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Defensive strategy/philosophy


Lucky Colts Fan

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First, I'm just a Colts fan on this forum, not an NFL defensive coordinator, so take this with a grain of salt.  This thread is basically for spit-balling defensive philosophies and strategies.

 

I can see the point of the Cover-2 or Tampa-2 scheme.  I can see the point of an attacking 3-4 or zone-blitz scheme.  I can see the point of the Cover-1 or Cover-3 scheme.  Personally, I want a defense that can do any/all of these schemes, since using just one might not work against every opponent.  "Multiple D" if you will.  For some opponents, the Tampa-2 might be best, while for other opponents, you need to attack the backfield.

 

I think the most important thing a defense can do is adapt to the opponent.  I hate to bring Bill Belichick into this, don't like the man, but I've always admired his defensive gameplans.  I want to see the defense completely eliminate whatever the opposing offense does best.  Literally double-team the best skill-player on offense, and rely on the rest of your defense to handle the rest of their offense.  Force the opposing offense to do what they're worst at instead of what they're best at.

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So, for example, week 1 against the Rams:

 

Todd Gurley is their best skill-player on offense, so maybe have an ILB with the SS in the box, double-team him the whole game.  With both players playing Gurley, he shouldn't get out of the backfield on running plays.  If Gurley stays in to block on passing plays, the ILB can rush the QB, while the SS drops into coverage.  If Gurley runs a route on a passing play, the ILB knows he has the SS behind him and can play inside leverage on Gurley.

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7 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

So, for example, week 1 against the Rams:

 

Todd Gurley is their best skill-player on offense, so maybe have an ILB with the SS in the box, double-team him the whole game.  With both players playing Gurley, he shouldn't get out of the backfield on running plays.  If Gurley stays in to block on passing plays, the ILB can rush the QB, while the SS drops into coverage.  If Gurley runs a route on a passing play, the ILB knows he has the SS behind him and can play inside leverage on Gurley.

 

Who is going to cover Tavon Austin ? You need safety help over the top for him he has the speed to get past any starting DB on the roster. 

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2 minutes ago, ProblChld32 said:

 

Who is going to cover Tavon Austin ? You need safety help over the top for him he has the speed to get past any starting DB on the roster. 

 

One of the CBs with the FS over the top.  I'm assuming Hooker would still be playing center field in this scenario in a Cover-1/3 look with the SS in the box.

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Just now, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

One of the CBs with the FS over the top.  I'm assuming Hooker would still be playing center field in this scenario in a Cover-1/3 look with the SS in the box.

Sounds good only issue i see with that is this leaves the other CB that has to cover Woods with no help essentially on an i,nd to get exposed. Also cant forget about Tyler Higbee at TE he is sneaky good. Im not really a fan of cover one coverage you have to have some lock down perimeter defenders to run that type of scheme.

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Just now, ProblChld32 said:

Sounds good only issue i see with that is this leaves the other CB that has to cover Woods with no help essentially on an i,nd to get exposed. Also cant forget about Tyler Higbee at TE he is sneaky good. Im not really a fan of cover one coverage you have to have some lock down perimeter defenders to run that type of scheme.

 

Hooker would be playing center field as help over the top for everyone.  We drafted him to (hopefully) play sideline-to-sideline in deep coverage.  If he takes away most of the deep-boundary and deep-seam throws, everyone else can play underneath coverage.

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I think in general, our strategy against just about every team is going to be to take away the run and the dump offs.  If our D line is as good as expected, the first part should be doable.

 

We're counting on Bostic, Morrison, Spence, etal., to run with the TEs and safety valves.  

 

That allows the DBs to play press and take away the deep ball.  

 

Of course, if it were that easy, everyone would do it.

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7 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

I think in general, our strategy against just about every team is going to be to take away the run and the dump offs.  If our D line is as good as expected, the first part should be doable.

 

We're counting on Bostic, Morrison, Spence, etal., to run with the TEs and safety valves.  

 

That allows the DBs to play press and take away the deep ball.  

 

Of course, if it were that easy, everyone would do it.

 

I think you're right about stopping the run.  The best skill-player on like half the teams we play this year is in the backfield.  I think we're going to be playing a lot of Cover-1/3 with the SS in the box to help against the run and TE.

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I just don't know what to do against the Steelers.  You can't double Antonio Brown AND LeVeon Bell.  Unless you only rush 3 or play Zero coverage, but then Rothelisberger is going to scramble and eventually find someone open.  And Bell is so frustratingly patient as a runner that he would probably lead his double-team right into a single block and take off the other way...

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5 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

I think you're right about stopping the run.  The best skill-player on like half the teams we play this year is in the backfield.  I think we're going to be playing a lot of Cover-1/3 with the SS in the box to help against the run and TE.

who is the SS though?

 

with geathers out we dont have any obvious choice for that role

 

i could see us using hooker and butler as the safetys on most downs, and maybe give green a shot at being a box safety on certain short yardage downs

 

we dont know if green is actually any good at that though

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1 hour ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

So, for example, week 1 against the Rams:

 

Todd Gurley is their best skill-player on offense, so maybe have an ILB with the SS in the box, double-team him the whole game.  With both players playing Gurley, he shouldn't get out of the backfield on running plays.  If Gurley stays in to block on passing plays, the ILB can rush the QB, while the SS drops into coverage.  If Gurley runs a route on a passing play, the ILB knows he has the SS behind him and can play inside leverage on Gurley.

This is exactly why a team has to control the line of scrimmage

against the Pats. Line up and smash them in the teeth and you have a chance to beat them. The Seahawks and Ravens do it the best and the Pats struggle

against them as any other teams.

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1 minute ago, dodsworth said:

This is exactly why a team has to control the line of scrimmage

against the Pats. Line up and smash them in the teeth and you have a chance to beat them. The Seahawks and Ravens do it the best and the Pats struggle

against them as any other teams.

