3/4 or 4/3? X's and O's For Dummies

[AROS]

So the other day I am watching the game and I thought I heard someone say the Seahawks are back to a 4/3 defense. It looked like it to my non X's and O's eyes. Then I hear Hurtt and Carroll say we are a 3/4 defense with "4/3 principles". Can some of you X's and O's gurus clear this up for this dummy?

What are we? 3/4 or 4/3 or some kind of hybrid?

 

[toffee]

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And us there such a formation as 2-5?

 

[Chawker]

2-4-5

or 2-4-4 plus a wildman that could do anything. Run, pass, blitz or camp out.

 

[sutz]

I don't think anybody in the league is a pure 3-4 or 4-3 anymore. Too many specialists out there. They even have a whole new position label, "edge" that seems to be a cross between a DE and an OLB, guys that can both rush the passer and set the edge. Most of the time, we're only using 2 or 3 DL on the field, which you can only do if you have safeties and CBs who are willing to get up close and mix it up in the run game, guys like Adams and Spoon.

 

[Fade]

In the most basic, overly simplified way to put it.

When they go Nickel, they go with a 4 man front. 4-2.

Some count the 2 edge defenders as backers. 2-4.

I don't, and the Seahawks don't either.
Back when Avril and Clemons were rushing off the edge, no one ever called it a 2-4, because it's not.

The run D has been fixed by going back to 1-gap principles like they did up until last season.

Now feel free to get lost in the minutia if you like, but this is the basic overview.

 

[renofox]

I don't think anybody in the league is a pure 3-4 or 4-3 anymore. Too many specialists out there. They even have a whole new position label, "edge" that seems to be a cross between a DE and an OLB, guys that can both rush the passer and set the edge. Most of the time, we're only using 2 or 3 DL on the field, which you can only do if you have safeties and CBs who are willing to get up close and mix it up in the run game, guys like Adams and Spoon.

Yep. I played from Peewee through college (quite a while ago) and it looks like almost all teams are mixing up 4-3/3-4 concepts in all their schemes. Almost nobody can run a traditional 3-4 because there are very few true NTs (0 tech 2 gap) available anymore. The traditional 4-3 uses 4 'down' (hand on the ground) lineman, but most EDGEs play better standing up at the line.

Tailoring your defensive schemes to the skills your players possess means tweaking the scheme to achieve the best results.

Seahawks 'base' this year seems to be something between a 2-4-5 and a 3-3-5 (with occasional 4-2-5) if using old-school naming where the 1st # denotes the number of 'down' linemen. I noticed they played quite a bit of heavy nickel against the Cards with Adams, Diggs and Love on the field with Woolen/Spoon at corner.

 

[morgulon1]

So the other day I am watching the game and I thought I heard someone say the Seahawks are back to a 4/3 defense. It looked like it to my non X's and O's eyes. Then I hear Hurtt and Carroll say we are a 3/4 defense with "4/3 principles". Can some of you X's and O's gurus clear this up for this dummy?

What are we? 3/4 or 4/3 or some kind of hybrid?

I simply don't know.

I do think it depends on the outside LBs
And who rushes ? I said that and realized I still don't know.

Drugs are bad mkay?

 

[morgulon1]

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And us there such a formation as 2-5?

Maybe a 2-4-5