Wade Phillips is the new DC

[painekiller]

Interesting article on the 3-4 defense from the NY times

Bum Phillips and the 1-gap 3-4

To hear Bum Phillips tell it, developing his version of the 3-4 defense wasn’t rocket science.

“Coaching is pretty simple really. If you don’t got something, find something you do got. Really, we didn’t have but one [defensive lineman] – [Hall of Famer] Elvin [Bethea] – until we got Curley [Culp] in the middle of that season. Then we had two. What we did have was four real good linebackers, so all I done was find a way to get our best players on the field.”

Like the Fairbanks-Bullough 3-4 scheme that was taking hold in New England at the same time, Phillips was looking to contain the run and create mismatches in pass rush. Though Phillips based his scheme on the same concepts that the New England coaches did, he favored a more attacking style. He used a number of one-gap techniques in his front seven, stunting and slanting his linemen to cause pressure and using an OLB – “Dr. Doom” Robert Brazile, who was LT before Lawrence Taylor came into the league – frequently as a fourth pass rusher. In many ways, Phillips’s scheme was a 4-3 with four players in a two-point stance.

That attacking style of play has stood the test of time better than the read-and-react style for much the same reason that the 4-3 with an under or over shift has. It allows players to attack the offense, specifically by disguising the defense’s fourth (and fifth or sixth) pass rusher and the coverage behind. In fact, there are a lot of under front concepts in the Phillips 3-4.

In contrast to the true 2-gap 3-4, there’s no clear “bubble” in a 1-gap front. The strongside end slides down in the guard-tackle gap and the nose tackle slants to the weakside center-guard gap. The weakside end may or may not be head-up on the tackle, sometimes aligning in a 5-technique. Moving the defensive lineman just a few inches changes the philosophy entirely. The diagram above shows an under-shifted 3-4, but over-shifted 3-4 fronts are also common.

By comparing the two 3-4 diagrams, it’s easy to see how the mind-set of the defensive linemen differs between the two flavors of 3-4. It’s clear that the two inside linebackers can be, if the linemen are disruptive at all, better protected from the blocks of interior linemen. You can see the lines of attack for a delayed ILB blitz or how each OLB might get a jump by shifting one defensive end to the outside of an offensive tackle.

The under-shifted 3-4 front, with or without a 2-gap end, is just one of many potential variations a coordinator may align for his front seven. In fact, a coach influenced by both flavors of the 3-4 might be tempted to meld both concepts with traditional 4-3 ideas and create a monster playbook with more than 50 fronts. And pull it off with amazing success.

Read the whole article to understand the concepts and the ultimate defense like New England runs.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Interesting article

Read the whole article to understand the concepts and the ultimate defense like New England runs.

Thanks...that was awesome.

Doing a little dot-connecting, I am wondering about the LB and Secondary Coaches that Wade may want. Greg Manusky the D.C. of SF has LB experience in a 3-4, Reggie Herring is the LB coach in Dallas, and Cris Dishman is the Asst. Secondary Coach in S.D. Then, there is Todd Bowles of Miami, but I'm not sure if he'll be available...he may get a H.C. gig someplace or a D.C. job.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Thanks...that was awesome.

Doing a little dot-connecting, I am wondering about the LB and Secondary Coaches that Wade may want. Greg Manusky the D.C. of SF has LB experience in a 3-4, Reggie Herring is the LB coach in Dallas, and Cris Dishman is the Asst. Secondary Coach in S.D. Then, there is Todd Bowles of Miami, but I'm not sure if he'll be available...he may get a H.C. gig someplace or a D.C. job.

Well most likely a few of his Dallas guys would follow him, and I have Dishman on my short list for the DB coach.

[WMH]

Looks like Bob opened the wallet a bit to make this happen.....Sure hope it works.

