The NFL's # 1 Defense Thread

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by dj43:

A good part of an effective blitz or pass rush package is the ability to cover the short middle zones with a linebacker. If the QB is allowed to quickly dump the ball over the middle before the rusher gets to him, then the effort is wasted.

Unfortunately, pass coverage is not Willis' strong suit and Spikes is even less effective in that regard. It would be nice if Bowman could learn coverage as he has the speed and agility to be an effective cover backer in short zones.

I just posted my solution to the coverage problem. You're a smart dude and it's obvious you get defensive schemes. Rip it apart for me, would you?

Thanks.

I am about to leave for a few hours. I'll get back to this when I have time to do it justice. Just skimming what you wrote, it looks worthy.

Originally posted by dj43:

Thanks.

I am about to leave for a few hours. I'll get back to this when I have time to do it justice. Just skimming what you wrote, it looks worthy.

Most welcome.

Sweetness, I look forward to it.

Originally posted by Wodwo:
I posted this in the Spencer thread, but thought it belonged here in retrospect.

I hate our coverage schemes so much. Our players are so much better than this if utilized properly. My opinion anyway.

So that I'm not one of "those guys" who b***hes without a solution, I'll give mine. If you don't enjoy reading, skip to the next post.

1. Bench Goldson

2. Move Mays to FS

3. Start Reggie Smith at SS

Now, I'm not a defensive coordinator. I don't have any experience calling plays (except in Madden, lulz). I have a limited knowledge of scheme, as I'm sure most of us do.

That said, I think we should run what I think would be (at least similar to) a cover 6. Clements plays man coverage, in the WRs face, jamming him all day. This also puts Clements in position to take advantage of (IMO) his best attribute as a corner... his play against the run. It helps against the outside runs and screens we've been burned by. Reggie Smith at SS plays close to center field in deep zone, almost in cover 3 position. I think he is our best pure cover safety and would be best suited to picking up TEs running deep down the seam and most importantly, providing Clements help over the top because we all know Clement's penchant for biting.

On the other side, Spencer plays a short zone (shorter than our lame duck four shell) and does what I think he does best, which is shadow receivers. Mays would play FS, also in a short zone. This maximizes his ability to roam the field without leaving him as the last line of defense. He'll be up and ready to Blitz, pick up a TE on a short route, and play run defense. He has the speed to drop deep from a blitz position, which is crucial to creating confusion (why run a damn 3-4 if you aren't trying to confuse your opponent?). Now, Spencer and Mays primary responsibility would be working in tandem to cover the right side WR. Spencer keeps his man shadowed and covered very well, but hasn't shown the best ball awareness. This would be where Mays would take over, becoming an enforcer and perhaps even a play maker when a QB tries to beat Spencer's coverage. So, they would play almost like a quarters style coverage, but more aggressive with Mays closer to the line, but both still technically responsible for the deep quarters of the field. With Mays playing a short zone closer to the line, it will help limit those screen passes and outside runs we have such trouble with. Plus, who isn't salivating at the thought of Mays blitzing from the QB's blind-side?

The line backers are then free to do what the 3-4 does best. Create as much confusion as possible. No need to send them back in coverage on every play anymore because the middle has a safety with corner speed and linebacker size roaming it.

This scheme puts a lot of pressure on Reggie Smith, though. He'd have to pick up Clements man quickly over the top, but also watch for plays that force Mays up in coverage and Spencer deep. I don't know if he's up to the task, but I do feel he is the best pure cover safety we have.

This alignment can also be inverted, depending on the type of WRs the offense has. You don't always have to play Clements on the #1 WR... he should take the guy that has the most trouble with physical corners.

Sorry for the long ass post. Our coverage scheme has been pissing me off all season and I've b***hed about it, so I felt obligated to sack up and provide a solution. Mostly though, it was just me venting. If you read the whole thing, thanks. Feel free to rip it apart, I've got no ego here.

Bumping in case anyone cares.... Thought it was interesting in light of the Reggie Smith subbing for Mays info today.

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by Wodwo:
I posted this in the Spencer thread, but thought it belonged here in retrospect.

I hate our coverage schemes so much. Our players are so much better than this if utilized properly. My opinion anyway.

So that I'm not one of "those guys" who b***hes without a solution, I'll give mine. If you don't enjoy reading, skip to the next post.

