Did Belichick Just Complete a Switch to a 4-3 Defense

[lostjumper]

Nope i am referring to a freenry,mario williams , smith,peppers ,dumerville etc etc speed rusher who are around 290 pounds and have a speed. THe fast DT we have green is no where close to these guys. So you are happy giving up pass rush. We are not going to help our CB by sacrificing speed.

Burgess is 260 and has not latest a season playing on the line against tackles every down.same will hold true for banta. Asking a 260 LB guy to bang heads with a 310 LB OT is sure way to IR.

Freeney is 260. The colts other DE(can't remember his name) plays at 245. jason Taylor has been a top DE in this league for a decade playing at 260. DE's in the 4-3 who play at 290 are the exception, not the rule. The Pats now have a staff that is better suited for the 4-3, where they can have guys like Burgess and Thomas play DE.

Thomas is key because he's 275 with extraordinary speed, so he can help disguise which formation they are in. He could line up at the DE spot giving the defense a 4-3 look, and then drop back into coverage revealing a 3-4. Also, with Green, Warren, and Wilfork they have the personel up front to still run the 3-4. In fact, I bet the defense will be in a 3-4 about, hmmm, 15% of the time...just like last year. However, people will just be aware that the actual base formation will be a 4-3 this year.

 

[maverick4]

The key to all of this is Jerod Mayo. If you asked what Mayo's ideal defense would be to maximize his skills, it would be the 4-3, because he is so fast sideline to sideline. The 4-3 also protects him and allows him to play plays on the ball, without having to constantly take on offensive guards all the time. We also have the big guys up front to take on the guards for him.

 

[maverick4]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/270405-bruschi-4-3-a.html

 

[mgteich]

Just BTW,

if we were switching to the 43, why didn't we draft a couple of 4-3 DE/OLB's.

 

[stinkypete]

Maybe because of the questions with the secondary, BB feels that more of a pass rush can/and will be generated by a 4-3 with his current personnel than the personnel he has for a 3-4.

I agree. The questions about the secondary to me are more about youth than lack of talent. The Patriots defensive backs have all the talent in the world, but they're going to take a good half season to gel as a unit. Increased pass rush will be necessary to give the defensive backs more opportunities to make plays and fewer chances of being burned deep.

 

[PatsDeb]

Maybe because of the questions with the secondary, BB feels that more of a pass rush can/and will be generated by a 4-3 with his current personnel than the personnel he has for a 3-4.

I think the switch to the 4-3 might also be dictated by how many teams now play the 3-4. There is so much competition now for 3-4 defensive players, lots of them coaches from the BB/Parcells tree. Maybe BB is getting ahead of everyone again in going back to a 4-3 because there are a lot more good players available to fit that scheme.

 

[Pozzy]

It would be wise of him to not switch to a 4-3 until week 2..

Last year, the Bills were 6-1 against the 4-3

and

1-8 against the 3-4..