 

Yeah, for the Pats you have to get after Brady.  Even if it means your edge rushers just pretend every running play is a play-action pass and hit Tom as legally as they can.

 

That didn't always work with previous Colts teams because the Tampa-2 keeps the safeties back and unable to help with the run until it's too late.  If Hooker allows us to put 8 in the box, we have a better chance against anybody.

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20 minutes ago, aaron11 said:

who is the SS though?

 

with geathers out we dont have any obvious choice for that role

 

i could see us using hooker and butler as the safetys on most downs, and maybe give green a shot at being a box safety on certain short yardage downs

 

we dont know if green is actually any good at that though

 

Butler has been the nickel CB in past seasons, so he is used to playing in the box or near the LOS anyway.  He's not the big intimidating presence like Kam Chancellor, but he can cover RBs and TEs fairly well.

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19 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

Yeah, for the Pats you have to get after Brady.  Even if it means your edge rushers just pretend every running play is a play-action pass and hit Tom as legally as they can.

 

That didn't always work with previous Colts teams because the Tampa-2 keeps the safeties back and unable to help with the run until it's too late.  If Hooker allows us to put 8 in the box, we have a better chance against anybody.

With Brady/Rothelesberger retiring soon and Ballard hauling our

wagon, the future couldn't look any brighter. Carr and Raiders may have a say

In the matter though.

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2 minutes ago, dodsworth said:

Carr and Raiders may have a say

In the matter though.

 

Wouldn't that be a fun rivalry?  The teams are pretty comparable.  Luck/Carr, TY/Cooper, Gore/Lynch on offense, and what could be two good defenses if they keep adding pieces.  Both franchises have rich histories.  The Colts have kind of always been part of the "NFL Establishment" while the Raiders have kind of always been outsiders with conspiracy theories and a persecution complex.

 

West Coast Vegas vs Midwest Indy.  The crazy fans of the Black Hole (I assume the Black Hole will travel to Vegas) vs the Colts fans' Hoosier Hospitality.  They could do a color-rush game with all black unis vs all white unis.

 

Plus, if Marlon becomes a feature back for the Colts, we'll have Mack-vs-Mack.  I mean come on, you can't write this stuff.  This SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY, see two Mack Trucks Collide in the Vegas Thunderdome!!!

 

:D

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7 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

Wouldn't that be a fun rivalry?  The teams are pretty comparable.  Luck/Carr, TY/Cooper, Gore/Lynch on offense, and what could be two good defenses if they keep adding pieces.  Both franchises have rich histories.  The Colts have kind of always been part of the "NFL Establishment" while the Raiders have kind of always been outsiders with conspiracy theories and a persecution complex.

 

West Coast Vegas vs Midwest Indy.  The crazy fans of the Black Hole (I assume the Black Hole will travel to Vegas) vs the Colts fans' Hoosier Hospitality.  They could do a color-rush game with all black unis vs all white unis.

 

Plus, if Marlon becomes a feature back for the Colts, we'll have Mack-vs-Mack.  I mean come on, you can't write this stuff.  This SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY, see two Mack Trucks Collide in the Vegas Thunderdome!!!

 

:D

Yup, we along with the Raiders could be the faces of the AFC but in 

the back of my mind I could see the Pats plugging in Garrapolo

and still giving teams a headache. They were beating teams handily

with their 3rd string QB last year.

 

 

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1 minute ago, dodsworth said:

Yup, we along with the Raiders the Colts could be the faces of the AFC but in 

the back of my mind I could see the Pats plugging in Garrapolo

and still giving teams a headache. They were beating teams handily

with their 3rd string QB last year.

 

 

 

:sigh:   Unfortunately, I think you're right.  The Pats will be relevant for as long as BB is the coach.  With Brady, we know his body will give out soon, but with BB... his mind may stay sharp for a very long time.

 

I would hate to have to gameplan against BB, because he's one of the best at it.  With most teams, you can kind of telegraph their gameplan, "Ok, Player A is our best player on offense, so let's get him the ball early and often to get the offense rolling", or "We know they play Cover-3 most of the time on defense, so let's call plays that get our receivers into those soft areas between their zones."  But with BB, it's like "Oh, they switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 for their game last week... so what are they going to play against us?" or "Well, last week Gronk had 10 catches for 200 yds and 3 TDs, but the week before that, he wasn't even targeted and Chris Hogan had 8 catches for 100 yds and 2 TDs, and the week before that it was Blount rushing 30 times for 200 yds and 3 TDs... they threw it 50 times one week, then ran it 50 times the next week, so... what should we expect this week?"

 

And even if you come up with a good gameplan and have your team better-prepared than BB, you still have to be better than him at in-game management, because you know he's going to make in-game adjustments to counter whatever you're doing.  Oh, and you also have to be prepared for the unexpected, like weird formations and eligible/ineligible receivers, "misinterpretations of the rules", stretching of the rules, etc., ... :wall:    I can't wait for him to retire.

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2 hours ago, aaron11 said:

who is the SS though?

 

with geathers out we dont have any obvious choice for that role

 

i could see us using hooker and butler as the safetys on most downs, and maybe give green a shot at being a box safety on certain short yardage downs

 

we dont know if green is actually any good at that though

 

You're right, they'd love it if Green could fill the Geathers role.  Remains to be seen.  Looks like Farley is ahead of him now, and Powell has the size too.  

 

SS is the most questionable position IMO.

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This sort of defense asks for extremely versatile players. They would need to be able to execute extremely well on top of it. I think that it is asking too much of the defense. A defense needs to be able to REACT. If it's too complicated you will get caught thinking too much, resulting in exposure to the lone CB, in the scinario you mentioned. 

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