1. Bench Goldson

2. Move Mays to FS

3. Start Reggie Smith at SS

Now, I'm not a defensive coordinator. I don't have any experience calling plays (except in Madden, lulz). I have a limited knowledge of scheme, as I'm sure most of us do.

That said, I think we should run what I think would be (at least similar to) a cover 6. Clements plays man coverage, in the WRs face, jamming him all day. This also puts Clements in position to take advantage of (IMO) his best attribute as a corner... his play against the run. It helps against the outside runs and screens we've been burned by. Reggie Smith at SS plays close to center field in deep zone, almost in cover 3 position. I think he is our best pure cover safety and would be best suited to picking up TEs running deep down the seam and most importantly, providing Clements help over the top because we all know Clement's penchant for biting.

On the other side, Spencer plays a short zone (shorter than our lame duck four shell) and does what I think he does best, which is shadow receivers. Mays would play FS, also in a short zone. This maximizes his ability to roam the field without leaving him as the last line of defense. He'll be up and ready to Blitz, pick up a TE on a short route, and play run defense. He has the speed to drop deep from a blitz position, which is crucial to creating confusion (why run a damn 3-4 if you aren't trying to confuse your opponent?). Now, Spencer and Mays primary responsibility would be working in tandem to cover the right side WR. Spencer keeps his man shadowed and covered very well, but hasn't shown the best ball awareness. This would be where Mays would take over, becoming an enforcer and perhaps even a play maker when a QB tries to beat Spencer's coverage. So, they would play almost like a quarters style coverage, but more aggressive with Mays closer to the line, but both still technically responsible for the deep quarters of the field. With Mays playing a short zone closer to the line, it will help limit those screen passes and outside runs we have such trouble with. Plus, who isn't salivating at the thought of Mays blitzing from the QB's blind-side?

The line backers are then free to do what the 3-4 does best. Create as much confusion as possible. No need to send them back in coverage on every play anymore because the middle has a safety with corner speed and linebacker size roaming it.

This scheme puts a lot of pressure on Reggie Smith, though. He'd have to pick up Clements man quickly over the top, but also watch for plays that force Mays up in coverage and Spencer deep. I don't know if he's up to the task, but I do feel he is the best pure cover safety we have.

This alignment can also be inverted, depending on the type of WRs the offense has. You don't always have to play Clements on the #1 WR... he should take the guy that has the most trouble with physical corners.

Sorry for the long ass post. Our coverage scheme has been pissing me off all season and I've b***hed about it, so I felt obligated to sack up and provide a solution. Mostly though, it was just me venting. If you read the whole thing, thanks. Feel free to rip it apart, I've got no ego here.

Bumping in case anyone cares.... Thought it was interesting in light of the Reggie Smith subbing for Mays info today.

I think our Safety and DB play is ok as it is. The D-Line needs more scheme and more time in the film study. I'm tired of all the Bull rushes..we need to go back to the stunts and blitzes from last year. Exploit weaknesses and get some Int's

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:


I think our Safety and DB play is ok as it is. The D-Line needs more scheme and more time in the film study. I'm tired of all the Bull rushes..we need to go back to the stunts and blitzes from last year. Exploit weaknesses and get some Int's

Obviously I don't agree with the first sentence, but the rest I do. That's why I came up with this coverage scheme. It will allow more freedom for the linebackers because they won't be required to cover the middle of the field all the time. Also, the soft coverage allows too much time for many stunts to develop. We need a more aggressive coverage scheme so that we aren't getting burned by short routes and screens all day.

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:


I think our Safety and DB play is ok as it is. The D-Line needs more scheme and more time in the film study. I'm tired of all the Bull rushes..we need to go back to the stunts and blitzes from last year. Exploit weaknesses and get some Int's

Obviously I don't agree with the first sentence, but the rest I do. That's why I came up with this coverage scheme. It will allow more freedom for the linebackers because they won't be required to cover the middle of the field all the time. Also, the soft coverage allows too much time for many stunts to develop. We need a more aggressive coverage scheme so that we aren't getting burned by short routes and screens all day.

You can have the best CB/S of all time on your D, but if you cant get to the QB those great CB/S's look like crap

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by Wodwo:
I posted this in the Spencer thread, but thought it belonged here in retrospect.

I hate our coverage schemes so much. Our players are so much better than this if utilized properly. My opinion anyway.

So that I'm not one of "those guys" who b***hes without a solution, I'll give mine. If you don't enjoy reading, skip to the next post.

