How good is this defense?

[omahacolt]

Originally Posted by Pez

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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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.

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

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.

Hence, 3-technique vs 1-technique.

[southside asshole]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

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.

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.

[FatDT]

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.

[rcubed]

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"

[Pez]

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

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

Hence, 3-technique vs 1-technique.

Yes, but not everyone knows the difference.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

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.

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

Originally Posted by rcubed

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"

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).

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Yes, but not everyone knows the difference.

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.

[rcubed]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

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 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.

[falloutboy14]

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.