Training Camp: News, Notes & Updates

[*ochocincos*]

(08-02-2019, 10:35 AM)Au165 Wrote: We were top 10 in the league last year in the amount of times we ran man, we were a mam defense last year. This weird hate for zone defense around here, and by most NFL fans is funny. The top 5 teams in the amount of zone defense ran last year were Colts, Chargers, Cardinals, Seahawks, Cowboys. Outside of the Cardinals those are four of the top defenses in the NFL last season. 

I think most people against zone are thinking of soft zone where the DBs are playing back to prevent getting beat over the top. People see the 5 yard passes (that may result in some more YAC) get completed and teams just marching down the field because the defense is giving up short receptions. And the thought is, "Why wasn't that zone covered? Zone sucks!"

Austin's scheme (IIRC) was considered a soft zone and emphasized keeping the offense in front and coming up to make the tackle or go for the turnover. But you need very quick-twitch, speedy athletes to be able to pull off that scheme, which the Bengals really didn't have outside of a couple guys. Given how many yards and points the Bengals gave up, it's no surprise people are against that type of defensive scheme.