1. Bench Goldson

2. Move Mays to FS

3. Start Reggie Smith at SS

Now, I'm not a defensive coordinator. I don't have any experience calling plays (except in Madden, lulz). I have a limited knowledge of scheme, as I'm sure most of us do.

That said, I think we should run what I think would be (at least similar to) a cover 6. Clements plays man coverage, in the WRs face, jamming him all day. This also puts Clements in position to take advantage of (IMO) his best attribute as a corner... his play against the run. It helps against the outside runs and screens we've been burned by. Reggie Smith at SS plays close to center field in deep zone, almost in cover 3 position. I think he is our best pure cover safety and would be best suited to picking up TEs running deep down the seam and most importantly, providing Clements help over the top because we all know Clement's penchant for biting.

On the other side, Spencer plays a short zone (shorter than our lame duck four shell) and does what I think he does best, which is shadow receivers. Mays would play FS, also in a short zone. This maximizes his ability to roam the field without leaving him as the last line of defense. He'll be up and ready to Blitz, pick up a TE on a short route, and play run defense. He has the speed to drop deep from a blitz position, which is crucial to creating confusion (why run a damn 3-4 if you aren't trying to confuse your opponent?). Now, Spencer and Mays primary responsibility would be working in tandem to cover the right side WR. Spencer keeps his man shadowed and covered very well, but hasn't shown the best ball awareness. This would be where Mays would take over, becoming an enforcer and perhaps even a play maker when a QB tries to beat Spencer's coverage. So, they would play almost like a quarters style coverage, but more aggressive with Mays closer to the line, but both still technically responsible for the deep quarters of the field. With Mays playing a short zone closer to the line, it will help limit those screen passes and outside runs we have such trouble with. Plus, who isn't salivating at the thought of Mays blitzing from the QB's blind-side?

The line backers are then free to do what the 3-4 does best. Create as much confusion as possible. No need to send them back in coverage on every play anymore because the middle has a safety with corner speed and linebacker size roaming it.

This scheme puts a lot of pressure on Reggie Smith, though. He'd have to pick up Clements man quickly over the top, but also watch for plays that force Mays up in coverage and Spencer deep. I don't know if he's up to the task, but I do feel he is the best pure cover safety we have.

This alignment can also be inverted, depending on the type of WRs the offense has. You don't always have to play Clements on the #1 WR... he should take the guy that has the most trouble with physical corners.

Sorry for the long ass post. Our coverage scheme has been pissing me off all season and I've b***hed about it, so I felt obligated to sack up and provide a solution. Mostly though, it was just me venting. If you read the whole thing, thanks. Feel free to rip it apart, I've got no ego here.

Bumping in case anyone cares.... Thought it was interesting in light of the Reggie Smith subbing for Mays info today.

It sounds good but you are expecting way way too much out of Reggie Smith and Mays, or any safety for that matter. I mean if Nate misses on his jam on the line or god forbid the offense runs a trips set to one side and have a single wr on the other side. No way could one man cover that much ground. and if you send a tight end up the seam it's trouble. And we haven't seen the discipline from any safety on this team to expect them to be able to do that. Add in the fact that Nate falls for double moves a lot and you are gonna want to keep over the top help on his side. I agree they both play way too far off the wr's. It just seems like they are giving up 7 yards at will. As for Mays that's way too much for him to handle as well. Put him in a zone closer to the line of qb's are gonna torch that s**t all day long. Send a back into the flat of his zone with a tight end running a drag route across the filed into that zone with the WR going deep and you got no help at all for the CB,. and the niners cb's haven't proved they can hold up. But I'm not against throwing it out there b/c at some point the Niners have to let them cover and ramp up the pressure and hits. I'm still trying to figure out why Will James is allowed into the game.

Nothing wrong with your long post. I thought it was nice read.

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

You can have the best CB/S of all time on your D, but if you cant get to the QB those great CB/S's look like crap

I totally agree with you. I don't think you understand my point, though.

The purpose of the coverage scheme is to allow the defense the freedom to be creative in blitzes, so that they can get to the QB.

Please don't take offense at this question. Did you read my post about the scheme?

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by Wodwo:
I posted this in the Spencer thread, but thought it belonged here in retrospect.

I hate our coverage schemes so much. Our players are so much better than this if utilized properly. My opinion anyway.

So that I'm not one of "those guys" who b***hes without a solution, I'll give mine. If you don't enjoy reading, skip to the next post.

