With a change at Defensive Coordinator and the success of guys like Lawson do you think we make the switch this year ? We have a lot of guys I feel can play both ways, but can billings or Glasgow hold up at nose ? Which coaches would you consider front runners to take over at def coordinator if we made the switch.

(01-04-2018, 03:43 PM)Okeana Wrote: With a change at Defensive Coordinator and the success of guys like Lawson do you think we make the switch this year ? We have a lot of guys I feel can play both ways, but can billings or Glasgow hold up at nose ?  Which coaches would you consider front runners to take over at def coordinator if we made the switch.

I could see the hybrid 3-4/4-3 like the Ravens used to run, not a full time 3-4. I do think Billings could be a NT in a 3-4
next year when he is 100%, he is great at taking up two lineman at a time. Tapou is another thought here if he is still
around, dude is a truck, don't know about Glasgow. I could see something like this at times if we get Del Rio...

                                                      Dunlap - Billings - Atkins


                                            Willis - Burfict - Evans/whoever - Lawson

Highly doubtful even though with the Bengals LBs they would probably be much better suited to it. I could be wrong, but Marvin has almost exclusively been a 4-3 coach. Given the fact that he never changes.... I'm not sure this is in the cards. I would like to see it.

Willis Burfict/Vigil Evans/Rey Lawson/Smith
^ Those guys fit the 3-4 extremely well lined up like that.

I think it would let guys like Mike Johnson stick around and be much more effective.

I also think they should pack a little weight on DreK and move him to a center-fielding Safety. But... I'm probably just a lunatic on that front.

(01-04-2018, 03:49 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I could see the hybrid 3-4/4-3 like the Ravens used to run, not a full time 3-4. I do think Billings could be a NT in a 3-4
next year when he is 100%, he is great at taking up two lineman at a time. Tapou is another thought here if he is still
around, dude is a truck, don't know about Glasgow. I could see something like this at times if we get Del Rio...

                                                      Dunlap - Billings - Atkins


                                            Willis - Burfict - Evans/whoever - Lawson

I immediately thought of Tapou also. Big 350 Lbs in the middle!!! I honestly don't know if a 3-4 would play to Atkins or Dunlap's abilities or not.

3-4 or 4-3 is not as important as the secondary scheme - we need to abolish soft zone.

(01-04-2018, 03:58 PM)Joelist Wrote: 3-4 or 4-3 is not as important as the secondary scheme - we need to abolish soft zone.

Exactly!! This is the biggest change I am waiting for next season.

We play Nickle 70 % of the time so 3-4 or 4-3 isn't really that important in today's NFL.

The main reason I brought this topic up was that Marvin hinted around to it when talking about Paulie leaving. I feel like 3/4 is way less dependent on having a star player on defense and finding great 4/3 DE's are just much harder to come by.

(01-04-2018, 03:55 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I immediately thought of Tapou also. Big 350 Lbs in the middle!!! I honestly don't know if a 3-4 would play to Atkins or Dunlap's abilities or not.

Tapou is a monster, just reminds me of the big NT you want in a 3-4.

Dunlap doesn't seem to fit a 3-4 primarily. Billings - Tapou - Atkins might fit on the line better with Dunlap occasionally
at pass rushing LB rushing off the edge. Dunlap actually isn't terrible in space like MJ is who is a walking tree.

(01-04-2018, 03:58 PM)Joelist Wrote: 3-4 or 4-3 is not as important as the secondary scheme - we need to abolish soft zone.

Yeah, man to man is what we need to go to pretty much all the time. Our players are not made for that soft zone crap.

I could see more dabbling with hybrid front stuff ala Steve Spagnuolo. The problem with going too crazy with that stuff is that the best pass rushers on the team aren't coverage guys. Maybe Lawson could do OK at it, but everyone knows that Dunlap and Atkins aren't going to drop back and do well. 

No.

Switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense isn’t going to happen in Cincinnati for several reasons. First, neither Marvin Lewis nor any of his current defensive staff have ever coached in a 3-4 base scheme. The Bengals will continue to show occasional 3-4 “looks” but that will be it. Next, Cincinnati doesn’t have the right personnel to run a 3-4. Geno Atkins at nose tackle would be disappointing and I say this as a fan of #97.

Linebacker play is different in a 3-4 defense as well. Look at James Harrison, a future Hall of Famer for sure: He was lost in Cincinnati. A 3-4 outside linebacker has a different role than a strong or weak side linebacker in a 4-3.

