Locked due to no posts in 60 days. Report 1st post if need unlocked The Annual Off season Two-Gap Thread

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

Let's face it, unless this defense has about 6 guys that end up playing in the NFL in the starting lineup, we are destined to give up a lot of points and big plays. The bright side is, we don't play many decent teams...the defense could look pretty good against many of them. Remember how good we looked against Idaho State and Iowa last year?

PS-- I prefer the "no gap" defense.

Im curious as to the X's and O's of that.

To your first paragraph, in regards to simply talent, that is exactly where we want to be. If we are putting 6 or 7 guys in the NFL we could run your "no gap" and probably win 11-12 games a year. The question is can we get there again? Bo's scheme works with the right players. But so does every coaches for the most part. Its no secret we lacked talent last season, and that we didnt have the horses to run the scheme to its potential. But what people dont get, or are failing to get is you cant overhaul your defense every single year. You can tweak it, adjust it but you cant just erase it and start over. If your senior class is lacking in talent you try to mold something to make it work, but you still have guys who are younger that need the reps, exposure and practice. If you are constantly coming in to fall camp with a brand new scheme for that particular year, youll never have success because no one will ever get it.

 

[Train]

Another thing I noticed about Mora's game is that he pulled our coverage mid to deep. He took the nickle down field. Then occupied the strong side backer with the tight end and delayed the backs across the vacated middle. The two gap system had a delayed rush allowing all this to occur and thus a fast back against a linebacker with no help. They did this all day long as the two-gap rush was delayed and the quarterback had all day to wait for the action to vacate the short middle.
It also helped with mobile quarterbacks. It allowed time to vacate the middle and open field for mobile quarterbacks to make yards before sliding. Defensive backs had their backs to the action and allowed for more yardage to occur.

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

Bottom line is that opposing coaches have figured out Pelini's defense. Attack the edge with speed and you'll shred our defense. Our defensive ends don't play containment by design, so if you can get to the edge quickly...its a torch fest. Until he adapts to this, our defense will continue to struggle against good teams.

Im not so sure they have "figured it out". But theyve had a very easy time exploiting the weaknesses because they were all over the field. And besides, its not like a defensive scheme is like a puzzle from the Divinci Code. Its not hard to watch film of any defense and have ways to find success against it. Even Alabama last year had a hard time containing a team with a mobile QB (sound familiar?). But if we can get the right pieces into the mix teams will have a harder time exploiting weaknesses.

So many of our ailments last year could have been fixed with some more athletic guys. So if theyve "figured it out" its that we lack guys that can cover in space and tackle in space. But that was obvious to even the most ignorant football mind.

 

[Big "D"zasker]

Im not so sure they have "figured it out". But theyve had a very easy time exploiting the weaknesses because they were all over the field. And besides, its not like a defensive scheme is like a puzzle from the Divinci Code. Its not hard to watch film of any defense and have ways to find success against it. Even Alabama last year had a hard time containing a team with a mobile QB (sound familiar?). But if we can get the right pieces into the mix teams will have a harder time exploiting weaknesses.

So many of our ailments last year could have been fixed with some more athletic guys. So if theyve "figured it out" its that we lack guys that can cover in space and tackle in space. But that was obvious to even the most ignorant football mind.

Or, more athletic guys who understand the system, which is where I see problems cropping up this year. Hopefully late this year or in 2014 athleticism and understanding of the scheme will have a happy marriage.

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

Another thing I noticed about Mora's game is that he pulled our the coverage mid to deep. He took the nickle down field. Then occupied the strong side backer with the tight end and delayed the backs across the vacated middle. The two gap system had a delayed rush allowing all this to occur and thus a fast back against a linebacker with no help. They did this all day long as the two-gap rush was delayed and the quarterback had all day to wait for the action to vacate the short middle.
It also helped with mobile quarterbacks. It allowed time to vacate the middle and open field for mobile quarterbacks to make yards before sliding. Defensive backs had their backs to the action and allowed for more yardage to occur.

The 2 gap allows the LB's to read and react alot more than if the D-line is rushing one gap. So actually the 2 gap (when all the pieces are there) allows the second and third levels to simply play. So to your post, the exploits in the UCLA game had everything to do with the inability to cover. Or simply that mismatches were all over the field. Even the best scheme in the world doesnt have a fix for that. When all you have to do is motion out of the backfield and all of a sudden that opens up 2 extreme mismatches in your favor (the back out of the field being covered by a LB whos at least a half second slower, or putting your 6'8 TE onto a guy who now has to read a slot and the TE who are both faster) then the issue is lack of playmakers. Again, its not like Bo's D in something no one has ever seen and its a complete unkown thing. Its a 4-3 2 high D. Its nothing unknown or unseen. Its as susceptible to mismatches as any D if you lack the players.

