The Official Defense Has Major Issues/Fire Jim Haslett Thread

[skinsguy]

Folks, this is a LONG season. We have just gotten started. A lot can happen within this year. Shanahan will get this team playing like it should. It's just going to take a couple of seasons to get to where this team needs to be.

[SmootSmack]

In the words of Queen Henrietta "Sometimes to settle things, you must unsettle them first"

[MTK]

Rak has been rushing the passer like crazy all season.

[artmonkforhallofamein07]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Rak has been rushing the passer like crazy all season.

I have never said that he hasn't. He is playing out of his normal position though.

Like Ruhskins had stated in his post. It would be nice to see a base DLINE of Andre C at Le, Golston DT, AH DT, and Rak at RE. I am not saying that these guys are never on the field at the same time or that we havent seen this this season. BUT I would like to see what it would produce if it were our base Dline package. AH hardly makes it on the field, Golston is always out there, and I know Rak rushes all the time, but without the big guy in the center the pass rush has taken a major hit when it only rushes 4. Now we are sending 4,5, and 6 guys at a time and not really getting much in the way of sacks but giving up big pass plays. AND getting gashed in the running game. It just isn't working yet.

I guess it is frustrating when our Defense has "worked" the last few years and we had to go and change it to something that we just arent suited for as of yet.

[Longtimefan]

How much of the origional faith and hope expressed for the new coaching staff was real and how much of it was imagined? Maybe some better/different decisions need to be made, but much to early to give up completely.

[MTK]

Was anyone really happy with the D under Blache?

I mean it's not like we had the '85 Bears D or something.

It's so funny, seems like every offseason for years we would have at least one thread suggesting we should switch to the 3-4. We finally change and people are all up in arms. Give it time.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Was anyone really happy with the D under Blache?

I mean it's not like we had the '85 Bears D or something.

It's so funny, seems like every offseason for years we would have at least one thread suggesting we should switch to the 3-4. We finally change and people are all up in arms. Give it time.

I don't think anyone is (or at least I'm not) saying that we need to bring back Blache or that the defense from last year was the greatest (esp since they had Rak and Landry playing out of position). I just think that the 4-3 scheme is something this defense knew how to play, and there wouldn't have been as steep of a learning curve or personnel deficiency as there is now with the 3-4.

Honestly, at this point there isn't anyone can do, other than to hope that this team gets the 3-4 and is able to play at a good level to help us win games. I just still don't get why the team needed to complicate itself with this side of the ball, given the issues that offense has (and probably still has).

[MTK]

Obviously the changes we're making might not pay off in the short run, but they are changes designed to pay off in the long run.

[Ruhskins]

Speaking of the devil....

The 3-4 defense is trendy in the NFL these days, but it's part a of cyclical fad that will revert back to the 4-3, writes TMQ. - ESPN

And consider the Washington Redskins. Using a conventional 4-3 with little blitzing, the Skins finished fourth in defense in 2008 and 10th in 2009. This year, seeking to "make plays" on defense, Washington switched to a blitz-a-rama 3-4. The Redskins are now last in the NFL in defense, and just surrendered 30 points to the hapless Rams. Not much of a testimony to the supposedly magical 3-4.

Best line...

Give me a 4-3 defense with good players over a 3-4 with poor players any day of the week.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Give me a 4-3 defense with good players over a 3-4 with poor players any day of the week.

The 3-4 was created mostly to compensate for the lack of good 4-3 DEs. So, yeah I'll take a 4-3 with Reggie White and Michael Strahan over just about any defense you can think of.

[MTK]

Sure it's part of a cycle, but until offenses revert back to running the ball more, the 3-4 is going to stick around.

[Ruhskins]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Sure it's part of a cycle, but until offenses revert back to running the ball more, the 3-4 is going to stick around.

I wonder if this will ever happen given the big time media exposure of the NFL right now. Obviously the league has done everything to make the passing game dominant, and that's what seems to sell tickets and ratings.

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Sure it's part of a cycle, but until offenses revert back to running the ball more, the 3-4 is going to stick around.

Yeah, but the dominant 3-4s all stuff the run more than competently. Dallas, Pittsburgh, etc...

[MTK]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

Yeah, but the dominant 3-4s all stuff the run more than competently. Dallas, Pittsburgh, etc...

The change to the 3-4 was brought about by the movement of offenses to more passing oriented. A quality D is going to play the run and pass well, but the 3-4 gives more flexibility vs the pass and creates more confusion in blitz schemes.

[Dirtbag59]

The 3-4 defense is trendy, but the 4-3 will be cool again. Trust me. Tuesday Morning QB

Bartender, 3-4 defenses for everyone!

Nothing's hotter in the NFL right now than the 3-4 defense. A few seasons ago, five or six teams used the 3-4. This year, 15 are employing the look -- Ticonderoga-class nose tackle, two big defensive ends whose first assignment is to strip blockers, four quick linebackers whose job is to make the plays.


Dom Capers installed a 3-4 at Green Bay last season and immediately improved the Packers' defensive stats, from 20th overall in 2008 to second overall in 2009. (See below for more on Capers.) Last season ended with four of the top five defenses showing a 3-4. That got the league's attention, and this season the 3-4 is everywhere you look. Such defenses are the toast of sports talk. Brian Burke of Advanced NFL Stats asserts that if you adjust for differences in personnel, the 3-4 makes your team 4 percent more likely to win. That's one extra victory every two seasons -- and NFL owners would pay millions of dollars for an extra victory every other season.