PatsPropaganda

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defense

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“Honestly, most people thought we played a 4-3 at the Giants. Lawrence Taylor did a lot more rushing than he did pass-dropping; probably 80-90 percent of the time he was the rusher in the defense,” Belichick said.

“It wasn’t always a pass, but certainly in passing situations and a lot of pass plays, he was the designated fourth rusher, which really put us in what amounts to a 4-3.

"Honestly, I think that’s something that is a media fabrication. There are a lot of different alignments out there. You see 4-3 teams use odd spacing. You see 3-4 teams use even spacing. You have 11 players, you can put them in various positions. Whether you want to put it on the pre-game depth chart as one thing or another, I think is a little bit overrated.

"You play different fronts, you play different spacing, and you teach the techniques of your defense. That is what consistent, techniques that are taught in different defensive systems, whether those teams go from three-man line to a four-man line, or a four-man line to an odd spacing line, or overs to unders, or unders to overs, or over-wides, whatever you want to call it. They will continue to play the same fundamental techniques as they’ve been teaching for the entire year, for the most part. I think that’s what teaching defensive fundamental football is about. It’s about fundamentals. Wherever you put them, you’ve got to people other people in complementary places, however you decide to do that.

"It’s pretty straight-forward really … It’s more the teaching, techniques and fundamentals you teach your defensive players, more than it is the 4-3, 3-4 lineup that is so important to put on the flip card.”

BB, apparently ripping off my post from yesterday…

https://www.patspropaganda.com/honestly-most-people-thought-we-played-a-4-3-at/

Notes on a Patriots defensive scheme shift

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I know everyone has been going crazy about the possibility of the Pats going to a 4-3 defense this season, of course I’m right there with you. But I’ve found a lot of misinformed articles over the past few days and there are some points that I’d like to hammer home.

  • First, the defense was and will always be a multiple front defense. Let’s not make a bigger deal out of this than we need to, as much as I’d like to. It’s easy to get caught up in things like position names like DE and OLB, but they’re somewhat meaningless and don’t tell the real story about how versatile the Patriots defense remains.
  • The fact remains that while the Pats lack elite 3-4 defensive ends they still have a plethora (yes, plethora) of two-gap type 3-4 defensive tackles. Other than Myron Pryor and maybe Mike Wright I don’t see any traditional 4-3 defensive tackles which leads me to my next point…
  • I suspect that the Patriots version of the 4-3 will not be the straight up Colts/Giants version that is so common. I fully expect two-gap principals on the interior line (Wilfork/Haynesworth/Brace/Love) to remain.
  • If anything I believe it would almost be more of a 2-5-4 scheme that would have a 4-3 Over look.
  • The advantage of the 3-4 is that offenses don’t know where the pressure is going to come from. In a straight up 4-3 you know exactly where it’s coming from, the defensive ends. With how much BB values disguise I don’t see him suddenly moving to the most straight-forward defense that exists in football.
  • Just because Jermaine Cunningham and Eric Moore are seeing time at defensive end doesn’t mean they’ll be expected to suddenly be Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. We’ll still see both on their feet and dropping into coverage at times. That is the great advantage the Patriots would have running a 4-3. Their defensive ends are already comfortable dropping into coverage. This would allow you to throw zone blitz looks fairly easily, with the defensive ends dropping into coverage and a linebacker or defensive back blitzing.
  • Playing at weak outside linebacker would almost assuredly mean over 200 tackles for Jerod Mayo, including more sacks and perhaps interceptions as well. In the 4-3, the weak OLB usually has free reign, meaning Mayo would no longer have to defeat guards and could fully use his incredible speed to make plays all over the field.
  • The Patriots overall team speed and athleticism would be far greater with five linebacker-types on the field, meaning that in their base defense they might be a little more susceptible to the running game, but they’d also be a little more prepared for the passing game on early downs.
  • The number one question that remains is when the Patriots play a run heavy team like the Ravens what do they do? Can they stop the run consistently in this new formation if it is indeed their new base defense? Last year they played the 3-4 on 58 of 77 snaps versus Baltimore. The only really significant storyline is that if they’re no longer running the 3-4 against the offenses that rely on the run game first and foremost.
  • Here’s a diagram of a 4-3 Over defense which is probably the closest thing to what we think the Pats would probably run, and really it’s not that far from a 3-4.

image

NT – Wilfork, 3-tech – Haynesworth, SAM – Guyton, Mike – Spikes, Wwill – Mayo, Buck – Cunningham, DE – Moore

Now it should be a little clearer why Mayo at WLB would have free range, he’s protected by Haynesworth and Moore.