1. Bench Goldson

2. Move Mays to FS

3. Start Reggie Smith at SS

Now, I'm not a defensive coordinator. I don't have any experience calling plays (except in Madden, lulz). I have a limited knowledge of scheme, as I'm sure most of us do.

That said, I think we should run what I think would be (at least similar to) a cover 6. Clements plays man coverage, in the WRs face, jamming him all day. This also puts Clements in position to take advantage of (IMO) his best attribute as a corner... his play against the run. It helps against the outside runs and screens we've been burned by. Reggie Smith at SS plays close to center field in deep zone, almost in cover 3 position. I think he is our best pure cover safety and would be best suited to picking up TEs running deep down the seam and most importantly, providing Clements help over the top because we all know Clement's penchant for biting.

On the other side, Spencer plays a short zone (shorter than our lame duck four shell) and does what I think he does best, which is shadow receivers. Mays would play FS, also in a short zone. This maximizes his ability to roam the field without leaving him as the last line of defense. He'll be up and ready to Blitz, pick up a TE on a short route, and play run defense. He has the speed to drop deep from a blitz position, which is crucial to creating confusion (why run a damn 3-4 if you aren't trying to confuse your opponent?). Now, Spencer and Mays primary responsibility would be working in tandem to cover the right side WR. Spencer keeps his man shadowed and covered very well, but hasn't shown the best ball awareness. This would be where Mays would take over, becoming an enforcer and perhaps even a play maker when a QB tries to beat Spencer's coverage. So, they would play almost like a quarters style coverage, but more aggressive with Mays closer to the line, but both still technically responsible for the deep quarters of the field. With Mays playing a short zone closer to the line, it will help limit those screen passes and outside runs we have such trouble with. Plus, who isn't salivating at the thought of Mays blitzing from the QB's blind-side?

The line backers are then free to do what the 3-4 does best. Create as much confusion as possible. No need to send them back in coverage on every play anymore because the middle has a safety with corner speed and linebacker size roaming it.

This scheme puts a lot of pressure on Reggie Smith, though. He'd have to pick up Clements man quickly over the top, but also watch for plays that force Mays up in coverage and Spencer deep. I don't know if he's up to the task, but I do feel he is the best pure cover safety we have.

This alignment can also be inverted, depending on the type of WRs the offense has. You don't always have to play Clements on the #1 WR... he should take the guy that has the most trouble with physical corners.

Sorry for the long ass post. Our coverage scheme has been pissing me off all season and I've b***hed about it, so I felt obligated to sack up and provide a solution. Mostly though, it was just me venting. If you read the whole thing, thanks. Feel free to rip it apart, I've got no ego here.

Bumping in case anyone cares.... Thought it was interesting in light of the Reggie Smith subbing for Mays info today.

It won't matter if they all keep biting on a flea flicker or play action. I think we just need to let our CBs cover underneath with Safeties over the top and put in a 5th DB to help with the slot who will be trying to split the Safety cover 2.

4 DL and 2 LB's (Manny and Willis)

It would be a nickel cover 2.

5 DBs: Clements and Spencer can jam the receiver and stay for the screens and flat/short routes. Brown or Smith can take on the slot.

2 LBs: Manny can take on the TE or rush. Willis will be free to do whatever he wants mainly spying Jackson

4 DL: This should keep the rookie QB pressured having 4 DL while he's staring at DB's and LB's all over the field.

The goal is to keep the rookie QB from a lot of open looks while still having some sort of pressure on him.


Of course, we will probably do some sort of umbrella with 3 DL and be dinked and dunked all day until a flea-flicker comes in.

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

You can have the best CB/S of all time on your D, but if you cant get to the QB those great CB/S's look like crap

I totally agree with you. I don't think you understand my point, though.

The purpose of the coverage scheme is to allow the defense the freedom to be creative in blitzes, so that they can get to the QB.

Please don't take offense at this question. Did you read my post about the scheme?

I did, but your scotch taping the issue. not that anyone of us can solve anything for the team on this board.

Clements can't play Man on everydown and will tend to bite on pump fakes leaving a rookie to make up for Clements mistake. Taking Gold out will take out a guy who likes to hit everything hard..LB's need to stop thinking and attack.

I would rather have manusky game plan like last year and get beat on an occasional screen instead of the D waiting for the screen to happen.

