Remember how Marv coached defense in Baltimore?

[The Caped Crusader]

(11-09-2017, 02:43 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: There's less speed on the back 7 than you might think.

Jones: 4.38 (he is 34 y/o now)
Williams: 4.46
Kirkpatrick 4.51
Iloka: 4.66
Vigil: 4.72
Minter: 4.81
Burfict: 4.93 (he was fat when he ran this, so there's no good 40-time, he reads plays well, but isn't extremely fast)
AVERAGE: 4.638

So Burfict is faster than that number, and Jones is slower than his number, but two of the other three fastest people on the D (Kirkpatrick/Williams) can't tackle worth a damn.

It's not a particularly fast defense, hence the propensity to play zone defense. Here's some other 4-3 back 7s as a comparison...

JACKSONVILLE:
Ramsey: 4.41
T. Smith: 4.52
Bouye: 4.55
Gipson: 4.60
Poslunszny: 4.62 (he's 33 now)
Church: 4.69
*Jack: No 40 Time*
AVERAGE: 4.565
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SEATTLE:
Griffin: 4.38
Thomas: 4.49
Wagner: 4.51
Sherman: 4.56
Chancellor: 4.69
Wright: 4.75
Wilhoite: 4.82
AVERAGE: 4.600
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MINNESOTA:
Waynes: 4.31
Rhodes: 4.43
H. Smith: 4.57
Kendricks: 4.61
Densejo: 4.65
Barr: 4.66
Gedeon: 4.75
AVERAGE: 4.569
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CAROLINA:
Adams: 4.49 (he's 36 now)
Bradberry: 4.50
Kuechly: 4.58
Coleman: 4.62
Thompson: 4.64
Worley: 4.64
Davis: 4.65 (he is 34 now)
AVERAGE: 4.588

Obviously 40 times don't mean everything, and they aren't a perfect indication of how fast a player can really play (*Cough*Ross*Cough*) but it kind of just goes towards showing that the Bengals aren't particularly fast in their back-7. Sure the differences listed aren't huge, but the point remains that a little here and a little there equates to a step of separation here and a step past a diving tackle there.

True. And the three most blitz happy teams, LA Rams, SF 49ers and Indy Colts aren't ranked very high in sacks...

But they also a generally slow defense.