Defense, Defense, and more Defense

[AF_Husker]

In watching the OU vs. NU game, the announcers mentioned something about OU's defense.

 

They said that Stoops felt it was MUCH more important to have the Defense work on speed than it was to work on schemes. So, with those thoughts, he has his #1 Defense go against his #1 Offense, instead of the typical #Defense vs. the Scout Team.

 

Additionally, IIRC, Peleni was similar. He had a very simplified Defense that let the players play the game instead of having to think of complicated schemes. If you have to think before acting, then you are already at a disadvantage.

 

In today's game, offenses are much more capable. If you play a Defense that is reactive, I think you set up for failure. Think about it this way. I'd say 9 out of 10 times, if I am on Offense and running a route, I can move faster than a DB, not necessarily because I am faster, but because he has to react to my movements, which can also be misdirected.

 

So, what am I saying? Well, I am in no way a football expert. But, I think we need to go to this type of philiosophy. I think our D-Line and Linebackers should do WAY more blitzing, becoming proactive (instead of reactive), and I think our secondary should play very simple schemes that puts them in position to play against an opponents passing and recieving weaknesses.

 

Oh well, I just felt like ranting.

 

[AR Husker Fan]

***SNIP***

 

So, what am I saying? Well, I am in no way a football expert. But, I think we need to go to this type of philiosophy. I think our D-Line and Linebackers should do WAY more blitzing, becoming proactive (instead of reactive), and I think our secondary should play very simple schemes that puts them in position to play against an opponents passing and recieving weaknesses.

 

Oh well, I just felt like ranting.

 

Well...

 

A defensive line, technically, doesn't "blitz" - that's linebackers and defensive backs. While some schemes may drop a defensive lineman into coverage and bring a linebacker, typically the defensive linemen are always trying to get to the passer.

 

Blitzing the linebackers works if your defensive backs can play man-to-man and your linebackers are fast - otherwise, you just leave the middle of the field open without pressuring the quarterback. Our linebackers - the starting unit, at any rate - are not speed demons.

 

As for the secondary - I'm not sure how much simplier you can make the scheme. The cornerbacks generally are one-on-one with receivers. The safeties either cover a section of the field, rotate to a receiver, or are "assigned" a receiver on each play. About all you're left with is going to zone coverage all the time. The trouble with that is a zone leave open or "dead" spots on the field, and all a receiver has to do is find them and sit down in that spot.

 

I think that it's not really possible to judge the scheme used by Cosgrove until we get better talent - particularly at the corners.

[Syzygyone]

Actually, you mention two very different aspects of defense.

 

First, you have to have a basic defensive theory. One is containment which is usually reactive, bend but don't break, waiting for the offense to make the usually inevitable mistake. The second is proactive disruptive defense, calling for d-Line and LB to execute certain maneuvers to penetrate. Either one can work depending on the relative abilities involved and most DCs used a combination. I personnally prefer the proactive disruption. It is no more or less complicated, because the concepts of reads is replaced by the concept of changing assignment, i.e. an LB blitzes, and end drops into coverage. And, disruption defense is slightly more risky because you can't beat everybody everytime, but it tends to demoralize an offense when they can't get a play started.

 

Now, on the aspect of speed, I have to whole heartedly support the concept that speed kills, in whatever defensive scheme. Witness those two touchdown saving interceptions made by OU in the B12CG. If those passes are caught, the game is way different. Those were appropriate passes to throw I think. Maybe he could have put more mustard on the ball but who am I to judge. The point is that what looked like and would normally have been a safe pass was made questionable through outstanding speed to the ball. A lot more goes into making a play like those, like DBs reading the QB's eyes, etc. but you can read all you want and if you don't have the speed, you can't make the play).

 

This goes back to a post I made quite some time ago this season. In the 80's, IIRC, TO sent folks to Fla St to learn pas defense. (conversely, they came to UNL to learn how to run the ball). The result was, TO put sprinters are safety, moved safeties to corners, and corners to LB. Picture Luky's speed at safey or corner. (WOWSER!) Speed was the hallmark of those defenses and the hallmark of most any modern successful defense. I am certain that BC knows this, maybe even Coz but all I can think is they grade the players, put the best out there. I am sure that speed is part of the calculus and they put the fastest they have out there.

 

As for simplifying passing coverage, I profess little knowledge. there is zone and man to man. We got beat man to man at the corner. I also think that there is poor communication when a received runs from one of our zones into another. In theory one DB picks up the coverage from another. But, you have to communicate that, and then.......wait for it...............you have to speed to get there.

 

All I know is my 40 yard time can only be read with the minute hand these days so I must content myself to watch the young bucks!

 

As always, Go Big Red!!! Whip them Auburn Tiggers!

[huskerfaninbuckeyehell]

I just think our LB's seemed like they were in limbo all year and our D as a whole did not gel as we had all hoped it would. before the season ill be honest after all sacks they had last year i thought this was going to be a close to dominating D and the front 7 would offset a questonable secondary even with a healthy bowman.

 

In my eyes our LB's were nonexistent for the most part Mckeon's numbers had to be way off from last year and Octavien when healthy showed flashes but was far and few between. The secondary resembled a Chinese fire drill (ball is in the air lets run in circles).

 

Look we lost to the teams we were supposed to, lost to one we weren't and beat sometimes convincingly sometimes not the ones we were so all in all I guess we are where we are supposed to be. I just fried my own brain I need a nap now.