You can also see how much freedom they’d have with two defensive ends who can drop into coverage.

This defense also could make Brandon Spikes a star. Not only would he have more protection from guards, he’d also only have to concern himself with the middle flat in pass coverage which of course was not his strength last year.

We won’t know for sure what the Patriots have brewing until September 12th but it’s certainly fun to speculate based on the camp reports. As they continue to court 4-3 personnel it seems more and more likely that this is a change in philosophy to some extent, but the principals of fielding a big, tough, smart football team will always remain.

Until we see the Patriots in a 4-3 defense against a heavy run team these changes remain “tweaks” in my mind, as opposed to anything that radical. It’s simply trying to get the best players on the field, playing to their strengths, while trying to fix the problems with the pass defense that we’ve seen for the past few seasons.

Belichick evolving Patriots defense?

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Ty Warren’s quote below to Tom E. Curran after being released got me just as excited as another blockbuster free agent addition.

 "I think the team was looking to do some things differently on defense and I wasn’t in the plan. It doesn’t have anything to do with the test or anything else or related with Bill. You can see by the acquisitions they made. Plan on doing different things I’m not in the plans for and with my salary, they weren’t going to keep me around as dead money.“

As those who followed this blog last season know, I’m a defense guy, and it seems pretty clear that Warren is insinuating the Pats are up to something on defense.

The Patriots defensive system in 2010 was pretty straightforward as far the dynasty Patriots is concerned. They were in a base 3-4 when they wanted to stop the run, and the rest of the time they were in some fairly basic forms of nickel or dime defense. They never even got as crazy as the Five and Dime defense from 2009. I do not recall seeing a legitimate 4-3 defense run once.

In 2009 we did see attempts at using a strange 4-3 defense that had six players along the line of scrimmage (OLBs at the ends standing up) and Jerod Mayo standing solo at MLB. But after Mayo went down the Pats put this alignment on the backburner.

It feels like every preseason we wonder if the Patriots would ever make a move to a base 4-3 defense if their personnel became more suited for it, and though they flirted with it a bit in 2009, it was pretty much out of the playbook in 2010. Plus it was a lot easier to go into a normal 4-3 when McGinest and Seymour were in the fold.

But Warren’s comment raises the question of where exactly is the defense going this year?

Clearly the struggles on third down had to be addressed. Warren’s pretty much the prototype LDE for the 3-4 defense the Patriots run and he’d probably be a pretty good traditional defensive tackle in a normal 4-3 defense if he needed to be.

So what can’t Warren do that the Patriots would need him to?

It’s impossible to know the answer until we see the scheme in a meaningful game (don’t expect to see it in preseason), but let’s speculate for a minute.

I look at the defensive linemen and I see a majority of guys who look like traditional 3-4 nose tackles. Wilfork, Brace and Love are massive men with low centers of gravity who can take on double teams. Mike Wright and Myron Pryor have also both played nose for the Patriots though it’s not the specialty for either of them.

Brandon Deaderick and maybe Kade Weston are the only two guys on the roster who resembles the physical example of a 3-4 defensive end. Obviously Haynesworth is something unto himself and, if motivated, can play any defensive line position in any scheme.

Could we perhaps be looking at a 2-4-5 double two-gapper defense that would be used on early run downs and be expected to stop the run consistently? A base nickel defense with only two down lineman and hand-up or hand-down defensive ends depending on the situation? Why not?

The Patriots weakness was clearly the passing game and runs against their subpackages. Would a formation like this allow them the improve in both areas?

Again, all speculation. But I’ve long wondered if Belichick would ever come up with his own innovation to the 3-4 defense to counter the way the game has evolved into a passing league. Just like Buddy Ryan and the 46 defense or Dick Lebeau with the zone blitz, the NFL has a long history of schematic adjustments to shut down offenses.

And with NFL teams being even more unprepared than ever this season, how much of an advantage would the Patriots have (especially early on) if they’re running a new twist on their defense?

Perhaps now, with a bounty of handpicked players who have experience in his system and with each other, Belichick feels comfortable enough to start innovating. I can’t wait to see what he’s come up with.

What to expect from the Patriots 2011 defense

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The current Patriots storyline that interests me most is if Bill Belichick can pull off a complete turnover of his defense before Tom Brady begins to decline and retires.

In 2009 BB ripped the band aid off by jettisoning Vrabel and Seymour, and seeing Bruschi, Colvin, Seau and Harrison retire.This left him with a new group of free agency cast offs and unproven youngsters.

