I've gotta disagree. The interior pass rush has been the strength. We have gotten virtually nothing from the EDGE rush. Also the plan is, to eventually move Lewis inside.

However, the strength of the draft is inside rushers.

I'm fine with whatever Ballard decides to do. We need help on all levels of the defense and at WR.

I think a dominating 3 tech is always better than the nt.

I would take a Ngata in his prime over most 3 techs but he was a rare player.

No! dude fucking went awol and walked out on his team. Fuck that Diva BS.

I'm probably going to get roasted for something stupid, but in a 4-3 there are just two tackles and two ends. I thought nt was a 3-4 kind of thing that lines up over center, or on the a gap to his shoulders?

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Agree... after two superstars pull what appears to be diva shit, you have to wonder if Tomlin or Roethlisberger are the real divas, and everyone is just sick of their shit.

How would we feel if marvin and edgerrin sat out on purpose?

They are both acting like Josh McDaniels

4-3 defenses have NTs, they're just typically not as big and more athletic than 3-4 NTs, and they typically aren't asked to 2 gap as much.

Technically wrong. They are often asked to 2-gap. But the theory is that they are quick enough and stout enough to to split the gap, therefor requiring two blockers.

Hunt's numbers have gone down playing the NT, but anyone who watches him play can see how disruptive he is as splitting the gap.

A 3-4 NT is asked to 2 gap much more than a 4-3 NT, unless the 3-4 is coached by Wade Phillips.

a 3-4 NT is asked to control the gap which means taking on double teams consistently, usually watching both A gaps. But they are looking to keep blockers off their LB's. They are space eaters and that is about it.

A tampa-2 NT is asked to split the gap. There is a difference. He is working upfield to disrupt the play and get into the backfield much. Omaha is correct your better and probably more important DT in this defense is the 3-tech. But you can have good DT's at both positions. Booger played the NT role for the Bucs a lot. There is a difference. But lots of 3-techs in this draft at the top, we should try to grab one considering the age of quality of our DT's. Your NT in this D wants to get upfield and also maintain gap integrity, meaning you don't want to allow lanes for the RB to squeak through.

4-3 uses a nt. Although it is kind of generic. Dlineman seem more creative in where they line up than say 15 years ago. Or maybe I just pay more attention.

Regardless, a 4-3 team uses a nt shaded off the center but is generally used in a more attacking fashion than a 3-4 nt.

Hence, 3-technique vs 1-technique.

We're getting interior rush by moving more prototypical edge rush types inside. If we had a dedicated starting NT (or 3-tech DT, as others have pointed out), it would open up more possibilities to move guys like Autry and Hunt around and scheme pressure from the front 4 more consistently. That's my thinking, but I could be an idiot.

To make this more complicated, Eberflus comes from Dallas, where Marinelli's DL are a bit more unconventional than your standard base package 4-3 DL. In 2017 none of the starters weighed over 300 lbs. The strongside DE and 3 tech DT were, and I think still are, somewhat interchangeable.

We have differences. Al Woods and Grover Stewart are more traditional 1 tech NTs. But as mentioned sometimes Hunt plays NT, sometimes 3T, sometimes base end. There's a lot of variability based on context.

I think Eberflus has preferences, but is going to tailor the attack toward what his players can do.

In the tacks game, they announcers referenced our interior DL lining up a in the A gaps which was disrupting the run game a lot and was A-typical in a 4-3. I admittedly dont know a ton about DL positioning, but it seems to go towards what you guys are saying in that Eberflus doesnt stick to the "old norms"

This is why I come to this site....

Yes, but not everyone knows the difference.

A much more eloquent way to put what I was trying to communicate quickly.

When they reference "gaps", they're referencing the space between OLs (or in some cases, a OL and a TE). What the announcer was pointing out by saying that the DTs were lining up in both A gaps was that the DTs were lining up on either side of the Center in the space between the Center and Guard (which is the "A gap" on either side).

I once found a really great article that really broke gaps and techniques down fantastically, but it doesn't seem to exist anymore. If someone could draw the diagrams for me, I could definitely do a similar thing at the very least explaining what the gaps and techniques are, and maybe even what defenses would use them and why, maybe even some pros and cons to each role.

I know what the A gap is. the point was that they were saying the way we line up our front 4 isnt typical of how a "normal" front 4 lines up. I dont know how true that is, just going by what they were saying.

Typically the NT lines up on one side of the center, typically between the center and LG. The DT (3-tech) lines up on the outside of the RG. This gives the 3T better pash rushing options. The downside is the gap between the two DTs creates a running lane that has to be covered by the LBs.

In the Titans game, we weren't concerned about pass rush (Gabbert), and wanted to focus on Henry. By bringing both DTs inside, it made inside running very difficult, and kept blockers off our LBs. This forced them to run outside and our faster LBs to run him down.

In a typical 4-3 front, there is a 1 technique DT (aka NT/overtackle) who lines up in one of the A gaps between Center and Guard. And then a 3 technique DT (aka undertackle) who lines up in the B gap between Guard and Tackle. The DEs play 5 technique outside the tackle.
So by putting both DTs in the A gaps, that is a little different. Though I'm not sure exactly how it changes things for the o-line and their blocking assignments, it apparently worked for us. I think to some extent it clogs and collapses the middle of the line and forces runs to the outside, where a speedy LB like Leonard can make plays.

It is unusual, because it essentially means both DTs were playing 1 technique, which is an unusual way for a defense to line up, but also achieved the goal the defense had to prevent inside runs and force them more to the outside, where the speed of the LBs and secondary could help more. The usual way a 4-3 DL lines up is with a 1 technique NT in the A gap, a 3 technique UT in the B gap between one of the OGs and OTs, a 5-7 technique DE lining up either square with the tackle or to his outside shoulder in the C gap on the NT side and a 7-9 technique lining up anywhere from the C gap (between the OT and TE if there is a TE) to the D gap (to the outside shoulder of the TE if there is a TE) on the UT side. This alignment can be altered by back 7 personnel and their positioning, which can alter the positioning of the DEs (i.e. a LB near the line might turn a 7 technique into a 5 technique) and which side of the line the NT and UT are on typically. Both DTs playing one technique takes away the A gaps, but forces the DEs or LBs to cover the B and C gaps. That was the point, they were trying to force the Titans into outside runs if they were going to run with Henry.

It makes traps and other inside zone runs more difficult to execute, because there's no 3 technique to trap, which is what the announcers commented on in the broadcast.

I don't think it's totally unheard-of. The two Williams DTs that played for the Vikings would line up that way at times if I remember right.

Well, you have the D and the A in your name, but you are missing the M.

We do all different kids of things with dline alignments. We overload one side of the center at times, double a gap the d’s Like was mentioned, bring backers at the a gap and widen 3 tech the dts. We drop the nt a few times a game it seems.

I encourage everyone to quickly scan the lineup before snap.