Finally, a 3-4 requires at least one linebacker to drop into coverage on pass plays. We know how well that doesn’t work.

(01-04-2018, 04:24 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Tapou is a monster, just reminds me of the big NT you want in a 3-4.

Dunlap doesn't seem to fit a 3-4 primarily. Billings - Tapou - Atkins might fit on the line better with Dunlap occasionally
at pass rushing LB rushing off the edge. Dunlap actually isn't terrible in space like MJ is who is a walking tree.


Yeah, man to man is what we need to go to pretty much all the time. Our players are not made for that soft zone crap.

Dunlap has great speed in the open how many games have we seen him chase down someone in space ?  you could also put him on left DT and move atkins to the other side while standing up Lawson, Chris smith, and Willis all of which seem better suited for standing up. 

(01-04-2018, 03:43 PM)Okeana Wrote: With a change at Defensive Coordinator and the success of guys like Lawson do you think we make the switch this year ? We have a lot of guys I feel can play both ways, but can billings or Glasgow hold up at nose ?  Which coaches would you consider front runners to take over at def coordinator if we made the switch.

Maybe Lewis is finding out that a traditional 4-3 is kinda getting outdated unless you have perfect players to fit that scheme and a 3-4 or way more of a hybrid would be more beneficial given the players on the team. I always kinda felt defensive players selected or acquired under Marvin were better fits in a 3-4 anyway.

https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2010/4/9/1412079/football-101-the-ravens-hybrid

(01-04-2018, 03:55 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I immediately thought of Tapou also. Big 350 Lbs in the middle!!! I honestly don't know if a 3-4 would play to Atkins or Dunlap's abilities or not.

Atkins makes me think of Aaron Donald, and he's doing fine at DE...Not as sure about Atkins.

No. No. No . Dunlap is a 4 3 guy. Geno is strictly a 3 tech in a 4 3. Burfict n Lawson are the only guys that fit a 3 4 defense. And Lawson is terrible in space so maybe just keep him as a pass rushing DE

(01-04-2018, 04:54 PM)Socal Bengals fan Wrote: No. No. No   .  Dunlap is a 4 3 guy.  Geno is strictly a 3 tech in a 4 3.  Burfict n Lawson are the only guys that fit a 3 4 defense.  And Lawson is terrible in space so maybe just keep him as a pass rushing DE

In a 3-4 he's be that huge LB coming off the edge, or blowing up run plays.

Introducing the new 0-11 defense!  Or maybe the 11-0..

Because I see multiple people incorrectly spelling his name rather than just a single person, I'll point out that its Tupou, not Tapou.

I mentioned it in another thread a hybrid 3-4/4-3 under like what Seattle and their disciples have ran would work well. To the guy who said we are in nickle so it doesn't matter, it still does. 3-4 teams tend to run what's called a 4-2-5 for their nickle which is 4 linebackers (the two OLB playing on the line in a standing position) 2 MLB and two down lineman (normally your best rushers so Atkins and Dunlap for us).

I'd see our base package being Atkins, Billings, Dunlap as down lineman with Lawson, Burfict, Vigil?, Willis as your backers. When we are in 3-4 those are your front 7 in a normal 3-4 front. We could then slide to a 4-3 under front with Willis having the ability to occasionally drop from the now DE spot.

(01-04-2018, 04:47 PM)Okeana Wrote: Dunlap has great speed in the open how many games have we seen him chase down someone in space ?  you could also put him on left DT and move atkins to the other side while standing up Lawson, Chris smith, and Willis all of which seem better suited for standing up. 

Yeah, Dunlap is one hell of an athlete that is for sure. I don't find this as out there as some on here.

(01-04-2018, 04:49 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Maybe Lewis is finding out that a traditional 4-3 is kinda getting outdated unless you have perfect players to fit that scheme and a 3-4 or way more of a hybrid would be more beneficial given the players on the team. I always kinda felt defensive players selected or acquired under Marvin were better fits in a 3-4 anyway.

https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2010/4/9/1412079/football-101-the-ravens-hybrid

It really isn't that big of a personell change either, it is getting the players used to running it.

(01-04-2018, 05:06 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Because I see multiple people incorrectly spelling his name rather than just a single person, I'll point out that its Tupou, not Tapou.

Thanks, i always have spelled it wrong then lol

Tupou, there.