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+--- Thread: Match coverage defense (/thread-25768.html)
Match coverage defense - Devils Advocate - 11-22-2020
There’s a lot of issues with defense.
I wanna talk about some but I tend to ramble incoherently even through text.
First thing I’d like to mention is that I don’t know much about X’s/O’s but I’m learning. Best I can tell is that we’re playing a lot of man-switch—zone-match coverages. This prolly isn’t the correct terminology. Basically .. the receivers release/route determines our coverage.
Quick story;
the Cleveland browns went something like 14-3 under Bill belichexk (sp?) (not correcting it because then I’ll end up deleting whole post.. get over it nazis.. it’s the world we live in now) and Nick Sabin. But they lost in the playoffs to Pittsburgh... but Pittsburgh also beat them both times during the regular season. So Cleveland only lost 3 games that year- all to Pittsburgh.
The reason;
Nick Sabin believes single high safeties (cover1 or cover 3) are hands down the best defense to use. C1 because it’s good against the run- C3 because it s good against the pass. They have weaknesses though down the seams and elsewhere. So Pitt would just carve them up depending on which defense was being used ie zone or man. So in the off season Sabin and BB got together and came up with this brilliant.. absolutely genius solution- to assign zone or man coverage depending on the release/route of the receiver. Match coverage.
This is what NFL defenses run. Not exclusively but very very often.
So ... best I can tell .. we don’t run a traditional zone/man scheme. We run these match coverages. Kinda wanna get that clear for members who complain about running man or zone. But match coverage has rules which can be complex so you have to be a smart defender to understand and know your assignment. This defense can be exploited and also allows for smart QB’s to get favorable matchups. But it’s a very very good defense if it’s properly ran. Can even be match coverages in cover 2 and cover 4 defenses.
Another thing about defense;
We have good players.
Considering this current roster (I don’t wanna talk about pending free agents yet) - just this current roster. If we had a true sack master- a real threat that every blocker needs to be aware of well... then we’d have TWO true sack masters because Carl Lawson is a beast!! But it would also change the entire dynamic of the defense to where all the pieces would play and fit so so nicely!! Vonn Bell is also a beast but is getting exposed because we don’t threaten the QB .. like at all!!
It’s obvious to me that all the pieces are there except sack master. Which was Dunlap’s role. He either couldn’t or wouldn’t fill that role and that caused friction with the coaches because that’s what is desperately missing from this team. With a sack master- we’re talking about an entirely different- deadly defense as I see it.
I had more but I lose interest in sharing my thoughts plus my phone slows down for some reason the longer the post.
Would like to discuss though...
RE: Match coverage defense - GreenCornBengal - 11-22-2020
You had me at sack master. That’s what I call my wife! Everyone needs a sack master.