The Pats have been using a modified version of the 4-3 for several years now. Last year we say them using 2DT, 2 EDGE, 2, LB, 5 DB (with Dugger being the 5th DB) for many of their reps. They lined up in a 4-3 Over many times.
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With Belichick’s 3-4 “Okie” front as the base, the Pats’ big-bodies on the defensive line (Guy, Godchaux, Barmore, and Davis) and the edge force (Judon, Van Noy, Phillips, Dugger) allow the second-level to stay clean to come downhill at the line of scrimmage.
Belichick is building a modern-day bully on defense to overpower offenses at the line of scrimmage.
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Belichick does run an odd front but opts instead for his “Base” front (what you may hear called the “Okie” front in other football parlance), with two defensive tackles outside of the tackles and a nose tackle.
What New England wants to do with that is hide the “rotation” of the safeties (which one is rolling down) and the “reduction” of the front (which outside linebacker is rushing, and which defensive tackle is slanting down inside of the offensive tackle)."
The New England Patriots are embracing a run-first approach on offense and a unique defensive scheme to handle their opponents week in and week out. They are now one of the NFL's hottest teams.
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"With more speed and less size at the second level,
the Pats might also move away from a two-gapping odd front to more even fronts this season (4-3)."
When they play the 4-3 Over front:
"The Patriots typically play an over front when they put four defensive linemen on the field, which presents a role as a penetrating three-technique for second-year stud Christian Barmore and as a designated pass-rusher for Pro Bowler Matthew Judon (in a stand-up role)."
Although the offensive coaching staff fuels skeptics, the picture is much clearer for the Patriots' offense than on defense.
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Defensively, the Patriots have shifted in recent years to playing more of a 3-4 type of defense than 4-3, but predominantly played “Nickel” (five defensive backs) with a 2-4 or 3-3 look up front. We’ll see if that changes, now that the Patriots seem to have better talent and depth in the front-seven than the secondary. It has long made sense for the defensive backs to be the true engine of the defense, but the personnel at Belichick’s disposal in 2021 may force some kind of evolution."
The Patriots will deploy a wide variety of personnel groupings on both offense and defense in 2021, as always. Here are the projected lineups.
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When they were short on LB in 2020, they played mostly a sub defense:
That 4-2-5 look — which was oftentimes a 2-4-5 with four down-linemen — could therefore easily be manipulated into a 4-3-3 with Chung as the third off-the-ball linebacker. This role was still present on the 2020 Patriots in the form of Adrian Phillips, but the problem was that the other “normal” linebacker spots were oftentimes not properly manned.
No other team in football used as many five-plus defensive back looks that New England.
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