The Big Nickel Defense

[21isSuperman]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000375711/article/big-nickel-package-emerging-as-nfls-hottest-defensive-trend

 

In the nickel defense (5 DBs), a LB subs out for a CB.  It gives the defense more speed, is usually weaker in run support than a base defense, and is a common package in every NFL playbook.  But a recent trend is the Big Nickel defense.  In the Big Nickel, a LB is brought out and a safety is brought in.  This is done to counter teams with big, athletic TEs, because the safety is big and fast enough to cover the TE, but also a good enough tackler that he can help in the run game.  Guys that immediately come to mind that fill this role include Eric Berry, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tyrann Mathieu, among others.  Teams are getting really creative with this, having anywhere from 2 down linemen to 4 down linemen in the formations, as Bucky Brooks explains in the article.  Given how athletic TEs are taking over the league, is this the new trend of the NFL?  Is this advantageous for the Colts, who have a good DB coach in Pagano?  Is it bad for the Colts given our lack of depth, reliable tacklers, and reliable cover guys at safety?  What else can be done to counter guys like Jimmy Graham, Gronk, Julius Thomas, etc?

[Superman]

The Colts approach is to move the SS down into man coverage against slot receivers or TEs, which does pretty much the same thing. What creates a mismatch is when you have a really good TE on the field with three WRs, then you have an ILB on an athletic receiver.

 

The Chargers and the Titans were able to pick us apart at times, the Chargers with Keenan Allen, and the Titans with Delanie Walker. Both teams found a way to get their best weapons matched up with LBs on the inside (mostly Pat Angerer and Kelvin Sheppard) and we were slow to counter.

[BlueCollarColts]

I think D'Qwell Jackson will help a lot there as far as covering guys, as he is a big improvement over Angerer and Sheppard in pass defense. I also think Delano Howell is a step up from both Landry and Bethea is pass coverage and thats why i was saying earlier this off-season we needed to give him a chance to start. 

[Superman]

I think D'Qwell Jackson will help a lot there as far as covering guys, as he is a big improvement over Angerer and Sheppard in pass defense. I also think Delano Howell is a step up from both Landry and Bethea is pass coverage and thats why i was saying earlier this off-season we needed to give him a chance to start. 

 

Bethea was certainly nothing special in pass coverage last season, so I think Howell playing that SS role is fine. He might not be a playmaker, but he can't be any worse than Bethea was in man coverage. We'll see.

 

As for the ILBs, yeah, Angerer and Sheppard were getting sliced up last year, especially on crossing routes and in the flat area. Sheppard got a little better as the year went on, but still wasn't that good. D. Jackson is better than both of them, especially in coverage, and Freeman flies all around the field. That's a good tandem for us, especially if the defensive line holds up better. 

[21isSuperman]

The Colts approach is to move the SS down into man coverage against slot receivers or TEs, which does pretty much the same thing. What creates a mismatch is when you have a really good TE on the field with three WRs, then you have an ILB on an athletic receiver.

 

The Chargers and the Titans were able to pick us apart at times, the Chargers with Keenan Allen, and the Titans with Delanie Walker. Both teams found a way to get their best weapons matched up with LBs on the inside (mostly Pat Angerer and Kelvin Sheppard) and we were slow to counter.

We don't have the safeties for that.  I'm not sold on the coverage ability of any of our safeties.  I want to say we could do more bracket coverage on TEs with a LB and S, but that would leave us exposed deep

[CS Colts Fan]

add the Blue Muamba and were much better than last year with our LB... safety's jury's out.... if the old Landry shows up it would help

[Superman]

We don't have the safeties for that.  I'm not sold on the coverage ability of any of our safeties.  I want to say we could do more bracket coverage on TEs with a LB and S, but that would leave us exposed deep

 

I thought you were talking more about scheme/package than personnel. I think Howell is promising in man coverage, but against bigger TEs, he'd probably get worked. We'll see. 

 

I would like to have that hybrid safety/corner guy that comes in for nickel situations, because it would essentially let us keep two safeties back (or bracket TEs, like you said), and stay strong against the run. But Butler is our nickel back, and he isn't anything close to a hybrid type defender. I'd like to see one of the young guys with some size, like McDonald or Price, do some good work in man coverage on the inside. 

[ProblChld32]

Are safety's arent Big enough to line up and cover a say for instance Gronk or a Jimmy grahm only safety we have capable of doing so is Landry but his man coverage skills are god awful.