Defensive Scheme

[BBass]

What did everyone think of the scheme on Thurs?

It looked like different variations of a 3-4 Over Stack, 3-4 Under and a 4-3 Over and 4-3 Stack.

Nink, Scott and Cunningham at LDE entire game, not a single play with a big.

It will tough on offenses because Love or Wilfork can play either technique and all our ends have OLB/DE versatility.

 

[Ring 6]

What did everyone think of the scheme on Thurs?

It looked like different variations of a 3-4 Over Stack, 3-4 Under and a 4-3 Over and 4-3 Stack.

Nink, Scott and Cunningham at LDE entire game, not a single play with a big.

It will tough on offenses because Love or Wilfork can play either technique and all our ends have OLB/DE versatility.

I'm watching now, and this is extremely interesting. Its about half time, and they are playing what looks like a 43, with tweeners at DE, and one standing up to give a 34 impression.
This is totally unlike anything BB has done before. Of course last preseason we saw experimentation that didnt become the base.
To me, this looks like a nickel base with an extra LB in place of a DB. On the 2nd play of the game Mayo covered a slot WR man to man. Brees looked there exclusively then went elsewhere before throwing it away.
I'm not convinced BB has altered his most basic philosophy of D, but this is an interesting deviation. We will get killed by the run, but maybe the new philosophy is let them try?

 

[strngplyr]

I'm watching now, and this is extremely interesting. Its about half time, and they are playing what looks like a 43, with tweeners at DE, and one standing up to give a 34 impression.
This is totally unlike anything BB has done before. Of course last preseason we saw experimentation that didnt become the base.
To me, this looks like a nickel base with an extra LB in place of a DB. On the 2nd play of the game Mayo covered a slot WR man to man. Brees looked there exclusively then went elsewhere before throwing it away.
I'm not convinced BB has altered his most basic philosophy of D, but this is an interesting deviation. We will get killed by the run, but maybe the new philosophy is let them try?

Maybe he wanted to test it against one of the best QBs in the game. Considering the slate of QBs we'll be facing, I think we'll see bigger defensive fronts this year.

Overall we looked very good against the pass and run from their starters, their top 2 QB's went 5/10 for 66 yards plus one INT and their top 3 RBs had 11 carries for 37 yards, about 3.3ypc.

Still, only preseason, very vanilla offense from NO and very limited amount of reps for their starters. Promising though, at least this year we're getting a little excited about shutting down NO instead of TB and JAC in the preseason.

 

[mayoclinic]

I'm watching now, and this is extremely interesting. Its about half time, and they are playing what looks like a 43, with tweeners at DE, and one standing up to give a 34 impression. This is totally unlike anything BB has done before. Of course last preseason we saw experimentation that didnt become the base. To me, this looks like a nickel base with an extra LB in place of a DB.

I'm not convinced BB has altered his most basic philosophy of D, but this is an interesting deviation. We will get killed by the run, but maybe the new philosophy is let them try?

Interesting thoughts. It's not inconsistent with some of BB's stated remarks about the changing nature of offenses. It will be interesting to see if this does turn out to be a significant "deviation" or just an early experiment, and if the former, how BB ties new ideas in with his prior tendencies. This will be a very interesting story to watch.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I saw 43 reg D, 43 Over, 43 Leo (where one of the DE is in a 2pt stance).

 

[Marqui]

I saw 43 reg D, 43 Over, 43 Leo (where one of the DE is in a 2pt stance).

There were even looks where both DEs were in a 2pt stance.

 

[woolster22]

Call it what you want, it is ameoba, shape shifting, multiple. Love seemed to fair well against doubles. Vince. Throw two tweeners out there and let the roaming begin. Although at this point I'd say jones looks like a long armed Seymour...just saying...

Spikes, mayo, Hightower, carpenter...again three of them can do about anything you ask. Spikescould use a step. This defense will keep offenses guessing. That is good news.

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[patriot.de]

43 Leo (where one of the DE is in a 2pt stance).

perhaps this was the first step to train jones the role as a 34 olb. i saw cunningham also very often rushing out of the 2 point stance. with 2 versatile DE/OLB you can add a 34 to the defensive scheme. i can't image the facilities for the defense. that must be very confusing for oponents offenses...

 

[Ring 6]

Call it what you want, it is ameoba, shape shifting, multiple. Love seemed to fair well against doubles. Vince. Throw two tweeners out there and let the roaming begin. Although at this point I'd say jones looks like a long armed Seymour...just saying...

