BritPat
Experienced Starter w/First Big Contract
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
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It's now pretty clear that BB had it planned for a while - the addition of more athletic and quick LB's who fit the 4-3 prototype, the keeping of Mike Wright and Jarvis Green (who were both good in the 3-4, but should excel in the 4-3, and in Wright's case has done this year), the additions of Brace (who to be fair looks a prototypical 3-4 NT) but specifically Pryor and Richard in the Draft (prototypical 4-3 DT's), but it's more interesting to delve into why he's done it.
There's the argument of more teams switching to the 3-4, especially with more of Belichick's disciples getting coaching jobs, and I think it's a very fair one at the very least. The 3-4 is a tough scheme to draft for because of the complexities of each position and the type and physical attributes the players require (in the front 7 anyway), and there' only so many available each year. I think though, if you look at what the 3-4 actually is - which is a defense based around stopping the run - and what the league is morphing into (primarily a passing league), then (IMO anyway) you see what BB is hoping to accomplish.
Look at the best passing defenses of the last few years - the top three this year, (extrapolated further - four of the top five and seven of the top ten), are 4-3 defenses - last year it was a similar picture with eight of the top ten being 4-3 defenses (the Ravens were second, but they do not run the 3-4, contrary to popular belief), and in 2007 it was the same again - seven of the top ten being 4-3 defenses. That speaks volumes to me, and I think BB has seen the same (except earlier; the genius that he is) and has decided that the 4-3 is the way forwards in terms of stopping teams.
It's getting harder and harder to cover receivers, and quarterbacks (rightly or wrongly) are now protected on a level second only to the President, so pass rush has to be ferocious. We've done a very good job of getting to the QB this year, our DT's have been destroying interior linemen in recent weeks, and that's something that has improved as the season has gone on. If you couple that with what is becoming a terrific secondary, I think you see why BB has changed tack and gone with the 4-3.
Any other thoughts?
There's the argument of more teams switching to the 3-4, especially with more of Belichick's disciples getting coaching jobs, and I think it's a very fair one at the very least. The 3-4 is a tough scheme to draft for because of the complexities of each position and the type and physical attributes the players require (in the front 7 anyway), and there' only so many available each year. I think though, if you look at what the 3-4 actually is - which is a defense based around stopping the run - and what the league is morphing into (primarily a passing league), then (IMO anyway) you see what BB is hoping to accomplish.
Look at the best passing defenses of the last few years - the top three this year, (extrapolated further - four of the top five and seven of the top ten), are 4-3 defenses - last year it was a similar picture with eight of the top ten being 4-3 defenses (the Ravens were second, but they do not run the 3-4, contrary to popular belief), and in 2007 it was the same again - seven of the top ten being 4-3 defenses. That speaks volumes to me, and I think BB has seen the same (except earlier; the genius that he is) and has decided that the 4-3 is the way forwards in terms of stopping teams.
It's getting harder and harder to cover receivers, and quarterbacks (rightly or wrongly) are now protected on a level second only to the President, so pass rush has to be ferocious. We've done a very good job of getting to the QB this year, our DT's have been destroying interior linemen in recent weeks, and that's something that has improved as the season has gone on. If you couple that with what is becoming a terrific secondary, I think you see why BB has changed tack and gone with the 4-3.
Any other thoughts?
" Wright, and Jarvis "Less expensive than Seymour and nearly as effective" Green are as good if not more so in the 4-3. 
