Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by Giedi:
Originally posted by NCommand:
Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I know some don't like our LBs, but I do, Warner and Kwon can play MIKE and WILL, Greenlaw looks like he can play SAM, MIKE and WILL, same for Smith, and Nzeocha. Lee MIKE and WILL, Mayo will be a key ST'er, kinda like Blake Costanzo days.
Yup...here is JD talking about the LB's in this new scheme.
The downside is that if you don't have LB's who can fill holes well and often, there's the potential for big runs given up. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The shortest way to the goal line is to run the ball up the middle and that's what the wide 9 gives up. You gotta have space eaters and guys who can dominate inside and LB's who can fill to run this correctly. However, I think it gives us more flexibility to our LB's than previously. Now, your SAM doesn't have to be a different LB type altogether from your other LB's. Instead of keeping 2-3 SAMs, and 4-5 stack backers, you keep 5-6 LB's and have interchangeability with all of them.
I just dont think linebackers are important in a wide nine alignment. That formation is primarily a pass defense- not a run defense. So if I'm going to play wide 9, and I have guys like Ford and Bosa crashing down on the DE positions, all I need are fast linebackers that can tackle well in space.
I'd place my emphasis on coverage corners in this kind of defense. Guys that can play man coverage or jam the WR and then run with him.
I think we have the requisite personnel to play base defense, the only thing missing is that hybrid safety/linebacker that really can disguise coverages and give the opposing QB a wrong read on first down passes.
They're actually more important in this scheme because they need to take on G's more and fill holes incredibly quickly or bad things will happen. A SAM is now like the MIKE and WILL...not a Mark Nzeocha who plays 200 snaps a year in our base cover-3. If they all do their job well, Saleh may run less snickel and more nascar...we hope.
If you are in long yardage, you'd actually want offenses to run against a wide nine because you'd only use a wide 9 in *pass defense.* I.e. long yardage situations where a fast nickel defense can swarm on a draw play or quick hitter. So I disagree on linebackers are important in a wide 9 pass defense. It's the DB's, safties, that can defend the deep routes so that the QB will dump off on the flat or the middle and have the linebackers converge and prevent RAC's from occurring and forcing the offense to go three and out.
If you are on 3rd and two, depending on the personnel, you employ a base defense and yes, in that alignment - the linebackers are important because the opposing team can pass to the flat, do a screen, or dump off to the middle of the field for a first down. In that case the D Line composition becomes important because you should bring in Solomon Thomas at Big End and Move Dee Ford to a linebacker position, and Bosa at LEO etc... in other words, have a much more heavy linebacker-centric defense to stop the run as well as do a good job closing off any short yardage passes.
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football
