3-4 returns.

[Patspsycho]

So you guys want a super slow DE setting the edge in the 3-4 versus a much faster and most likely more explosive OLB? Holy moly. I'm having nightmares of Tebow getting outside on Deaderick.

Also, huge LOL at you people talking about "spys." This is the NFL, not college. If you set a spy in the pros you're playing 10 on 11 and in the pros you CANNOT make up for that loss of a player. In the pros you might see Linebackers do things called "hugs" but this is where they follow an RB and eventually blitz depending on what the RB does. Being that Tebow functions as an RB as well you could call more LB hugs but that just means you're going to end up sending 5 rushers more often than you want to against a less than 50% completion passer. Rush 4 at the most and make him figure out the coverages.

Also, to who ever said we don't use Ninkovich as a DE in the 4-3 you are completely incorrect. Ninkovich is a OLB in our base 4-3 but he plays DE in our sub packages (which we've been in more often than our base). Anderson is also a DE in our 4-3 in the sub package (usually playing LDE on 3rd downs) and has seen an increase in playing time in all packages at RDE due to Carter's injury.

First, "spys" is correctly spelled "spies."

Second, Mayo was actually in spy on Tebow in the earlier part of the game where he stunk it up before we switched up and went to a double-eagle (center and both guards covered) reduced front and aligned the near back over the TE.

Then Carter goes down and we change to the 3-4 and started really mixing it up between base, wide, and even front. This really confused the Denver OL when it came to assigning blocks.

 

[VrabelJr]

Mayo was 100% absolutely not spying Tebow at any point during the game.

 

[EJ Blitz]

I hate the Pats 4-3 scheme, they don't have personnel to run it. But then again, I'd be a hypocrite for saying it sucks when the defense as a whole has sucked this year.

and I'm sure someone will chew my head off, "They don't run a 4-3! they don't run a 3-4! they do everything! *shriek*"

 

[ay-yo]

IMO our base for the game will be 4-3 and the players will be:

Deaderick / Vince / Love / Andersen

Mayo / Spikes / Nink

and we'll have Chung play close to the line on some snaps.

On the option Mayo or Nink will have pitch man while Spikes will take Tebow.

 

[Patspsycho]

Mayo was 100% absolutely not spying Tebow at any point during the game.

What makes you say so?

 

[MaineMan]

What makes you say so?

Well, it's true that I never saw Mayo wearing a grey trench coat with the collar turned up. Perhaps that's what . . . .

 

[The-Hooded-One]

Time for Spikes to crush his old QB. I look for Spikes to have a good game against the QB he used to see in practice everyday. Remember Spikes didn't play the first match.

 

[Patspsycho]

Well, it's true that I never saw Mayo wearing a grey trench coat with the collar turned up. Perhaps that's what . . . .

Well he did have on an invisible cape, didn't you see that??? Oh wait...

 

[VrabelJr]

People get too caught up in schemes these days. While this defensive roster lacks star power compared to past Patriot defenses I think we have a great group of versatile DL, 1 really solid LB, and a couple above-average LBs to keep opposing OL, OCs, and QBs on their toes.

When I was watching the Texans vs Bengals I even saw Houston running the 4-3 for a good amount of time.

 

[BB4PRez]

IMO our base for the game will be 4-3 and the players will be:

Deaderick / Vince / Love / Andersen

Mayo / Spikes / Nink

and we'll have Chung play close to the line on some snaps.

On the option Mayo or Nink will have pitch man while Spikes will take Tebow.

I think this makes sense - I also expect to see Brace in the lineup. I know he was a healthy scratch against the Bills, but I think his strengths fit better against this team. Broncos line pushed the Pats around in the 1st quarter last time. Brace is very limited but is physically strong.

 

[VrabelJr]

Our base for the game will be a heavy front 3-4. Wilfork, Love, and Deaderick/Brace up front changing positions as the game goes on (all three are capable of playing DE and NT in the 3-4 with the exception of Deaderick not being able to play NT). We will use our base most of the time against Denver as they like to get TEs on the field so we don't have to worry about them spreading us out and putting us in our Sub. LBs will be a mix of Mayo, Spikes/Fletcher/White, Ninkovich, and Anderson.

 

[DaBruinz]

So you guys want a super slow DE setting the edge in the 3-4 versus a much faster and most likely more explosive OLB? Holy moly. I'm having nightmares of Tebow getting outside on Deaderick.

First off, it was ONE person talking about it. Not "you guys". In fact, most of the responses were contradictory to the OPs post.

Also, huge LOL at you people talking about "spys." This is the NFL, not college. If you set a spy in the pros you're playing 10 on 11 and in the pros you CANNOT make up for that loss of a player. In the pros you might see Linebackers do things called "hugs" but this is where they follow an RB and eventually blitz depending on what the RB does. Being that Tebow functions as an RB as well you could call more LB hugs but that just means you're going to end up sending 5 rushers more often than you want to against a less than 50% completion passer. Rush 4 at the most and make him figure out the coverages.

Not sure where this BS came from but teams have used a "SPY" on opposing QBs plenty. This idea that it, somehow makes it 10 on 11 is just pure fantasy on your part. I don't know how many years you've actually watched pro-football, but you clearly didn't watch any of the Games when Vick was in Atlanta. Teams would regularly put a "SPY" on him. The Pats did it. They used Bruschi.