From ESPN:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/s...cherreport.com


A source told ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton that Phillips' deal is worth $2.1 million over three years. The contract makes Phillips the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by WMH

A source told ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton that Phillips' deal is worth $2.1 million over three years. The contract makes Phillips the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.

Given the urgency to fix our D, I appreciate McNair shelling out the big-bucks for his new DC.

[NBT]

The Good 'Ol Boy concept is certainly alive and well with the Texans.

[Foo'ball Fool]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Interesting article on the 3-4 defense from the NY times



Read the whole article to understand the concepts and the ultimate defense like New England runs.

PK, Thanks for the link here. I learned a lot from that series. Most anybody that is not directly involved in the game, like me, will learn something if they read it. For those interested, I recommend reading all 7 sections. I couldn't find the last 3 sections from the link above, so I Googled "guide to NFL defenses", opened part 7, and used the links from within the Times blog.

[Joshua]

If you want a blast from the past, here is the thread from 2 years ago on the Texans hiring Bush as the DC -

http://www.inthebullseye.com/forums/...read.php?t=367

Although I'm usually happy to toot my own horn, it actually depressed me to go back and read this (particularly my reservations). What depresses me even more is that the Texans appear to be conducting themselves in essentially the same manner still. Although Wade clearly has the superior resume and has some tangible results which can be pointed to, once again I see a coach and front office with absolutely no experience, much less success, on defense making up their mind before even remotely interviewing or evaluating all potential candidates. The continual failure to exercise even a little due diligence astounds me.

[Nconroe]

Well, from what I understand, they may atleast use a little methodology for picking new LB and DB coaches. Appararently Wade will get to choose a few who he thinks will be good, they will be called for interviews, then all get to agree on who those coaches are.

Similarly with defensive players, apparently Wade will have a strong part in the decisions who to get for defense starting now.

But, it was interesting reading the concerns from a couple years ago and seeing how some of those repeated this time.

And it should be great to have Wade seeing so many potential draft picks first hand at the Senior bowl.

Perhaps Wade will be a big help in our analysis of who to draft and get in FA this year, time will tell.

[cadams]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

Well, from what I understand, they may atleast use a little methodology for picking new LB and DB coaches. Appararently Wade will get to choose a few who he thinks will be good, they will be called for interviews, then all get to agree on who those coaches are.

Similarly with defensive players, apparently Wade will have a strong part in the decisions who to get for defense starting now.

But, it was interesting reading the concerns from a couple years ago and seeing how some of those repeated this time.

And it should be great to have Wade seeing so many potential draft picks first hand at the Senior bowl.

Perhaps Wade will be a big help in our analysis of who to draft and get in FA this year, time will tell.

kubiak should have absolutely ZERO input as to who wade brings in

[NBT]

Wade should be able to pick his own defensive people. Kubiak has already shown he knows next to nothing about defensive personnel.

[barrett]

The head coach has to be involved in the hiring of all assistants. He has to have at least nominal say. Otherwise you end up like this year's Cowboys where the head coach is only in charge of one side of the ball and the other side's players and coaches know it. So you either fire Kubiak or you don't (and for whatever reason, we didn't). But you don't cut him off at the knees and let his staff and players know he has no real authority over half of the team.

He has to be involved in the hiring and he has to make the choices based on Wade's input (which I would expect him to follow).

[cadams]

Originally Posted by Joshua

If you want a blast from the past, here is the thread from 2 years ago on the Texans hiring Bush as the DC -

http://www.inthebullseye.com/forums/...read.php?t=367

Although I'm usually happy to toot my own horn, it actually depressed me to go back and read this (particularly my reservations). What depresses me even more is that the Texans appear to be conducting themselves in essentially the same manner still. Although Wade clearly has the superior resume and has some tangible results which can be pointed to, once again I see a coach and front office with absolutely no experience, much less success, on defense making up their mind before even remotely interviewing or evaluating all potential candidates. The continual failure to exercise even a little due diligence astounds me.

reading that sting makes me a little sick to my stomach.