4-4

I agree with every single word in your above post (not that i reviewed what was and wasn't said ... but otherwise). I don't know what's up with Collin. I'm thinking maybe he's wanting us all to believe that his meds have gotten outa whack by making some really, really goofy comments recently, and that he's gonna blame that for being the reason for being so wrong on Newt.

So anywho, don't keep me in suspense ...what are(is) the main reason for our defense sucking?

 

Collin's posts about Cam Newton lately are the result of him being hell bent on being right, and when it's obvious that he has a personal hatred for a player, and a wish for him to fail, he tends to make shit up (such as Cam not being able to read a defense, not going through any progressions, and Chud designing an offense so he can throw to his first read) so he can twist things his way. That's why I keep saying it's blatant transparency. It's not anyone can't see what's going on. I think he's saying the defense is ok because that's what he did last year, and he clung to that. I believe he thought like last year, many would jump on that bandwagon, and now he realizes he's a fucking idiot for saying so when no one has.

As for reasons for the defense sucking, it's just speculation, without using the word "under", and without saying that most fans don't realize this or that, but I do, but I do - because if McDermott and Rivera can't figure it out, I can't. This isn't something that anyone can just paint a target on and say that's it.

1. Not enough upgrade, and a lot of subraction. Tyler Brayton. Ed Johnson. Derrick Landri. Three solid guys. There goes one of the reasons why we can't stop shit up the middle. Role players, but solid against the run, blue collar players. Also, Nic Harris, Richard Marshall?

2. Injuries. Yes, the loss of Beason hurts bad. Yes, we didn't keep some of those DTs because we thought we'd have J from KC and he's on IR. Our reserves have been getting banged up too, with Gaither missing a lot of time.

3. Scheme. Not simple enough? Young players sure, but it seems like (and this is just speculation based off of what I see when I watch games back on NFL rewind) that because our guys are fresh, young, reserve guys, whatever the reason may be, that McDermott doesn't trust them to put them in positions to make plays. We run all kinds of variations of zone and drop a lot of players, and blitz from here and there - and with a DL that isn't that great at rushing the passer, the QBs have too much time to find the guy who is finding the soft spot between zones. When we blitz, they get picked up more often than not, because they're telegraphed and predictable.

4. Bad players. Again. Not replacing the solid guys with more solid guys. Just draft choices. And it's not really working. Fua seems solid, and McClain is constantly being re-routed, and while he's a good penetrator (the u----unde- eh, nevermind) he's also getting his weight used against him and he;s terrible at contain. Terrible.

Watch the games. our linebackers are always leaving their gaps as well. Connor does it a LOT.

5. Match ups? Adjustments? I mean, you have T. Williams who has shown flashes of good coverage skills, and too often he's squatting in zone on 3rd and long, instead being matched up vs the back or TE. We've seen Godfrey used almost exclusively against one of the moster TEs in the game, and we've seen a defense that seems to refuse to bracket a player no matter who they are, stubbornly sticking to a basic scheme or single coverage. It's arrogant. I don't like it, but I know some do, and that's fine.

6. Tackling. When Del Rio came here, he ran a very simple scheme, a 2 gap cover 2 zone mostly - although some here have claimed he primarily used cover 3 - maybe so, I honestly can't remember well enough - but he coached simple, and fanatically concentrated on fundamentals. He was a hardass, and didn't constantly kiss his players' asses because he was so young and little like McD. As a result, we were physical, fast, and tackled well.

Not here, not now. Too much thinking, too much attention to what we do, instead of doing something simple right.



Those are just some thoughts. Some of it can be corrected. Some of it can't. Ultimately, we just need to upgrade the positions. All of them.

 

tl;dr

 

Nobody has addressed my original question about the 4-4 defense.

 

I prefer the .44 myself.

 

Pussy, you and Colon do have a couple of things in common:


1. you both take a fucking football message board way too seriously

2. you both have way too much free time . .. apply for jobs bitches

 

Fuckin' assholes. Sorry B&B, I will address it.

The 4-4 defense is based around speed, athleticism and intelligence rather than relying too heavily on size and strength as many other defenses do. Versatility is a key as every player can have a variety of roles from one play to the next. It is an attacking defense stocked with multiple blitz packages that can be easily concealed and altered. The top priority of the 4-4 defense is stopping the run and with 8 men in the box (around the line of scrimmage) on every snap, it puts a defense in a very good position to do just that. In addition, with 8 men in the box, it is difficult for the offense to pin point exactly where the pressure will be coming from when the defense blitzes. One final significant advantage of the 4-4 defense is that it can easily adjust to the offense. The 4-4 can shift into a nickel or dime coverage simply and effectively.