Spikes, mayo, Hightower, carpenter...again three of them can do about anything you ask. Spikescould use a step. This defense will keep offenses guessing. That is good news.

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I didnt see anything like that. It was pretty much the same defense all game. We have seen the defense shift during the preseason and the reg season defense not resemble ps game one before. But this was a defense we have not played before, particularly with the type of personell.

 

[woolster22]

I didnt see anything like that. It was pretty much the same defense all game. We have seen the defense shift during the preseason and the reg season defense not resemble ps game one before. But this was a defense we have not played before, particularly with the type of personell.

That is where it is going

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[Ring 6]

That is where it is going

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OK, I was discussing what I saw and how it is very different from what we have seen before not guessing at the future.

 

[celticboy04]

Greetings,
For some reason I see Fanene getting that LDE end spot for most of the season.

Celticboy04

 

[jah]

Greetings,
For some reason I see Fanene getting that LDE end spot for most of the season.

Celticboy04

I don't remember hearing about him taking snaps anywhere except DT so far this year, same with Deaderick.

 

[patfanken]

I thought I saw some 4-2 types of alignments. It almost looked like the old (from 30 years ago) Penn State 4-4 look over the middle.

BTW - that standard alignment had the 2 DTs on the outside eye of the guards with 2 ILB's on the inside eye of the guard 5 yds deep.) With that alignment it gives the defense a lot of flexibility since the defense has a 4 against 3 advantage in the middle, with the 2 ILB's pretty much protected from direct attack. Very hard to run inside, and if you wanted to go outside the only way you could do it was to block down the OT and fold the guard around on the ILB, which is a lot easier to draw up than to execute.

It looked to me that the Pats ran it with the DT's head up on the G and the LB's stacked behind them. This is from memory, so since Andy is looking at it again now, I'll ask the question. Andy, can you tell how the DT's were aligned, straight up or slightly to the outside eye. Were the LB stacked or shading the inside eye?

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I don't remember hearing about him taking snaps anywhere except DT so far this year, same with Deaderick.

I don't think he was active for the game.

 

[BBass]

I think the goal would be to develop someone like Cunningham or Bequette into a starting role on the left side. Ninkovich is serviceable for now but is limited in size and strength. If Bequette or Cunningham can step up then you have a 275-280lb guy with 6'3-6'5 height. Makes us less of a liability against the run.

Scott lacks the size as well, but like I said if we can get Bequette, Cunningham or even Francis to step up and provide a rush and solid edge setting then long term this D would be stout.

I do think BB has to change in philosophy because we need to get to the QB more and we have to do it without extra guys. Even if the secondary is improved we can't afford to bring 7-8 players just to get pressure.

Most interesting thing of the night was seeing Cunningham playing inside at the 3 technique position in a sub. Speaks a lot to his off season development that he has improved strength and technique that much to be used there. Ninkovich, Cunningham, Fanene, Jones as a sub line is something that could bring some heat.

 

[BBass]

I don't think he was active for the game.

Fanene was out, Deaderick was active played a lot of snaps all inside next to Love and I think next to Thomas.

 

[Patriot 37]

I'm watching now, and this is extremely interesting. Its about half time, and they are playing what looks like a 43, with tweeners at DE, and one standing up to give a 34 impression.
This is totally unlike anything BB has done before. Of course last preseason we saw experimentation that didnt become the base.
To me, this looks like a nickel base with an extra LB in place of a DB. On the 2nd play of the game Mayo covered a slot WR man to man. Brees looked there exclusively then went elsewhere before throwing it away.
I'm not convinced BB has altered his most basic philosophy of D, but this is an interesting deviation. We will get killed by the run, but maybe the new philosophy is let them try?

We will get killed by the run ? Based on what ? We have played one preseaon game in this Defense and given up 92 yards with a 3.2 rushing average against a team that was 6th in the NFL last year in rushing O. We see, but it's absolutely not a given that this D can't stop the run.

 

[BananaRepublican]

We will get killed by the run, but maybe the new philosophy is let them try?

My general impression is that we have three good thumping LBs with Spikes, Mayo and Hightower, so yeh, let 'em try.

It's going to be a great chess match but I think with Wilson on the field we have another decent run stopper and he can line up virtually anywhere. Where Wilson goes is probably in support of the run when it's not an obvious passing down? Wilson will have to be smart out there. Maybe a lot of this actually depends on the guy who nobody wanted on their board.

 

[eom]

playing the saints, I'd expect them to be in some kind of nickel/dime all game.

also, pretty much anything they run in pre is to get film on it to correct, imo.