Seven players have at least one sack, and six players have an interception, a list that includes tight end Tony Scheffler, who got his pick on the last play of the game in the season opener at Cincinnati.
And while the Broncos have powered their way to the top of the league's defensive rankings — they are No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 2 in yards allowed per game — they have done it with the "little of this and a little of that" approach that switching to a 3-4 scheme has afforded them.
Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who has directed both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses in his career, framed it this way: "Everybody gets turns, and in some schemes they don't. Guys who cover, cover; and guys who rush, rush. But in our scheme, any one of the 11 can rush the passer or drop (into coverage). There's a multiple of jobs that you have, and players enjoy that."
Basically, those who believe in the 3-4 (three defensive linemen to go with four linebackers) believe it offers more variety overall, but especially in the pass rush. That's because more players are playing standing up, rather than in a three-point stance. It's easier to be deceptive, to add a fourth and fifth pass rusher from anywhere in the formation at any time.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, a longtime 3-4 practitioner, has said, "You can do more things to get to the quarterback from more angles, and I think it makes . . . a quicker defense."
And while Steelers defensive coordinator **** LeBeau, a Hall of Fame finalist this year, often calls the linebackers in the 3-4 "the Hollywood guys," he concedes it does give more players a chance to make the spectacular play from time to time, because the roles aren't as rigidly defined as in some other defenses.
