Without a true NT & Aldon Smith not being able to cover we will play a lot of 4-3

Way back at the beginning of the lockout Fangio stated that the defense he will be running is a 3-4 but he will throw in some 4-3 looks, so it's kind of a 3-4-3 scheme he will be implementing. Vic Fangio has tons of experience coaching defense so I am sure he will utilize our players very effectively, unlike that "bend but don't break" crap Manusky was running.

I hope Aldon Smith pans out to be the pass rusher we need but I still wish we kept Manny Lawson. Our outside run defense has already shown signs of being far inferior this year when compared to last year.

The more I see it the less I believe in the 3-4 as much as the 4-3 we have incredible talent in our LB core that shows no need for a 3-4 with Willis in the middle and and Brooks and Haralson I believe that is more than enough

Aldon will learn pass coverage...he's got Jim Leavitt to teach him, so is in good hands. It's just something OLB's have to do in a 3-4 defense. As for having the right personnel, I think we're ok on that score. Sopoaga and RJF can handle NT just fine, we have Ray Mac bookending our stud Justin Smith now, so I like our DL more now than before. Very deep at LB, improved secondary. What we haven't really seen yet is Fangio employing many blitzes or line stunts...methinks he's saving that for the regular season.

Yeah, the fundamental difference here is that under Fangio, OLBers will NOT be covering receivers one-on-one. They will be disguising their blitzes and dropping back in a zone and will cover an "area" and only for a short time before passing off to the secondary; very much like how the Raiders got their INT against us. If Aldon or any OLB is caught in a scheme where he is matched up one-on-one, covering him across the field and down the sideline, there was a blown coverage or this was done intentionally. The bigger question you should ask is, "Where was his help?" There will be blown coverages, missed assignments but you don't need to worry about "coverage" being a skill set the OLB's need to possess and this has been beaten to death by both Baalke/Fangio already in various interviews. They will cover a passing lane and that's about it. No need to change your entire defensive scheme based on one preseason play by a rookie. Really people...relax!

Our defense isn't great but it's solid enough to win the NFC West. We won't lose the West because of our defense. Success or failure this season will be in the hands of our offense.

Originally posted by Memphis9er:

Originally posted by OptimusPrime52:
aldon is a much better athlete then parys and parys has been starting the last few years and he cant cover or rush the passer. whats the issue here again?

Haralson is the only one of our LB's to hit eight sacks in a season, until someone proves otherwise he is the best pass rusher on the team. Hopefully Brooks can step it up, Aldon too...

brooks had what 6.5 sacks in a few starts and minimal playing time. start him in all 16 games and he would easily be our best pass rusher. and parys had those 8 sacks how long ago? i bet you could get 5 sacks a year if you played as much as him.

^^^ Yup and most importantly, 6.5 in PREDICTABLE pass rush situations. Now, with all four LBers rushing, randomly, on every down, he has a chance to blow up in this category and continue to grow into the play-maker that he is. Scheme will make a HUGE difference <fingers crossed>

Originally posted by andes14:
Hmm, it's an interesting thought. First of all, I don't know why he ever has to be in coverage. I don't ever see DeMarcus Ware or Clay Matthews in coverage. Secondly, what would our d-line look like? McDonald and A. Smith at end with J. Smith and Sopoaga at tackle? Then our LB corps would be Willis in the middle obviously with Brooks on one side and Bowman/Haralson rotating on the other? The main drawback I think is that J. Smith is at his strongest as a 3-4 d-end but the possibility is certainly intriguing. A. Smith would probably have to bulk up to at least 275 pounds though.

For all you guys that keep saying this (above), the difference is those teams can play man coverage! We can't cover a teams 3rd reciever (man to man) with our top corner so that argument is out the door! We are not the Packers and Ware plays for the cowboys so how has that been working out for that team?

eh we are not going to ever get better till we have a headcoach thats gonna stick around for awhile. Alden is going thru rookie crap and should get better. But it seems like that with all of our picks except maybe Willis.

Plus we are ignoring the quick progress we have made thus far. Brooks and Smith/Haralson have been providing consistent pressure in a vanilla scheme: many TFL, outstanding job of sealing the edge, sacks, pressures/hurries, INT-PIC-6, FF's (recovery) even a couple short yardage stops, many many three and outs AND we've been shutting down the screen passes very well. So really, what is there to cmplain about? Our secondary seems to be better than last year already and we're missing starters and all the FA pickups have looked better than what we had last year and are already making a difference...not to mention guys such as Bowman ar already showing development and added dimensions (speed and QB pressure ability). Willis may be our quietest player so far on defense and even he is honing a new skill - pass rushing - to ensure he becomes that complete LB. We have depth and for once, true competition. Will there be growing pains? Yes! Are we still missing a couple key positions to make this all work? Of course! But as long as the arrow keeps pointing up, we don't have a lot to complain about (right now).

Edit: What the heck.. I keep getting redirected to threads I never clicked on..

Originally posted by andes14:

Originally posted by TheG0RE49er:
Why do people keep saying our 3-4 defense doesn't work??? Where does this ridiculous comment keep stemming from? The secondary is the problem, not the front 7, going to a 4-3 would only make our secondary weaker since it's harder to generate pressure from a 4-3. There's a reason that all the top defenses in the league run a 3-4.

That's not true. The Bears, Falcons, Eagles, and especially Giants all have real good D's and run a 4-3.

Since when do those teams have a better defense than the Ravens, Jets, Steelers, Chargers, or Packers? Those are the TOP defenses in the league and have been, and they run a 3-4. Even those teams you mentioned can be debated with defenses like the Raiders, Dolphis, Cowboys, and even our defense.

BTW, the Falcons have a good defense? LOL, maybe against college teams; and the Giants haven't had a good defense since they won the Superbowl. You would've been better off throwing the Bengals in that mix.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Edit: What the heck.. I keep getting redirected to threads I never clicked on..

I have to re-enter my user name and password about 20 times a session. Upgrade.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by OnTheClock:

Edit: What the heck.. I keep getting redirected to threads I never clicked on..

I have to re-enter my user name and password about 20 times a session. Upgrade.

Mods are f**king with you