Over the course of the past two seasons the BB D version 2.0 has slowly been adding key components. The foundation pick was Jerod Mayo in 2008. The most important pieces of the 3-4 defense are the nose tackle and the weak inside linebacker, and with Wilfork and Mayo the Pats have two studs.

Around them are a group of promising young defensive backs and linebackers. The defensive line remains the last spot in the rebuild that has not seen a first round pick added. Many of us thought this was the year that would end, but BB didn’t like Cameron Jordan as much as the YouTube highlights told me he should.

In 2009 the young defense lack cohesion, especially on the back end. The stability McCourty provided in 2010 helped the entire secondary. They were still horrendous on 3rd down, but they were a group of ball hawks with a league-leading 25 interceptions. Despite being oft maligned for pass rush issues as well the Pats were 8th overall in points surrendered. The importance of that stat is often overlooked and really, it’s the only stat that truly matters when judging a defense.

2011 will be the third season since BB blew it up and started again, so what should we expect to see from this group?

First, the return of Ty Warren and Leigh Bodden should really help. Many are severely underrating how much of a force Warren was when he was healthy. If he is finally healthy he will lock down the left defensive end spot and chip in a few sacks.

If Bodden is able to return to his 2009 form that Pats will have two solid starters at outside cornerback for the first time since the early part of last decade (sorry Ellis Hobbs).

Something else that is always underrated is the improved cohesion of the entire defense as the players get more and more familiar with each other. Ty Law said it just last week, the dynasty defense was built in the fires and playoff losses of the late 90’s. It takes time, especially in a defense where communication and football intelligence is so vital.

On the defensive line it starts with keeping Wilfork and Warren healthy, that will then leave the competition for the right defensive end spot as the main focus.

Will Gerard Warren be back? Does Marcus Stroud have anything left in the tank? Can Ron Brace, Kyle Love, or Brandon Deaderick take that next step? Will Myron Pryor and Mike Wright be able to consistently bring the interior pass rush? There are definite questions about what this line’s ceiling is.

At linebacker the Mayo, Guyton, Spikes rotation is the foundation in the middle. Dane Fletcher showed promise in 2010 and could push Guyton as the top coverage LB next to Mayo. On the outside Jermain Cunningham, Rob Ninkovich and Tully Banta-Cain look like the core, with wild card Eric Moore potentially in the mix. Don’t expect rookie Markell Carter to see much time at OLB, if he does it’s reason to be VERY excited.

In the secondary Meriweather, Sanders and Chung look like a solid rotation on the back end, and with McCourty and Bodden locking down the outside the biggest question becomes who emerges from the Wilhite, Butler, Dowling group.

With the versatility of the defensive backs, and Dowling’s size it will likely allow BB to mix and match and play with his collection of first and second round toys all over the field. It’s not a question of “Who wins the nickel/dime defensive back jobs” as much as it is how will the Patriots be able to utilize the strengths of all of them.

I do not rule out any kind of free agency acquisition on the defensive side of the ball. It’s assured that there will be a collection of low priced vets, but I would not be surprised to see a big name added whether it’s in free agency or via trade.

In the chaos that the NFL is undoubtedly about to enter, Belichick will thrive and I expect him to take full advantage if there’s a player he thinks could help the defense.

If there is a major addition it will be along the defensive line or at outside linebacker. There’s a surplus of talented defensive backs and I believe it’s best to give them time to gel. But I also wouldn’t rule out one of them being trade bait, cough Meriweather…

As a whole this defense can’t expect to get the same number of turnovers that they got in 2010. The difference will have to be made up on 3rd down. Both were at extreme ends of the spectrum in 2010, expect both to regress toward the mean in 2011.

But even without any new additions the Patriots have built one of the most talent-laden young defenses in the NFL. There are still pieces that need to be added, but they’ve come a long way since the “old and slow” days of just three seasons ago.

Belichick on the 3-4 Defense

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During Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 defense week we brought you some notes from a coaching clinic where Dean Pees gave some pointers on the Patriots defense. Today I found some additional notes and it looks like BB spoke there as well, so forgive me since we’re in the middle of Erhardt-Perkins offense week but I had to share.

