Lost in the hype of Tom Brady's return and Julian Edelman's Welker-like performance was the fact that the Patriots played the 4-3 defense almost exclusively against the Eagles. All off-season the biggest question has been who would fill Mike Vrabel's OLB spot in Bill Belichick's vaunted 3-4 defense, but with a deep group of talented defensive lineman, including rookie Myron Pryor who started and looked excellent, and other veterans experienced in the 4-3 defense like Derrick Burgess, Paris Lenon and Rob Ninkovich, the Patriots look like they may be considering a schematic change.
Bill Belichick is always one to zig when you think he'll zag. The 3-4 defense has become a hot trend in the NFL, and demand for players who fit the scheme has increased. Fans have reported from training camp that the Patriots have been using the 4-3 exclusively, so this might not just be a temporary thing.
However the change in scheme will have implications on how the final roster is built. Some questions that arise:
Where will Tedy Bruschi fit in? He's a run stopping ILB in the 3-4 who comes off the field in passing situations. He no longer has the speed to be the middle linebacker in the 4-3, a role that Jerod Mayo would excel in. Bruschi also no longer plays special teams. Would a move to the 4-3 make the long time heart and soul of the Pats defense expendable?
Do Ty Warren and Richard Seymour fit the 4-3 scheme? Both are perfect two-gap, five technique defensive ends in the 3-4. However in the 4-3 they will be asked to get up field and get to the quarterback. I think Seymour is capable in the role, but is Warren?
Vince Wilfork looked good getting up field, instead of holding his ground as he does playing nose tackle in the 3-4. However a switch to a permanent 4-3 makes Big Vince slightly less valuable as 4-3 defensive tackles are a lot easier to find than 3-4 nose tackles.
Will Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain be solely used as 3rd down pass rushers, with their hands down, as opposed to playing stand-up outside linebacker? Both would probably be more comfortable getting after the quarterback rather than having coverage responsibility.
Surely the Patriots gave opponents something to think about with their sole use of the 4-3 defense in their first game. Perhaps this is just a temporary switch, a way to get a better look at more of the defensive lineman on the roster. Or perhaps this marks a permanent switch in base defense in order to maximize the talent on the roster.
Pass rush was a huge problem for the '08 Patriots. You don't need to look any further than the Giants 4-3 defense in Super Bowl 42 to know what kind of pressure it's capable of.
The Patriots have always had a versatile defense that would go into 4-3 looks when it gave them the most advantage. But the 3-4 was always their bread and butter. If they run the 4-3 full time against the Bengals it might be a safe bet that 2009 will mark a major schematic shift for Bill Belichick's defense.
Keywords: 3-4, 4-3 Defense, Bill Belichick, Derrick Burgess, Julian Edelman, New England Patriots, Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Tom Brady
