3-4 Defense

Let Hawk walk.Then we could sign London Fletcher.

30 sacks by the Packers during their 17 games this season (29 regular season).  6 came from the "3" of the 3-4.

Regular season leaders in sacks:  Vikings & Eagles with 50.  Giants and Ravens with 48.  Texans with 44.  49ers with 42. Lions with 41. Saints with 33. 

Here's an interesting article about the State of the NFL regarding the 3-4 from exactly a year ago.  Obviously it's a bit outdated but it's a good read. I'll post a snippet:

On a whim today, I decided to take a look at the twelve playoff teams to see who we would be possibly facing in the playoffs, and ultimately the Super Bowl, and I noticed something interesting. Five out of the six NFC playoff teams all run some form of the 4-3 defense, while the exact opposite is true in regards to the AFC with five of the six running some variation of the 3-4 defense. This isn't exactly a smoking gun showing without a doubt the relevance of the 4-3 to today's game, but it does point in the direction that those saying the 4-3 defense was a relic soon to be forgotten may have grossly exaggerated the state of the game. 

Follow me below the fold where we will take a bit of a closer look at the specifics between the teams running the defense, the numbers from this year about making the playoffs, and exactly what each defense is designed to do.

 

Yeah let's sign London Fletcher and then we'll sign Ray Lewis and lawrence Taylor! Get real dude, fletcher's like one season from retirement.

How does a defense go from being one of the better units the past two years to falling off the cliff in 2011?  Losing Collins and Jenkins hurt for sure, but to be dead last is hard to explain with all the injuries we had played through in 2010.  I think there should be blame all around from the coaches to the players.  It was frustrating watching them play in 2011 and you just felt sooner or later it would catch up to us whenever the offense wasn't on their game.  TT will need to address the entire draft on the defense as every position needs help starting with OLB and DL to CB and safety.  Clay got double-teamed, raji played too many snaps, poor tackling/coverage by our ILB's, Peprah was pretty bad, Tramon and Shields didn't play to the level of 2010.  Bottom line our lack of pass rush didn't help our secondary any.  The 3/4 proved it could work and get the players in to make it happen.  If Capers stays give him something to work with.

This is a team that needs to bring in a bunch of young defensive guys.Along with that you need to aquire leadership on that side of the ball to help the young guys develop.Fletcher is simply the best available at his position,can bring the heat and has played ata very high level this past season.He would be an improvement over what we currently have.

Loss of Nick Collins was huge, loss of Cullen Jenkins and lack of development from Mike Neal was huge.  But, IMHO, the biggest difference seemed to be that this defense was not as hungry as last year.  I did not seem the same energy, cohesiveness, or will that I saw lat year.

I honestly think if GB has a decent safety in place of Peprah and one outside pass rusher opposite Matthews the defense will be back to where it was a season ago. Raji and CM3 will be all-world beasts again and QBs won't have ten seconds to find an open receiver. It all starts up front right? Let's get a threat. A Shaun Phillips/Shawn Merriman like combo.

Oh, and cut AJ Hawk.

But, IMHO, the biggest difference seemed to be that this defense was not as hungry as last year.

I want to refute this BB, but, I can't.  All of these guys are Professional Athletes and should be giving it their all.  Maybe guys like Raji, Shields, T Williams, et al were more banged up than we know, but, I don't think we will know that unless the Packers roll out this same defensive line-up next year and they play that much better.

So, if the defense wasn't as hungry as they were last year whom get's the blame?  Ted?  Mike?  Dom?  Assistants?  Woodson?

I'm still angry.  Blame everyone and fix this 15-2 team so they win 19 next year.




I can't even stand watching the Giants & Eli Manning right now.  Anytime they have a 3rd and 11 situation I assume they'll complete it.  Makes me want to hurl.

 

B

ut, IMHO, the biggest difference seemed to be that this defense was not as hungry as last year.  I did not seem the same energy, cohesiveness, or will that I saw lat year. 

    

The big word here to me is cohesiveness.....I don't think there was a lack of effort or hunger per say, but a lack of discipline in assignments. 

We all know the Packers need help up front with their pass rush and that no doubt will make the defensive backfield better.

But there was some stuff going on back there that made no sense.  Many times they gave up a pass play that resulted in a first down on 3rd and long or a touchdown and the DBs are all looking at each other and waving their arms around like they didn't know who was supposed to cover who, a corner jumps an out and the receiver goes out and up and then the corner is staring down the safety like "where was my help".  There was a play during the Giants game in which Woodson and another guy(can't remember who) were lined up on two receivers and Woodson communicated to the guy and then they both ended up covering the same receiver and the other was left wide open for a first down.  Miscommunications and blown assignments were rampant.  They reminded me of Darren Sharper, who was well reknowned for giving up big plays so he could make the highlight reel once every 8 weeks with a pick for a TD when he guessed right. 

It won't do a whole lot of good to add a pass rush if that stuff continues, a hammer needs to get laid down on some players and coaches for that continuing throughout and entire season.  31 interceptions aren't crap if they are giving up huge chunks of yardage and missing tackles. 

On that note, I just had to go back and bump this message thread about Charlie Peprah.......

          http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/messag
es/chrono/33709711/0/1