For those of you who haven't followed the Rams, Wade Phillips (Defensive Coordinator) runs a 3-4 defense similar to Chinander, and he's been known throughout the years to come up with special packages and blitz schemes to disrupt elite QBs (much like what Chinander also tries to do). He (and his critics) will tell you that his gameplans only work when he has elite players,... which he does. He was the Broncos' DC in 2015 when they beat Tom Brady & New England in the AFC Championship game and Cam Newton & Carolina in the Super Bowl. Both games were defensive gems by his players, his staff, and him.
I'm a big fan of both Chinander and Phillips, and I expect there to be a lot of overlap in scheme and style in the way that Phillips and the Rams gameplan for Brady and the Patriots. Here are some things to look for that we (hopefully) will also be seeing in the Huskers defense in the near future:
If you want to dream what Nebraska's defense could someday be like, hope for the Rams to build an early lead and then watch what the Rams defense does. Also, if you happen to know any high school-aged players who are the next coming of Donald or Suh, if you could get them to go to Nebraska, that would help a lot, too.
*Here is the traditional numbering system for where D-linemen line up ("technique"). If you look at the 6 and the 7 technique, and you think, "That doesn't make sense," congratulations! You're an astute person.
I'm a big fan of both Chinander and Phillips, and I expect there to be a lot of overlap in scheme and style in the way that Phillips and the Rams gameplan for Brady and the Patriots. Here are some things to look for that we (hopefully) will also be seeing in the Huskers defense in the near future:
- Dominant D-line play = Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in the league both last year and this year, but last year he didn't have Ndamukong Suh lining up next to him. Teams simply can't block Donald with just one O-lineman, and Suh has torn up opponents when they don't double-team him. Brockers is also an excellent edge rusher, so all 5 O-linemen should be completely tied up with blocking the Rams' 3 down linemen, and with twists and stunts, someone will come free without more help from a RB and a TE.
- Interchangeable D-linemen = Much like what Chinander wants for Nebraska's defense, Phillips is able to move Suh, Donald, and Brockers around, and they are strong, quick, and athletic enough to play anywhere along the line.
- Multiple Defensive Fronts = Looking around the Internet for pictures to illustrate the different defensive looks, I came across this page (http://insidethepylon.com/football-...3/27/a-guide-to-identifying-defensive-fronts/) which does a very good job of explaining the different defensive fronts, including some excellent chalkboard sketches that I'm using below. If you have the time and the interest, the page is a good overview of almost all defensive fronts that you're likely to see.
I want to focus on the three looks that I expect the Rams to use a lot, rotating in and out of them repeatedly, but first I have to explain what the Base look is supposed to be (*if you don't know what the numbering system is for Defensive line techniques, I added an illustration of them at the bottom}:- Base or "Okie" Front = When all three D-linemen line up in a balanced look with the DEs across from (4 technique) or on the outside shoulder of (5 technique) the OTs. The LBs are evenly spaced behind and around them. This is the generic 3-4 defensive front. If teams run it exclusively, offenses attack the angles that the LBs need to take and double-team at the point of the attack, so it's almost always just a part of a defensive scheme rather than a true "base" defensive look. When the Rams run this look in obvious passing situations, it's probably to get Suh and Donald isolated in 1-on-1 situations with the OTs, and allows an OLB blitz to be paired with either or both doing a D-line stunt by purposefully forcing a double-team by attacking the G while lining up outside of the OT. Here's what the Base alignment looks like:
- Eagle front = This looks mostly the same as the Base front, except the DEs slide to the inside shoulder of the OTs (4i or 3 technique) and the OLBs are rolled up directly across from the TEs (6 technique) or on the outside shoulders of the OT (5 technique) if no TE is present. This is a good defensive front for stopping the inside running game, and it takes away the ability for the O-linemen to double-team without opening up gaps somewhere else. In obvious passing situations, this front allows 2 D-linemen to do a stunt, such as a twist, where they switch assignments/gaps after the snap. It is very difficult for O-linemen to adjust to this on the fly, especially when the D-linemen are All Pro caliber athletes. Chinander ran this quite a bit, but its weakness was when O-lines were able to blow the DEs off the line-of-scrimmage, which clogged up everything for the LBs and Safeties who were trying to fill. I don't see Suh or Donald getting blown off the line-of-scrimmage. Here's what it looks like:
- Bear front = The traditional Bear Front was basically the same as the Eagle Front but with additional Strong Safeties or Nickle-backs rolled up to the line-of scrimmage just outside of the OLBs, who would often slide inside to the 3-gaps (between the OTs and TEs). This was/is the typical goal-line/short-yardage defense out of the 3-4 defense, but it's been slightly tweaked to also use it against spread offenses with a TE or H-back who is on the LoS but flexed out slightly, farther away from the OT. In situations that are not short-yardage, this is a very aggressive defensive front, and Chinander likes to run this a lot on 3rd downs. In those situations with a flexed TE or H-back, the CBs will be locked into 1-on-1 coverage with the outside receivers, and they'll usually play close to the line in a very aggressive look to take away the quick-slant pass.
