Alright Coach Mangini.:wink: I'd go with the 3-4 as long as I can get my big guy whose effective at NT and a good blitzing safety. Pittsburgh has it down pat. If I could have my D looking like Pittsburgh, I'd pick the 3-4 anyday. Give me Casey Hampton, Joey Porter and Troy Polamalu, woo, you're in trouble. Especially now that they have a really good pair of young CB's in Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden.
Every team runs it on the goaline. There's too many flaws in it though. A good blocking team would push the end out, leave the fullback on the linebacker and have a free ride through the hole.
I voted for the 5-2... I'm not sure if any NFL teams have run it consistently recently, but it is used situationally. But it is basically the 3-4 but with bigger/stronger OLB/DEs. The DEs can drop back and act as OLBs or get a good pass rush. The question didnt specify that it was for the NFL. My high school team runs it and we are always in teh top 10 defenses; whether it would work well in the NFL i dont know.
I voted 3-4, but it's all personell dependent. Even the 3-4 teams run some 4-3.... it's all about disguising the D these days.... not letting the QB see where the mismatches will be once the ball is snapped. Making the offense guess where the pass rush will come from, which LB's will drop into coverage.... That is the only way to beat Indy. Few 4-3 teams can stop that offense. It works against balanced teams like Seattle too. But.... case in point, the Texans.... they tried to run it, but never did have the players for it.
I've always liked the 3-4. Didn't we run that under BP? That 98 team was the overall best team(both Oand D) the JETS ever had. IMO.
4-3 because the 3-4 relies on your team having a lot of talented LBs which is hard to hold together with the salary cap
Earle (Greasy) Neale ran the 5-2 as Eagles head coach in the '40s. The team won the NFL titles in '48 and '49, even though the "Eagle Defense", as it came to be known, was weak in the middle due to the lack of a middle linebacker. The Browns entered the league in 1950 and exploited the Eagle Defense in the first game of the 1950 season. The Browns were fresh out of the rival AAFC league, which was in existence from 1946-49 (the 49ers also came from this league). Most NFL people thought the Browns would be crushed by the Eagles. Flanker Dub Jones ran square outs early in the game. Once Eagles DB Russ Craft moved over to cover Jones, he broke the pattern towards the end zone. Otto Graham hit him for a 59-yard touchdown for the Browns first lead. Graham later threw touchdowns to ends Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie. The Eagles were having big problems with Graham's precision passing. Once the Browns took a 21-10 lead, they bludgeoned the Eagles on the ground. The Browns kept spacing their tackles a few inches wider as the game progressed. In turn, the defensive tackles kept moving out. This opened up gaps for Marion Motley to run through and gave the Browns lineman better blocking angles. The Browns won 35-10. When the teams met later that year, the Browns won 13-7 without completing a pass.
To run that you need cornerbacks who can really cover wide receivers. The key to the 46 defense is time. The defense wants to rush the QB and ruin his chance to throw a good pass. The 46 alignment is a 4-4-3.
I've heard of High School and College teams running the 5-2. There has to be a reason that NFL teams dont run it though. Its and interesting defense though.
Yes, they did have five on the line, at least at times. I know Buddy Ryan liked the odd man fronts and all, but wasn't the base defense still a 4-3?
I've never been a huge fan of the 3-4, as I think you need virtually the perfect personell to make it be truly successful and even w/ that in place, an agile OL can neutralize its capabilities. Most Dynamic DC's like Bellichick, Mangini and such prefer it b/c they can be more creative, but I think it's highly overrated. I myself prefer a standard 4-3 D w/ lots of stunts and zone blitzes from the front 7, and straight up press man coverage from the secondary. Win w/ speed, size and quality scheme...
I voted for 4-3, as well. It is a more balanced defense and puts greater pressure on the quarterback. The zone blitz, though, is more of a 3-4 thing.
I thought the same thing. I do like the 46 alot ,(see Buddy Ryans Bears) but with the team that Mangini has built the 34 is better suited. But I voted 43 and go along with your sentiments , everyone seems to be trying to emulate the Pats system and going 34