The major drawback to the 4-4 defense is the potential to give up the big play, both through the air and on the ground. Shifty scat backs with breakaway speed are most successful against the 4-4. If they can cut their way through the layer of linebackers, they will likely only have 1, maybe 2 men to beat in the secondary and depending on their coverage assignments; they may not even be in position to make a tackle anyway. The other way the defense is exposed is on the deep pass. The cornerbacks are often left on an island (without help from the Safeties), either in man coverage or playing in a 3 deep zone. If a speedy receiver gets past his defender, there likely is nothing between him and the end zone. The hope, however, is that even if a receiver opens up deep, the quarterback won't have time to deliver the ball because of the pressure.
Defensive Tackles

While size is definitely a plus for defensive tackles in the 4-4, its not as important as quickness and the ability to use leverage to manipulate the offensive linemen. It's imperative for the defensive tackles to hold their ground. They cannot allow themselves to get turned around and under no circumstances can they allow themselves to be base blocked, one on one. Again, size is great and certainly helps, but a smaller tackle can be just as effective if he is a good technician. In the base 4-4, the defensive tackles will generally line up in the B gap in a 3 technique (outside eye of the guard). Depending on the read, the defensive tackle will either be asked to penetrate the line of scrimmage, or hold his ground and attempt to take on both the guard and offensive tackle.
Defensive Ends

The defensive end's primary role in the 4-4 defense is to get to the quarterback as fast as possible. They need to be strong enough to fight their way past offensive tackles; but they also need to be athletic enough to act as linebackers because there are plenty of scenarios in the 4-4 defense that require the defensive ends to drop into coverage, just as an outside linebacker would do. The ends should do whatever they can to get to the quarterback and on running plays they should pursue down the line of scrimmage, but be careful not to over-commit as they need to be ready for a potential cutback.
Inside Linebackers

There are two inside linebackers in the 4-4 scheme known as the Mike and Buck linebackers. While they both play inside, Buck will shade to the strong side of the offense, Mike shades to the weak side. It is important for these inside backers to be aggressive and have a nose for the ball. As in most defenses, the Mike backer acts as the quarterback of the defense and is often the defensive leader. The primary responsibility of both Mike and Buck is to stop the run. The Buck backer will generally be more active in pass coverage than the Mike. Because of this, the Buck backer needs to be athletic enough to drop and almost play like a strong safety.
Outside Linebackers

As there are two inside linebackers, there are also two outside linebackers. These outside backers are known as Sam and Rover. The Sam linebacker typically sticks to the strong side. Sam does his fair share of blitzing, however he also needs to play the run and will usually be relied upon to cover the tight end or potentially a back out of the backfield. Rover will generally play on the weak side, however he can be moved to just about anywhere to better suit the defensive call or adjustment. The rover is probably the single most versatile position in the 4-4 defense. Depending on the call and the personnel in place, the Rover's job could be purely to get after the quarterback or to drop into coverage. In a blitzing situation, the Rover is the most likely player to get to the quarterback. The Rover position can be played by a variety of athletic types ranging from an outside linebacker, to a strong safety. The "Rover" linebacker is sometimes also known as the "Willie" position (Sam comes from strong side linebacker, and thus Willie signifies the weak side backer).
Secondary

The cornerbacks are often on islands in man coverage or in a deep zone, and they need to possess exceptional speed and change of direction skills. They also need to be intelligent when diagnosing the play and when in zone coverage, must be able to play the ball. The corners will generally line up 3 to 5 yards off the ball, but will rarely jam because of the risk of a big play. If the corner jams and the receiver is able to get past him, it has a high probability of ending up a big play for the offense. Of course it helps to have corners that can assist in run support, however, their primary responsibility is to shut down any receiving threat they are assigned to. The safety in the 4-4 defense should be one of the team's better athletes. He needs to be fast enough to play in coverage and strong enough to help against the run. He needs to have a nose for the ball and be able to diagnose the play to put himself in a position to make a play. The safety will almost always be assigned to the deep middle of the field, however he can also be blitzed in various packages.

To summarize I think if we went 4-4 the rest of the year that it would be a success.

 

Thank you, Art. Very insightful stuff.


Close the thread.

 

Don't mention it B. That was just something quick off the top of my head. I will post a little more in depth later on.

 

Plagiarism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4%E2%80%934_defense