Here’s what Belichick laid out…

Bill Belichick Head Coach New England Patriots

Patriot Football

Organization

  • Sign going into the football offices at Gillette Stadium – Do  Your Job
  • Create a division of labor 
  • Put together an organization to become the best
  • Tell staff what to do and say in situations
  • Be out in front of the direction of the team
  • Meets with captains every week because it’s a more manageable group to deal with
  • Allow players to make some decisions, create a connection to program
  • Group discipline and rewards-Works both ways

Setting up a D

  • Must be able to defend what you are going to see
  • Define how you will defend a basic set of problems
  • Regardless of your personnel the 3-4 is more flexible
  • Originally made it easier to sign and draft  players but is changing as more teams adapt 3-4
  • Maintain as much coverage flexibility as possible in order to take away best player 
  • Establish the front 7 to handle running game
  • Running game force is OLB
  • Set Edge
  • Force inside
  • DL two gap responsible, if no two gap must add secondary into run game D
  • If LB is being committed to one gap then secondary comes down
  • Quarters (cover 4) is #1 coverage, Cover 3 is #2.

ESPN: Belichick re-defining the linebacker position

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ESPN: Belichick re-defining the linebacker position

This article is a definite must-read, but it’s back from September 2005 when the Patriots were coming off their 3rd Super Bowl in four years and everything was just rainbows and roses.

This is the best section…

Belichick’s 3-4 scheme is the next step in this evolution. The Steelers’ 3-4 zone blitz was defensive-line oriented and redefined what defensive linemen could do. The Patriots’ 3-4 scheme is linebacker-oriented and is similarly breaking the mold for linebackers.

Belichick recognized two problems with a defensive-line oriented zone blitz scheme. First, even though you can drop the nose tackle into the short zone, it’s not likely he’ll be agile enough at 300 or so pounds to be adept in coverage. Second, to run the scheme properly, a team must find very athletic defensive ends who not only can play the run and rush the passer but also can drop into coverage. Such players are rare.

The Patriots’ solution to the first problem was fairly simple. Instead of dropping oversized nose tackles into coverage, they opted to give that assignment to the 3-4 inside linebacker. Known as “pluggers,” these are bigger linebackers whose main purpose is to stuff the run, but they can defend the pass better than nose tackles. On passing downs, about the only time they’d need a nose tackle to drop into coverage, the Patriots replace the lineman with a plugger linebacker lined up as a nose tackle. If the opponent runs the ball, the plugger is big enough to help stop it. If the opponent passes, he’s much better equipped to drop back.

New England’s solution to the second problem was, in hindsight, fairly obvious, but it didn’t seem so at the time. In 1996, New England drafted defensive lineman Tedy Bruschi out of Arizona. At 250 pounds, Bruschi was a bit small to play defensive end and was struggling, so Belichick and his staff decided to teach Bruschi to play linebacker. His success as a rush linebacker in the 3-4 zone blitz scheme led to an epiphany of sorts. The Patriots realized they could draft undersized defensive linemen and convert them into linebackers. In doing so, they oriented their zone blitz scheme around linebackers rather than defensive linemen. This subtle and seemingly small change had several advantages.

Patriots defensive philosophy from Dean Pees

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Came across this on a messageboard, it appears to be notes taken by a coach after hearing Dean Pees talk about the things the Patriots preach on defense. It’s in bullett point form, wish it was a little more descriptive, but I felt it was worth sharing regardless:

Dean Pees Defensive Coordinator New England

The Patriots Defense

Defensive Laws:
Leverage
Attack
Wall
Square

Patriots ran 37 coverages and 17 fronts in 2007

Coach’s Fundamentals

Drill work- Does your drill work emphasize the player fundamentals that you want because practice must mimic game.

Evaluation-Does it works? Can your players do it? Does it fit your scheme?

3-4:

Defense must fit together to build a wall to force indecision in the running backs mind.

Separation in the defense creates a seam.

Must stay square if a guy turns sideways it creates seams.

From end zone, should be able to stand behind and see the back numbers of defenders, if you cannot then that player got turned.

Practice what kids are going to see.

Not as much penetration in base.

LBs must attack and come across square.

Press the offensive player and stay square.

Do not use a sled or bags because its not who you play against.

Goal is 3 yards a carry because two gapping penetration causes positive gains.

Never wrong arm anything. Face to face, never give self up. 

Make a play by staying square (two gap him). Do not cut offensive player because it causes seams.

Everybody pushes east and west, not north and south.

Safety reads the shoulders of backs-stay square.

Everything is read and react.

#1 coverage is quarters
#2 cover 3

PS: One of my former players (All-Pro ILB James Farrior) is the defensive Captain, & signal caller for the World Champion Steelers. Their 3-4 Defense operates on a different PHILOSOPHY. They try to spill (& wreck) EVERYTHING to the outside – to secondary run support, in their ¼, ¼, ½ coverage (S/S to quarter side, & W/C to half side). That is one reason Polomoleau makes so many tackles – he is a “heat seeking missle”!