive and the big play to Randy Moss? Of course. But did you ever feel like the game was in doubt? I didn’t. So sure there were problems … blocked kicks and the like, but they scored 30 points, which will win most weeks. As far as the defense goes, I agree with you. Sure New England has the ability to switch to a 4-3 front, but Bill Belichick prefers to play a 3-4 and his personnel is built around that, especially at linebacker. As I just said, the DL would prefer a 4-3 front but guys like Vrabel and McGinest are 3-4 players and Colvin is better suited for that as well. The problem is inside where the linebackers are not experienced in this scheme. Fortunately, the Patriots can play both and will. They switched to a 4-3 in 2001 during the season and went on to win the Super Bowl. But they want to play a 3-4 if they can do it successfully. It’s mildly concerning if they can’t, but not the end of the world since Jarvis Green is hardly a slouch coming in as the fourth D-lineman.