Also, to who ever said we don't use Ninkovich as a DE in the 4-3 you are completely incorrect. Ninkovich is a OLB in our base 4-3 but he plays DE in our sub packages (which we've been in more often than our base). Anderson is also a DE in our 4-3 in the sub package (usually playing LDE on 3rd downs) and has seen an increase in playing time in all packages at RDE due to Carter's injury.

How can it be completely incorrect when you just stated that in the 4-3 base, Nink is the OLB? Sub-packages aren't considered the 4-3 base. Which is what was being talked about. The times you've seen Ninkovich at DE have been in Nickle formations. When either Carter or Anderson or both aren't on the field. The Pats Nickle formation is typically a 2-4-5 or 4-2-5 depending on whether the 2 OLBs decide to put their hand on the ground.

 

[Ring 6]

i dont see the talent at OLB to play a 3-4 the pats will be in nickle most of the time anyways

Why in yhe world would they play nickel against a team that runs every chance they can get?

 

[Ring 6]

Our base for the game will be a heavy front 3-4. Wilfork, Love, and Deaderick/Brace up front changing positions as the game goes on (all three are capable of playing DE and NT in the 3-4 with the exception of Deaderick not being able to play NT). We will use our base most of the time against Denver as they like to get TEs on the field so we don't have to worry about them spreading us out and putting us in our Sub. LBs will be a mix of Mayo, Spikes/Fletcher/White, Ninkovich, and Anderson.

I disagree. I don't know why we would play 34 vs this offense.
We will have a big 43. Ellis and Deaderick at DE. Love and Wilfork at DT.
Spikes will play MLB, Mayo the wil and Ninko the sam.
Anderson will play in sub packages along with Fletcher who will probably have the spy duties on passing downs.
We will play 2 gap discipline, jam the WRs and play zone behind it.
That addresses everything the Broncos do well.

 

[Ring 6]

People get too caught up in schemes these days. While this defensive roster lacks star power compared to past Patriot defenses I think we have a great group of versatile DL, 1 really solid LB, and a couple above-average LBs to keep opposing OL, OCs, and QBs on their toes.

When I was watching the Texans vs Bengals I even saw Houston running the 4-3 for a good amount of time.

In many cases the only difference between 34 and 43 is alignment. Same players, same responsibilities, different spot to lineup.
In this game, however we will have the beef out there, really a 4 DT 4-3.

 

[Ring 6]

I hate the Pats 4-3 scheme, they don't have personnel to run it. But then again, I'd be a hypocrite for saying it sucks when the defense as a whole has sucked this year.

and I'm sure someone will chew my head off, "They don't run a 4-3! they don't run a 3-4! they do everything! *shriek*"

For most of the season they have run a 43 with the same personell they run a 34 with.
The primary difference is whether RDE/OLB, Carter until he was injured is up or down. Essentially you slide the DL one way and the LBs the other to account for whether you have a RDE on the LT or a ROLB in the TE area.
There isn't really much difference, except that there are more variations of coverage and passrush in the 34 and the 43 is straight forward.

 

[Ring 6]

As people have pointed out, Tebow has issues with short passes. This idea that he'll just "flick" the ball out as the Spy comes up doesn't fly. People said that about Vick and it didn't work either. The job of the "Spy" is to limit Tebow's running in the option, not force him to make the throw prior to the line, though that would likely result in an incomplete pass or an interception..

I think that drawing from the last 2nd and 3rd quarters against Tebow is better than drawing from anything else.

The concept of a spy is to counteract the QB scrambling on a pass play.
There is no such thing as a spy on an option play.
A spy tracks the QB rather than having coverage responsibilities on a pass play.
Defending the option involves assinging QB and pitch responsbilities, among DE, OLB, S and corner.

 

[WhoaDirty]

play 3-4 with deadrick as a OLB with Mayo/Fletcher/Ninco as LB.that will mean we will have only 1 safety Chung in there 15 yrds from the LOS - taking away slants and extra support in the box . a bigger size against the there TE/FB/RB blocking set.We got devin deep. he is your speed help.

we are playing 3-4 with a bigger front 8 to control the running game. Unlike the steelers i am putting 1 safety in the backend deep.

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying, but didn't the Steelers prove in OT yesterday that only one safety back is a bad idea?

 

[Ring 6]

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying, but didn't the Steelers prove in OT yesterday that only one safety back is a bad idea?

Actually they proved that if your corner is playing outside leverage and the safety is supposed to be inisde, if the safety forgets he is a safety and runs toward the los at the snap, and you run a slant, you are F&%@ed.

 

[mgcolby]

I could see Deaderick as an OLB in specific situations/formations, they did it a lot in the first game with Anderson. But Anderson has recovery speed.

But I don't want Fletcher in the middle over Spikes, not after rewatching the game today. Fletcher was terrible and ultimately replaced by White who didn't fare much better.

Hopefully Nink doesn't get sucked in so easy, something he has been getting better at, but is still an issue, especially in the first game.

We went with a lot of different fronts in that game, but we didn't solely go with the 3-4. There was some 4-3, 4-2, 3-4 with Anderson playing OLB with his hand down.

And to the folks that don't think that an OLB can play with his hand down, I would tell you that the front isn't neccesarily determined by if the player has his hand down or not. In our case if the center is playing over center and two other lineman are over the tackles/TE and then you have a 4th guy lined up wide with his hand down he is probably playing OLB. Once you recognize that the LB's themselves will give you the final answer.