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:

You can have the best CB/S of all time on your D, but if you cant get to the QB those great CB/S's look like crap

I totally agree with you. I don't think you understand my point, though.

The purpose of the coverage scheme is to allow the defense the freedom to be creative in blitzes, so that they can get to the QB.

Please don't take offense at this question. Did you read my post about the scheme?

I did, but your scotch taping the issue. not that anyone of us can solve anything for the team on this board.

Clements can't play Man on everydown and will tend to bite on pump fakes leaving a rookie to make up for Clements mistake. Taking Gold out will take out a guy who likes to hit everything hard..LB's need to stop thinking and attack.

I would rather have manusky game plan like last year and get beat on an occasional screen instead of the D waiting for the screen to happen.

That was against a veteran QB. You don't want to give a veteran QB any time because they will figure the defense out sooner or later.

We are now playing a rookie. We want to make it appear that there are DB's everywhere and force the rookie to make a mistake and force him to figure out what's happening. The last thing we want to do is make it easy for him with man coverage and allow him to use his arm strength and beat us. We want him to use his brain.

Originally posted by Joecool:

It won't matter if they all keep biting on a flea flicker or play action. I think we just need to let our CBs cover underneath with Safeties over the top and put in a 5th DB to help with the slot who will be trying to split the Safety cover 2.

4 DL and 2 LB's (Manny and Willis)

It would be a nickel cover 2.

5 DBs: Clements and Spencer can jam the receiver and stay for the screens and flat/short routes. Brown or Smith can take on the slot.

2 LBs: Manny can take on the TE or rush. Willis will be free to do whatever he wants mainly spying Jackson

4 DL: This should keep the rookie QB pressured having 4 DL while he's staring at DB's and LB's all over the field.

The goal is to keep the rookie QB from a lot of open looks while still having some sort of pressure on him.


Of course, we will probably do some sort of umbrella with 3 DL and be dinked and dunked all day until a flea-flicker comes in.

You know, this is really... not bad at all. Hate to say that, as my dislike for you on Alex issues gnaws at me... but not bad. I don't know that this is the best matchup to pull this D out... meaning that we will probably need 3 LBs on the 2nd level for a pounder like Steven Jackson.

Who was to be your specific 4 man DL?

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by Joecool:

It won't matter if they all keep biting on a flea flicker or play action. I think we just need to let our CBs cover underneath with Safeties over the top and put in a 5th DB to help with the slot who will be trying to split the Safety cover 2.

4 DL and 2 LB's (Manny and Willis)

It would be a nickel cover 2.

5 DBs: Clements and Spencer can jam the receiver and stay for the screens and flat/short routes. Brown or Smith can take on the slot.

2 LBs: Manny can take on the TE or rush. Willis will be free to do whatever he wants mainly spying Jackson

4 DL: This should keep the rookie QB pressured having 4 DL while he's staring at DB's and LB's all over the field.

The goal is to keep the rookie QB from a lot of open looks while still having some sort of pressure on him.


Of course, we will probably do some sort of umbrella with 3 DL and be dinked and dunked all day until a flea-flicker comes in.

You know, this is really... not bad at all. Hate to say that, as my dislike for you on Alex issues gnaws at me... but not bad. I don't know that this is the best matchup to pull this D out... meaning that we will probably need 3 LBs on the 2nd level for a pounder like Steven Jackson.

Who was to be your specific 4 man DL?

Eh, I only disagree with you on Alex Smith. Almost agree with everything else you normally say.

The main reasoning is to force the rookie QB to think more while still giving us an adequate chance at applying pressure.

As for Steven Jackson: their running game has had difficulty with getting to the 2nd level all year. Now we will have 4 DL who are very athletic in McDonald (LDE), Sopoagna (LDT), Justin Smith (RDT), possibly Parys Haralson or Amhad Brooks (RDE). DE's in a 4-3 only need to be around 250 to 260 and those two guys are up against LT's anyways. I don't know if this would make the best front 4 but I will leave that for you to decide as you know more about who would be best where.

Now factor in that Willis will be completely free to roam which will help a lot and Manny stays if the TE stays to block and we all know how effective he is against the run.