- The New Look Bear = While still in what is called a Bear Front, the personnel can be moved around and switched out as needed to match up with what the formation is, so (like the picture above) you can have a CB lining up like a Safety when the formation has 2 TEs and 2 RBs, but if it's more of a spread look with at least 2 WRs, one CB will take the typical WR that he normally covers while the other CB matches up with the fastest remaining WR, wherever he is. The Free Safety will be kept back to play the whole field. One of the ILBs will be replaced with a Nickle back, who will probably be locked up on Gronkowski, wherever he lines up. The defenders on the outside will match up directly, bump on the line, take away the inside quick-slant passes, and the rest of the defense is racing into the backfield to create havoc. This isn't really what was called a "Bear Front," but I'm not aware of another name for it yet, but something will be coming. You'll recognize it when you see what looks like a Bear Front, except the defenders are more spread out on the edges. This is an ultra-aggressive, gambling defense, and it makes O-linemen nervous. It will also make QBs nervous if they're getting hit a lot. If the Rams have a lead, and it's clear that Brady has to throw the ball, we'll see this look today. If the Patriots slice it up for big plays, Phillips will have to pull out of it and do something more conservative. Here's what that looks like against a Double-Slot, but I can't find anything to show it when the Slots are lined up more wide, or when a TE is flexed with a Flanker to his outside, which is what New England will mostly run today.
If it is working, and especially if they're beating up Brady, it will be "Katy, bar the door!" time because Phillips will use this look to blitz from every angle imaginable, which takes us back to the main list of things to watch today....
- Base or "Okie" Front = When all three D-linemen line up in a balanced look with the DEs across from (4 technique) or on the outside shoulder of (5 technique) the OTs. The LBs are evenly spaced behind and around them. This is the generic 3-4 defensive front. If teams run it exclusively, offenses attack the angles that the LBs need to take and double-team at the point of the attack, so it's almost always just a part of a defensive scheme rather than a true "base" defensive look. When the Rams run this look in obvious passing situations, it's probably to get Suh and Donald isolated in 1-on-1 situations with the OTs, and allows an OLB blitz to be paired with either or both doing a D-line stunt by purposefully forcing a double-team by attacking the G while lining up outside of the OT. Here's what the Base alignment looks like:
- Mind Games with blitzes = I am assuming that the Rams are going to score, which should force the Patriots to throw the ball more than what they'd like. I think that the Rams CBs can match up with Edelman, and I think that they have the personnel to rotate SSs and Nicklebacks on Gronk to take away a lot of the easy short-yardage plays. If the Patriots have to throw the ball, and both sides know it, Phillips is going to unleash some of the funnest defensive packages in the history of football: Zone Blitzes. Phillips has a history of working on special packages and blitz schemes throughout the year, but not actually using them until it's a big moment in a big game. If you remember the Broncos defense from 2015-16, we will likely see all of the things that they threw at Brady in the AFC Championship game and at Cam Newton in the Super Bowl. With the D-linemen that he has and the unbelievable athleticism of the backside of the defense, it's hard to think of a Zone Blitz combination that he can't attempt. What that means is that we could see crazy stuff, like Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh dropping off the LoS at the snap of the ball to play middle-zone coverage in pass defense while the LBs overload one side on a blitz package. I've been around football long enough to know that it's just not possible to gameplan for every scenario when coaching O-linemen, so you have to focus on what they're most likely to do, and then spend some time on tendencies and possibilities. When 5 interior O-linemen have been watching film and scheming all week how to stop the pass rush from what is arguably the best defensive line in the NFL, do you know how hard it is for them to recognize and process what to do when they see that DE (who they're preparing to block) suddenly peeling out and going backwards with nobody else in his gap? As long as the blitzers don't give away that they're coming, a 300+ lb mountain of a man has to stop mid-step and shift back to the other side of the formation and pick up a LB or Safety or CB on the backside who is blitzing, and who probably has world-class speed. These are the plays that will make the highlight film, one way or the other.
We could see Donald lining up on Gronk when he's flexed out with a Nickleback stacked behind him. If you're NE, what do you do? If Gronk tries to block him, the Nickle is free to roam, blitz, do whatever to make a play. If Gronk doesn't block him, the NFL's most talented D-linemen is going to be coming into the backfield with a full head of steam, and you're going to expect a RB to pick him up, 1-on-1, and Brady to not be distracted by the heat.
How about stacking Suh at NG with Donald behind him? Put a couple defenders on the outside shoulders of the Guards, and now there is a 4-on-3 defensive advantage coming up the middle, and the Center will have to block Suh 1-on-1. Good luck with that.
If you want to dream what Nebraska's defense could someday be like, hope for the Rams to build an early lead and then watch what the Rams defense does. Also, if you happen to know any high school-aged players who are the next coming of Donald or Suh, if you could get them to go to Nebraska, that would help a lot, too.
*Here is the traditional numbering system for where D-linemen line up ("technique"). If you look at the 6 and the 7 technique, and you think, "That doesn't make sense," congratulations! You're an astute person.
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