Teez Tabor on complicated Defense

[ivotuk]

Discusses the 49ers Run Game with Wyman and Bob.

"The motion and shifts changes your Gap responsibility."

"On one play a guy might move one way, then another guy shifts, then another guy goes in motion, and my gap responsibility goes from B to A to C."

That is wwaaayyy too complicated in a situation where a team is changing to a 3 - 4, but their roster was built for a 4 - 3. Especially when you have to keep staying new Safeties, and you're short-handed on 3 - 4 Linebackers.

 

[keasley45]

Discusses the 49ers Run Game with Wyman and Bob.

"The motion and shifts changes your Gap responsibility."

"On one play a guy might move one way, then another guy shifts, then another guy goes in motion, and my gap responsibility goes from B to A to C."

That is wwaaayyy too complicated in a situation where a team is changing to a 3 - 4, but their roster was built for a 4 - 3. Especially when you have to keep staying new Safeties, and you're short-handed on 3 - 4 Linebackers.

This is exactly the issue. But they've obviously made up their minds to use this season to get the guys they want to keep moving forward up to speed on the scheme and then fill in next year with drafted guys who are hand picked for it.

 

[bigskydoc]

This is why people think Jordyn Brooks has regressed and looked indecisive out there. This defense is predicated on read and react, rather than attack your assigned gap. They reverted to last year's attack your assigned gap for a while, and had good success with it. Over the most recent losing stretch, they've gone back to the read and react defense that they introduced at the start of the year.

 

[BASF]

This is why people think Jordyn Brooks has regressed and looked indecisive out there. This defense is predicated on read and react, rather than attack your assigned gap. They reverted to last year's attack your assigned gap for a while, and had good success with it. Over the most recent losing stretch, they've gone back to the read and react defense that they introduced at the start of the year.

And most of the players have no interest in playing the defense as schemed. Watching the players body language and their effort is like watching pouty children at times.

 

[DarkVictory23]

This is exactly the issue. But they've obviously made up their minds to use this season to get the guys they want to keep moving forward up to speed on the scheme and then fill in next year with drafted guys who are hand picked for it.

They don't have the talent for this, absolutely.

We have a guy like Barton, who has the physical talents but seems to regularly have trouble making the read. He's got to make his key off the lineman in front of him. It would be one thing if he just picked the wrong one fairly often (he does) but often he hesitates to the point he just lines himself up with his blocker and hits him dead on. Gambling on the wrong gap is one thing but literally just hitting the opposing player straight up is essentially taking yourself out of the play.

The issue is this isn't just on Barton, even though he's a good scapegoat. Our DL isn't great at shedding blockers either. That makes it harder for LBs to even know which gap the DL guys have taken, so now they're a step slower in taking their gap.

We need to simplify the heck out of this defense. Just straight one-gap assignments for the entire front. Routinely treat every down like a running down unless we're talking 3rd and like 7 or more. I know Pete hates to give up big pass plays but at this point giving up big passing plays is a far better than giving up big running plays because A) Making the opposing team pass more improves TOP, which helps our offense get on the field more and B) It increases our chances of getting turnovers, which is an area our defense is genuinely extremely good at.