Excellent article about the nickel D

Featuring quotes from Pete and Quinn. Long read, but worth it. http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/08/12/NF...erbacks-chris-harris-bradley-roby-jimmie-ward

The article is not about the differences between us and the Niners, bit it did also highlight some philisophical differences between teams like ours and the Niners.

Pete:

"Teams are more apt to be wide open in general [on offense], so there will be more numbers," he said. "But the third-down stuff and the nickel stuff has always been important, and that nickel cornerback was always important. Or the safety coming off the bench, or the cover linebacker you use. That's been around a long time.
"There's been so much passing game in the last 10 years, and I think the nickel -- it's half the game. Half the game, you're in nickel or some kind of substitution defense. So, it's whichever way you want to look at it; maybe that's base and the other part is substitution now. We're divided about 500 plays to 500 plays year in and year out, and it's a big deal. That's why [on defense], we have more than 11 starters. We've got 15-16 starters that we see, and you can tell, depending on the opponent and the situation in the game, how many of those guys we'll move in and out, and feel comfortable doing that."

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San Francisco doesn't take linebackers off the field very often. Their philosophy is a bit different, as highlighted by Fangio:

"That's a position in today's game ... [that] plays a lot. Our starting nose tackles here the last few years, Isaac Sopoaga and last year Glenn Dorsey -- our fifth defensive back has played more than those guys have. You've really got 12 starters on defense [now] -- you've got your 11 in your 3-4 package and when you go to your fifth DB, he's also a starter. That guy has played upward of 60 percent for us in the last few years."

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The article pointed out that Seattle used a nickel 43 percent of the defensive snaps last year, the Niners say they use one 60 percent. With Jimmy Ward, I would expect that number to at least stay the same if not increase.

Anyway, the focus was not the differences between the Niners and Hawks, but rather the rise of nickel as THE base defense in the NFL. With the increased focus on defensive holding and illegal contact, I expect offenses to continue to broaden the gap between the pass and run game, which will only further emphasize the nickel D. As mentioned in the article, lots of teams are running big ass slot receivers, like Brandon Marshall and Jimmy Graham. It was why Quinn said this about the Hawks:

"It's nothing to flex the tight end out, or flip the receiver and the tight end, so the tight end is in the slot. That [slot defender] is unique, and he's got to be able to play on a number [slot receivers]. There are man-to-man techniques on bigger and smaller players. We train a number of players at that spot, because we know how important it is. You need depth there, just like you need depth at the other positions."

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I think many of us have long known how the Niners don't rotate personnel in game as much as the Hawks, I just thought it was interesting that Pete thinks of 15 or 16 guys as starters on D, depending on matchup, and Fangio thinks of 12 starters, with the nickel/nose trade being the 12th guy. Of course, without Bowman, they may run a rotation at the 2nd linebacker spot too, with Borland the run stopper and someone else as a cover LB.

Like him or hate him (I know the by line evokes reactions from .Netters) Doub wrote a great article.

Wonder if our slot will be Jefferson, Lane or Simon?

Conversely, if you have a league that is running nickle most of the time, they will be more susceptible to good run teams. It's one reason why we run better in single back than with a FB.

Pete was using the term "big Nickle" about bringing in a 3rd safety, and now....Whoah ! Rob Ryan is now using that same term in NO. You have a guy that can blitz, cover TE's, cover most slot WRs and play the run.

Good article, nice find. Thanks for posting it.

Hawks46":1vl5c09o said:

Conversely, if you have a league that is running nickle most of the time, they will be more susceptible to good run teams. It's one reason why we run better in single back than with a FB.

Pete was using the term "big Nickle" about bringing in a 3rd safety, and now....Whoah ! Rob Ryan is now using that same term in NO. You have a guy that can blitz, cover TE's, cover most slot WRs and play the run.

Good article, nice find. Thanks for posting it.

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The term big nickel has been around a while. Rob ran 4 safeties at times last year. 4! Which technically is a big dime. And did so effectively, that NO defense was way better than the year before.

Re: Our team, this sort of article makes me realize how important it is to re-sign KJ Wright, who is good enough in pass coverage to eliminate the TE while still playing well against the run. LBs that are strong in pass coverage and big enough corners that have the size to mitigate bigger WRs or joker TEs and the looseness in the hips to play against smaller WRs should start to be at an even bigger premium on the open market as the game shifts toward further pass-wackiness.

I'd hate to have to play a ton of man coverage in nickel. I think a ton of our team's success comes from being able to play man on the outside and let the safeties fill in the gaps in the zone across the middle. I would assume that with more passing will come a shift to creative zone schemes. The zone blitz is an obvious way to sow confusion (especially in a 3-4, where it can be exceptionally hard to tell who the pass rushers will be if you disguise your blitz well enough), but who knows what else DCs will come up with.

You wonder how far the league can tilt towards nickle before it opens the door for a golden age in the running game.

I like being the trendsetter instead of the follower.

kearly":1fs30446 said:

You wonder how far the league can tilt towards nickle before it opens the door for a golden age in the running game.

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I read that and thought the same thing, what good news for Seattle and San Francisco.

Jefferson use to play nickel for the Cardinals... I have to say we were never impressed with him here, and even in college he had zero interceptions. He did have speed though, and every few games here he would have a good game.. Consistency wasn't his thing. We traded him to the Vikings who I believe released him? Most fans weren't even sure why he got brought back year after year just to disappoint us again. But who knows, maybe his third team can use his assets to fit the scheme and get the most out of him

Lane will more than likely be the slot DB. Simon may beat him out. Jefferson will be lucky to make the team.

Largent80":31iwsule said:

Lane will more than likely be the slot DB. Simon may beat him out. Jefferson will be lucky to make the team.

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The RIGHT Coaching opens it up for all of those guys, and if the Bronco's game was any indicator of how much Jefferson's upgrade in his training shines thru, he just might have found a home.
The Seahawks seem to be able to render out the best in some players that don't seem to be able to hang elsewhere in the League, for sure though, you are correct when you say that Lane and Simon will give him plenty competition back there.

kearly":1bv3a0t8 said:

You wonder how far the league can tilt towards nickle before it opens the door for a golden age in the running game.

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Very soon it seems. Isn't it amazing that if you can control the clock this whole issue is moot? As usual the more things change the more they remain the same.

Control clock after you get a good lead, then turn BeastMode, Turbin and CM loose.....I think Richardson is going to kill teams without an opponent having a good CB in the slot to cover him and he will open up a ton of passing lanes for #3....RWilson is going to have a huge season if Richardson and Harvin stay healthy and play at least 10-12 games each this year.

SalishHawkFan":11gzbzsj said:

Wonder if our slot will be Jefferson, Lane or Simon?

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Or Maxwell when in nickel with the other three you mentioned on the outside.

SalishHawkFan":21l0e9nr said:

Wonder if our slot will be Jefferson, Lane or Simon?

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Or Maxwell when in nickel with the other three you mentioned on the outside.

I was going to say...Hey! We do have Percy, a healthy Percy which is a league MVP with Christian Ponder. Remember him? Richardson and Norwood are luxuries at this juncture.

Great read that. What I love about our system is how we get Kam to cover the Tight-End for the majority of the time--and not a nickle corner.