 

[Bo Pelinis Gum]

Or, more athletic guys who understand the system, which is where I see problems cropping up this year. Hopefully late this year or in 2014 athleticism and understanding of the scheme will have a happy marriage.

I totally agree. But would much rather have someone who can fly around making plays, and probably some errors in the process than someone who can recite the playbook backwards, but is constantly seeing the last name of the opposing ball carrier, which is what youre saying too.

 

[BigRedOhio]

Im not so sure they have "figured it out". But theyve had a very easy time exploiting the weaknesses because they were all over the field. And besides, its not like a defensive scheme is like a puzzle from the Divinci Code. Its not hard to watch film of any defense and have ways to find success against it. Even Alabama last year had a hard time containing a team with a mobile QB (sound familiar?). But if we can get the right pieces into the mix teams will have a harder time exploiting weaknesses.

So many of our ailments last year could have been fixed with some more athletic guys. So if theyve "figured it out" its that we lack guys that can cover in space and tackle in space. But that was obvious to even the most ignorant football mind.

You make a good point...perhaps its not necessarily the scheme they've figured out...its that we didn't have the athletes or speed to execute it. I still don't like the way our DE's play, but faster LB's would certainly help.

 

[Train]

All schemes have a counter balance to them. It's how fast one can adjust to them. You stay in one too long and any coach worth his salt will counter it. Speed is the wild card. How fast your defense recovers from the scheme and how fast they move to the ball when fooled.

A fast defense can be worn down with brute strength as we use to do. It's more about how big a lead they get before they run out of gas. 1994 saw a fast Miami defense come to a halt when their conditioning ran out. That day we platoon our defense and overcame eventually. The platooning made enough stops late in the game and they ran out of defenders. We attacked rather than read. We ran in another string of defenders and prevailed.

The two gap is more about the containment of a passing scheme rather than stopping a rushing attack. It has it's weaknesses as does all defensive schemes. Sometimes it's good to have more than one scheme and the ability to change on the fly.

 

[hskrncibolo]

. I've folded my Blackshirt T's and carefully put them away in some obscure drawer in the spare bedroom for another day. .

Can you also do that here at HM and stop posting????




















Your not the fan the huskers want. Your more like a texan, take in the flavor of the year!!!!

 

[Big "D"zasker]

I totally agree. But would much rather have someone who can fly around making plays, and probably some errors in the process than someone who can recite the playbook backwards, but is constantly seeing the last name of the opposing ball carrier, which is what youre saying too.

No doubt, speed can cover up for a lot of mistakes.

 

[Big "D"zasker]

Can you also do that here at HM and stop posting????






















Your not the fan the huskers want. Your more like a texan, take in the flavor of the year!!!!

Wow, that's kind of harsh. That little blurb is probably by far the most negative thing Train has ever posted - I think a lot of us older fans are a little antsy and clamor for the good old days, so a little frustration will crop up on occasion.

 

[Train]

Like I have said more than once I'm a Pelini fan. I've stood up for him as a first time coach and am a bit confused as to why you would say such a thing. I am not a fan of the read and contain play of the defensive line. The two-gap if you will. If that is what you are talking about then maybe your in the wrong place. Keeping their feet to the fire is what keeps the product every evolving and fixing what is broke. So I'm confused as to why you would say such a thing. I'm still on Pelini's side and I hate Texas.

 

[ShortSideOption]

It's a talent and match-up thing. Two-gap or One-gap, our LBs weren't covering any of UCLA's runningbacks on pass plays. And our LBs got out athleted by Braxton Miller.

 

[ShortSideOption]

No doubt, speed can cover up for a lot of mistakes.

I'm thinking we may have a lot of big plays for our defense this year behind the LOS... i'm also thinking we may give up some at the rate we saw last year. I think my glass is half full response though is we will be in the backfield more this year then we were last year to help balance out things, and get us more 2nd and 3rd and long situations.

 

[Big "D"zasker]

I'm thinking we may have a lot of big plays for our defense this year behind the LOS... i'm also thinking we may give up some at the rate we saw last year. I think my glass is half full response though is we will be in the backfield more this year then we were last year to help balance out things, and get us more 2nd and 3rd and long situations.

That sounds like a very realistic scenario.