3-4, 4-3, 4-6. Lets talk D

[mysticphysh]

I'm bored. Completely unfantasy related...Just Football talk.

Reading the article
http://nfl.com/news/story/9558282

Got me thinking. Down at the bottom is a small section on the 3-4 losing its mystique because more teams are using it, so offenses are seeing it more often.

I was wondering, what defensive scheme do you guys like best? Baltimore tried a hybrid this past season throwing in some 46 D. Is this the way of the future? Will we see more teams looking to mix up their base D package.

What I would like to see is a team that can mix it up with the same personel on the field so they dont tip their hand when a team is in 3-4 and brings out a LB and a big DT comes trotting in.

Are there any outside LBs out there who can put their hand on the ground and line up as a true DE? I know David Pollock played DE in college as well as other DE/LB converstions.

[moonhead]

dallas has a bybrid dl/lb. i forgot his name. i don't have to think about defenses in the offseason.

[mysticphysh]

Come on! You gotta think about it. This is the time the coaches are installing their Ds.

And its DeMarcus Ware you're thinking of.

He's turning into a beast for the Big D.

[PACKman1144]

My favorite defense is the basic 4-3. It gives you 4 true big linemen and allows the backers to roam free. I really like an offset 4-3, where one DT lines up at nose guard, right over the center, and that can really mess an offense up. I don't like the 3-4 because the inside backers have touble making plays. To me it is all too easy for a running back to cut through to the second level. BUt it does give you more freedom to blitz which is nice.

The 4-6 the Ravens run is a joke, and really isn't any different than a 4-3

[bagobonez]

Terrell Suggs played DE in college but plays outside linebacker with the Ravens, even in 4-3. The problem with not tipping your hand is that few guys fit both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. A DE in the 4-3 can get away with weighing 260-270, but a 3-4 DE needs to be close to 300, and the nose tackle should be at least 315.

[mysticphysh]

If you have the right players on the field, the 3-4 is great against the run. If you have the big massive guys to plug up the line, it forces teams to run outside. That's where you have to have the athletic LBs who can shed blockers and flow from sideline to sideline. Pittsburgh has been in the top 5 in run defense forever using this scheme.

[ds209]

For the 3-4 to be succesful you need to have a beastly nose tackle. I too like the basic 4-3 defense because I think it allows the middle linebacker to make more plays and I think it allows the linebacker to be more flexible when blitzing.