Defensive Play Calling

[Buffarama]

How come no one mentions or places any importance on the defensive play calling? Everyone picks apart the offensive play calling, pass/run ratio, and understands the importance of it. The defensive is just as important.
Probably because defensive play calling is not as visible or obvious, especially on TV where they follow the ball and offense. With this is mind, you can talk about sub par talent at some positions on this team, but I still think its the scheme, and add to that the play calling that is causing our projected "potential worse defense in the history of the NFL" woes.

[Pride]

I agree, the 4-6 has to go!!

For what we have right now? Bring back the 3-4 or maybe even the 4-3 with 2 strong safeties and two linebackers.

What is that defense called? 4-2-5?

[Rebecky]

I really like the idea of the secondary cover-2, two safeties playing deep, giving our CB's a safety net downfield so they'll be free to play agressively and go for the interception without fear of giving up a big play. Right now, our CB's are playing tentatively, like they are very aware if they go for the int and miss, the WR has a wide open field in front of him.

As I understand it, Dungy, while at Tampa, created a simple but effective 4-3/cover 2/gap control defense, which his assistant Lovie Smith took to StL, turning the inept StL D around in a year and chopping 12 points/game off points allowed --

I think this D-scheme is particularly interesting because 2 members of that StL D squad are here in Buff, DE Chidi Ahanotu and MLB London Fletcher -- in fact, I've read that the MLB position was the key to making this D work, and StL rags now blame the deterioration of their D on the loss of Fletcher at MLB.

In Dungy's basic 4-3/cover 2, players are taught to cover simple zones and positions vs. having to make complicated reads and adjustments.

If I understand the scheme correctly, the 4 linesmen rush the gaps, the 3 linebackers fan out and cover the middle, the two safeties split the field and play deep as a safety net, the two CB's bump and run, man-on-man, with the WR's. If there is a 3rd deep WR, the safety on that side of the field covers him.

Football guru's, is this correct or did I misunderstand what I read?

[The Spin Rx]

46 Defense? Too bad a REAL coach isn't implementing it.

Bills fan, have you noticed Greg Williams coached players:


can't make good halftime adjustments?
often has players out of place?
Linebackers seem to get beat by TE's, and running backs, over and over, and over ??
No Turnovers?
Pathetic pass rush?
defense looks disorented, and out of position?
defense seemingly can't *wrap up*, and tries to strip the ball before they tackle the runner?
You all of a sudden are giving up a lead leading 36 points a game?



This is NOT Greg Williams defense. He *learned* it from Jeff Fisher. Jeff Fisher is a defensive specialist. Jeff Fisher studdied under DIFFERENT systems. Greg Williams was a HIGH SCHOOL coach, before comming to the Oilers/Titans. He has NEVER sniffed another scheme. GW has NO FNL experience with other defenses.

Jeff Fisher made adjustments, taught tackling, and reviewied Greg Williams work when he was at Nashville. Williams NO longer has Fisher *holding his hand*. It is obvious to me that the *good interview* was a freakin curse for you guys. Without someone with some REAL NFL knowledge about multiple defenses, you guys are doomed to be the NEW age "Don *AIR* Coryell" San Diego Chargers of the new millenia.

It is obvious your coach was only a good coordinator under someone who is actually a solid, proven, defensive coach. Who does he hire for a defensive coordinator? Some one with vast knowledge of multiple sets? er, no. He hires someone with LESS experience than HIM. Williams was not even a coordinator for very long with the Titans very long. So much for hiring the *hot coordinator* off a Super Bowl appearance. It was a dog and pony show.

Too bad you are gonna waste one of the all time great years from a Hall of Fame quarterback. I expect you to win the Texan game, but since your defense is coached by a muffin~head, I have a LITTLE hope this week.

Mess with the Bull, you get the HORNS!!!

[Romes]

Its good to see that other teams have intelligent fans too.

[Romes]

when you refer to the "flaming meatballs" who do you mean?

[The Spin Rx]

Tennesse Flaming Meatballs. I HATE "BUTT Adams" :louie: . Their helmet has a bigass flaming meatball on it.

Mess with the Bull, you get the HORNS!!!

[Rebecky]

Vinny . . . . Hey, since when is a Texan named Vinny? That's a NY name. Texans have names like Honcho and Tex and Cactus and Desert Pete . . . .

Anyway -- agree with your assessment. Even we TN Titans fans figured out early that it was Fisher's D all the way -- even we Bud Adams suckers figured out that something was afoot when, starting in 1999, the Titans stopped protecting GW and started protecting his assistant Jim Schwartz, whom Fisher was blatantly grooming to take over as DC -- when Fisher and GW were having shouting matches on the sidelines and even the local rags were publicizing their points of disagreement . . . Heh, heh -- I remember when GW threw a fit because he wanted to sit up in the booth and JF made him stay on the sidelines.

But what's happened with Fisher? He is an acknowledged d-expert, but he seems determined to go down in flames here trying to make the 46 work when it isn't working. He even lectures about the benefits of the new defensive "rage", the "cover 2". So what's going on with him? He's REALLY on the hotseat down here.