Post Email: Noble Gains Confidence

[joecrisp]

I think Griffin's outstanding performance thus far is due in large part to the overachieving performances of Noble and Salave'a alongside him. Though all three players are "defensive tackles", Griffin's role is significantly different from that of the other two tackles. Noble and Salave'a are nose tackles, occupying the center and guard, and providing Griffin-- who generally plays the more athletic 3-technique-- with an easier path into the backfield. Since most blocking schemes are designed to double-team the nose tackle with the guard and center, it is the duty of the nose tackle to keep those blockers occupied, and prevent them from sliding off and blocking Griffin. This allows Griffin, as well as the other front-seven defenders, to penetrate and make plays. Thus, the statistical performance of those defenders is largely a product of how well the nose tackle is doing his job-- which generally doesn't reward him with eye-popping stats of his own.

That's not to say that Noble or Salave'a are great defensive tackles. They're quietly effective at performing their assigned duty, which is to provide the more physically talented tackle next to them with more opportunities to make plays. You'll never see these guys racking up lots of sacks or tackles, but I'm sure if you asked Greg Blache, Gregg Williams or Cornelius Griffin, they'd tell you that Noble and Salave'a are a big reason why this defense is doing so well.