Bill Belichick's 3-4 Defensive Scheme - Do we go back to it?

[NEPettyOfficer72]

With the new release of Albert Haynesworth, do the Patriots go back to the 3-4 defense?

 

[IllegalContact]

if you do, andre carter will become expendable.......but mark anderson has looked pretty good in that regard.....

if this team is going to stop anyone, I think they have to

 

[Big-T]

if you do, andre carter will become expendable.......but mark anderson has looked pretty good in that regard.....

if this team is going to stop anyone, I think they have to

3-4 with Carter in the "elephant"?

Or play a more attacking 3-4 where Carter & the other OLB rushes the passer on the majority of snaps?

 

[BradyFTW!]

I don't think that they went to the 4-3 because of Haynesworth in the first place, so no.

 

[JackBauer]

I believe the personnel, as currently comprised, are better suited for a 4-3. So another "no" vote.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Team can't cover the short to intermediate routes well. Usually 34 teams are better at this.

However, I think the team's personnel is more suited towards 43.

 

[Gunnails]

I never felt like the Pats totally committed to the 4/3 in the first place.

I don't see many Pat games, yet it still seemed like more of a hybrid D, a lot of 4/3, some 3/4, some of what I not sure what to call it.

 

[satz]

You cannot turn a defence over in 1 season. I think this 4-3 has shown that ninko has been a good sam which is what you need your weekside OLB to do.
cover RB , jam TE etc. He also can rush.

I would put carter as the every down rushend and i always bring up move him around behind the DL and Ninko to let him pick the side he wants to rush.Isolate him on a RB or TE. I know we do not play the scheme to open a guy to make plays but i think its time to do it.

cunnigam and anderson become your nickel rush ends coming in .....

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

The only way I see this defense getting any better is entirely getting rid of BB's influence on the defensive side of the ball. He's clearly not capable of being the head coach/GM/defensive coordinator all at the same time and his arrogance and unchecked ego is really hurting the team.

 

[futuristicdart]

Might as well give it a try. Can't be any worse than what we're putting out there now.

 

[Jackson 2]

Only my opinion, but I don't think we have the linebackers to do it. We have a lot of DL, so at this point I don't think the loss of one guy, particularly one who was ineffective, should cause us to change. I think the return of Deadrick, Brace, etc. was part of the (not the entire) reason AH went bye-bye.

 

[ExeterSportsGuy]

The only way I see this defense getting any better is entirely getting rid of BB's influence on the defensive side of the ball. He's clearly not capable of being the head coach/GM/defensive coordinator all at the same time and his arrogance and unchecked ego is really hurting the team.

THIS! I've felt this way for the past couple seasons now and we have enough of a sample size to see that personnel decisions and defense building have been terrible.

 

[coolguy]

The defense is not going to get better.

The only way they the pats d could improve is through a great draft year...and unfortunately the patriots haven't had one in nearly decade.

 

[hgelpke]

This would require us to have 4 healthy LBs. Do we even have 3?

Bring back Eric Moore!

 

[stcjones]

I have hardly seen Cunningham in there....has he played that much....?

You cannot turn a defence over in 1 season. I think this 4-3 has shown that ninko has been a good sam which is what you need your weekside OLB to do.
cover RB , jam TE etc. He also can rush.

I would put carter as the every down rushend and i always bring up move him around behind the DL and Ninko to let him pick the side he wants to rush.Isolate him on a RB or TE. I know we do not play the scheme to open a guy to make plays but i think its time to do it.

cunnigam and anderson become your nickel rush ends coming in .....

 

[hovis]

They should play exclusively from the 4-2 and the 2-5.

 

[IllegalContact]

Only my opinion, but I don't think we have the linebackers to do it. We have a lot of DL, so at this point I don't think the loss of one guy, particularly one who was ineffective, should cause us to change. I think the return of Deadrick, Brace, etc. was part of the (not the entire) reason AH went bye-bye.

I think the LB coverage would improve with going back to the 3-4.....these guys are just too slow to cover in the 4-3

 

[QuantumMechanic]

I never felt like the Pats totally committed to the 4/3 in the first place.

Well, that's pretty clear based on that BB appearance on the Sirius NFL channel. BB pretty much said that the main reason for the 4-3 was the lockout-caused lack of a full offseason. With the clear implication that if there had been a normal off-season he would have stayed with the 3-4.

 

[mgcolby]

The defense is not going to get better.

The only way they the pats d could improve is through a great draft year...and unfortunately the patriots haven't had one in nearly decade.

The 2010 draft says hi.....

 

[Sciz]

3-4 vs 4-3 is irrelevant, but I see a lot more two gapping in their future now.