What will our run defense look like this year?

[Luvnit2]

(09-04-2019, 12:23 PM)Au165 Wrote:
"soft zone" in the biggest cliche that gets posted here. It's an ignorant statement. It acts as if teams in the NFL don't pattern match but instead stand around covering grass. Zone gives players the ability to play with their eyes on the QB and make breaks on balls. Heck, Wade Phillips match up zone defense has been used by multiple super bowl teams in the last 5 or 6 years.

We blitzed 22nd most of any team in the NFL last year, and when we did we were the 32nd rated team in getting pressure doing it. It wasn't a matter of being "soft" it's matter of being ineffective and when you are ineffective and leave your defense on islands you get torched as we did. With that said the Bears, Chargers, Eagles, Rams, Colts all blitzed LESS then us last year and were much better defenses. Apparently being "Soft" works for them.

I get this is a message board for fans, but the amount of things that get thrown out around here that have little to no base in actual football reality is mind boggling at times.

Is it smarty pants?

Regardless of man or zone, coaches teach different techniques. Some are aggressive , some in the middle and some softer. The Ravens and Steelers for example are aggressive and cover tightly or time it to smash a receiver immediately on first touch.

We seem to be 2 yards late and player softer allowing runs after the catch opportunities in the middle of the field, because we play soft in the middle of the field.