What the Heck Defense are we running?

[UTnbama]

I know, most folks would say...NONE! And they'd be more right than wrong.
  Sal initally installed the 3-4, and that's been the excuse some have used for our lack of ahhh "stellar play". However, it appears to me that we've not been running the 3-4 in the last few games. It may be a hybrid of the 3-4 or something but it looks more like a "4-3 cover 2" most of the time. Heck, sometimes it looked like a single safety. I know you don't use one defenseive alignment all the time, but a team has a general D they run with adjustments off of it. Let me say to that I don't record the games, this is just an impression from watching.
  Correct me if I'm wrong here but could we be running more a cover 2 man and/or zone, where the lbs take away the curl, the dig routes, the flats, etc? The corner sits out 5 to maybe 7 yards and watches the receiver and takes away slants, and is supposed to jam the crap out of the receiver if he's on a streak to disrupt the pattern and make it even easier for the safety to shut him down. Which brings up a major gripe of mine, why aren't our corners jamming, do they even know what a jam is? So anyway, what do you guys think we're running?

[WoodstockVol]

We're running the Matador defense

[BanditVol]

I know, most folks would say...NONE! And they'd be more right than wrong.
  Sal initally installed the 3-4, and that's been the excuse some have used for our lack of ahhh "stellar play". However, it appears to me that we've not been running the 3-4 in the last few games. It may be a hybrid of the 3-4 or something but it looks more like a "4-3 cover 2" most of the time. Heck, sometimes it looked like a single safety. I know you don't use one defenseive alignment all the time, but a team has a general D they run with adjustments off of it. Let me say to that I don't record the games, this is just an impression from watching.
  Correct me if I'm wrong here but could we be running more a cover 2 man and/or zone, where the lbs take away the curl, the dig routes, the flats, etc? The corner sits out 5 to maybe 7 yards and watches the receiver and takes away slants, and is supposed to jam the crap out of the receiver if he's on a streak to disrupt the pattern and make it even easier for the safety to shut him down. Which brings up a major gripe of mine, why aren't our corners jamming, do they even know what a jam is? So anyway, what do you guys think we're running?

I have no idea.  My observation from being at games and watching tape is that we play the pass better when we are tight in coverage.  Playing off and letting the safety come over doesn't seem to work for us.  That's about the limit of my observations.

[PirateVOL]

 As I have noted earlier we really are running a 4-3-4 or a 5-2-4 in base but I'd say >75% of the time we are running a 4-2-5.  We are ALWAYS, except in when in the dime, in at least a 4 man front.  The Jack is >95% of the time on the LOS and often the Will (replaces the Jack on the LOS in the 4-2-5) is as well. 

Bottom line is that our two fastes LBs are on the LOS or just off of it (Maggitt at Will) while our two slowest LBs are left for pass coverage.

There is one characteristic of I'd say >90% of the long runs are when AJ gets blocked.  He tends to be very slow getting off of blocks (see at least two of the draw plays yesterday, including a TD).  Lathers has been better at blitzes from the middle, much more so than AJ. 

The loss of Randolph was huge in retrospec.  He hid a lot of our secondary problems.  His absence exposed Moore and Brewer who were much better at SS, being supported by Randolph.  Lately we have been using McNeil as the FS but he is learninng on the job.  The regression of Waggner is hard to fathom.  He went from our best corner to looking lost in coverage (yesterday he replaced Gray, but only for a short period and Gray returned).  Note that other than when Coleman received his concussion late in the game at MSU Teague has not seen the field. 

[BanditVol]

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There is one characteristic of I'd say >90% of the long runs are when AJ gets blocked.  He tends to be very slow getting off of blocks (see at least two of the draw plays yesterday, including a TD).  Lathers has been better at blitzes from the middle, much more so than AJ. 

I'd say it's worse than you think.  I re-wound some of their draw plays with AJ yesterday.  On all of the ones I checked, at least three, he not only apparently thought it was a pass play but he ran right at the fullback or whoever it was that was supposed to block him. It was really odd. It's as if he saw the blocker and ran right at him.  I dunno, maybe he thought the guy had the ball?     That's  a joke, but I'm really not laughing.  It was bad,  He got sucked into the line on every single draw.  You might think he would learn....

As for Waggner and Teague... my guess is that the the thought process is play the young guys and move on.  But they probably gave up on the experienced guys too soon.  It's one thing to bench Teague from being a starter...another thing if he never sees the field.  As bad as we have played back there, I'd like to see both Teague and Waggner get more snaps.  They can't .... POSSIBLY...do any worse.   

[UTnbama]

Well, I'm glad I wasn't seeing things Pirate. Ditto the quandary of Waggner. I've thought for some time that he must be dealing with some personal issues, or just doesn't care much any more. Haven't heard of any physical problems. And, yeah, where's teague......what's the deal with our seniors?

[CrossVol]

I think you nailed it, the "What the Heck Defense".

[Volznut]

It's not hard to see what is wrong

- Poor tackling
- Guys lined up wrong
- Guys not fundamentally sound - CB blitzing right by an uncovered back
- Slow LBs overall
- Slow DBs with bad fundamentals

Bottom line is we lack talent and speed at DB and LB, but a good coach can mask a lot of that with scheme, which I suspect Wilcox did a lot. Sunseri has proven he is no DC, needs to go back to coaching LBs. I think we will have a new coach next year, but if not, at the least a couple of coaches on defense has to go, especially Sunseri.

[RIPLEYVOL]

The ever popular "prevent" defense...it usually prevents us from winning!

[volsboy]

NM