Originally posted by lamontb:


It sounds good but you are expecting way way too much out of Reggie Smith and Mays, or any safety for that matter. I mean if Nate misses on his jam on the line or god forbid the offense runs a trips set to one side and have a single wr on the other side. No way could one man cover that much ground. and if you send a tight end up the seam it's trouble. And we haven't seen the discipline from any safety on this team to expect them to be able to do that. Add in the fact that Nate falls for double moves a lot and you are gonna want to keep over the top help on his side. I agree they both play way too far off the wr's. It just seems like they are giving up 7 yards at will. As for Mays that's way too much for him to handle as well. Put him in a zone closer to the line of qb's are gonna torch that s**t all day long. Send a back into the flat of his zone with a tight end running a drag route across the filed into that zone with the WR going deep and you got no help at all for the CB,. and the niners cb's haven't proved they can hold up. But I'm not against throwing it out there b/c at some point the Niners have to let them cover and ramp up the pressure and hits. I'm still trying to figure out why Will James is allowed into the game.

Nothing wrong with your long post. I thought it was nice read.

Thanks for the constructive criticism.

I agree with you about the scheme putting a lot of pressure on Reggie Smith. I don't know if he can handle it, either. I admitted that in the original post, IIRC.

Putting pressure on Mays is also a problem. This scheme isn't really meant as a solution that will work perfectly right now. I'm gambling on Mays' athleticism to overcome his lack of experience. His recovery speed is by far the best on the team, Willis included. Also, that's why I want a cover safety playing over Mays, so that Mays is not the last line of defense.

Putting Reggie in what is basically a cover 3 alignment shifted towards Clements is my solution to Clements getting beat beat on the jam or on a double move. If Clements wants to play aggressive and our coaches want him to play aggressive, then why not just let the big dog loose? Reggie Smith is there to pick up the receiver if Clements fails. That's his main purpose in the scheme.

Now, as far as unbalanced offensive alignments or non-base personnel packages (two-wide on one side, three WR sets), things would obviously have to be adjusted. That's a whole other can of worms that I'm not sure I feel motivated to scheme... too much work for no pay.

Your situation with a TE up the seam is a real problem. My brain isn't as functional today as other days, so I got nothin'.

I'm just looking to free up the linebackers from full coverage responsibility in the middle and on the perimeter. Give the middle to Mays, is basically where I was going with this. Coverage would be his main responsibility, middle zone. We've got great linebackers to play the run. I want the linebackers to be able to blitz without leaving such a huge void in coverage.

You're still totally right, though. Too much responsibility on the safeties. Young safeties. It's obviously too much to implement in the middle of the season. We'll see how they progress and maybe it won't look as tough a task for them in the offseason, eh?

I still write too much.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by oldman9er:

Originally posted by Joecool:

It won't matter if they all keep biting on a flea flicker or play action. I think we just need to let our CBs cover underneath with Safeties over the top and put in a 5th DB to help with the slot who will be trying to split the Safety cover 2.

4 DL and 2 LB's (Manny and Willis)

It would be a nickel cover 2.

5 DBs: Clements and Spencer can jam the receiver and stay for the screens and flat/short routes. Brown or Smith can take on the slot.

2 LBs: Manny can take on the TE or rush. Willis will be free to do whatever he wants mainly spying Jackson

4 DL: This should keep the rookie QB pressured having 4 DL while he's staring at DB's and LB's all over the field.

The goal is to keep the rookie QB from a lot of open looks while still having some sort of pressure on him.


Of course, we will probably do some sort of umbrella with 3 DL and be dinked and dunked all day until a flea-flicker comes in.

You know, this is really... not bad at all. Hate to say that, as my dislike for you on Alex issues gnaws at me... but not bad. I don't know that this is the best matchup to pull this D out... meaning that we will probably need 3 LBs on the 2nd level for a pounder like Steven Jackson.

Who was to be your specific 4 man DL?

Eh, I only disagree with you on Alex Smith. Almost agree with everything else you normally say.

The main reasoning is to force the rookie QB to think more while still giving us an adequate chance at applying pressure.

As for Steven Jackson: their running game has had difficulty with getting to the 2nd level all year. Now we will have 4 DL who are very athletic in McDonald (LDE), Sopoagna (LDT), Justin Smith (RDT), possibly Parys Haralson or Amhad Brooks (RDE). DE's in a 4-3 only need to be around 250 to 260 and those two guys are up against LT's anyways. I don't know if this would make the best front 4 but I will leave that for you to decide as you know more about who would be best where.

Now factor in that Willis will be completely free to roam which will help a lot and Manny stays if the TE stays to block and we all know how effective he is against the run.

Only problem with that is getting contain on the outside, and finding 5 quality db's on this team.