People are talking about the Patriots playing their first preseason game in a 4-3 defensive alignment. Some even speculate that it could be a permanent switch to emphasize a strength, the defensive line, while reducing for a weakness, linebacker.
Slow down there, people. While the D-line is deeper than the LBs, that doesn’t mean head coach Bill Belichick is abandoning what butters his bread.
Before giving my take on the subject, I’ll analyze the perspective of the people.
The collection of linemen include three first round draft picks (Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, and Ty Warren), two second round draft picks (Jarvis Green and rookie Ron Brace), and the rest a collection of day two picks and free agents (Titus Adams, Myron Pryor, Darryl Richard, Steve Williams).
The next group are the hybrids, the guys that are classified as linebackers or defensive ends, based on the defense they will play: Derrick Burgess, Rob Ninkovich, and Tully Banta-Cain.
The names mentioned above are more accomplished than the list of true linebackers: Jerod Mayo, Tedy Bruschi, Gary Guyton, Shawn Crable, Pierre Woods, Erick Alexander, Vinny Ciurciu, Paris Lenon, and sometimes Tank Williams.
Most likely Belichick would use a heavy line (Seymour, Brace, Wilfork, and Pryor like last week) for run and switching out ends for pass rushers.
It makes sense for Burgess, Banta-Cain and Ninkovich. None would have to learn 3-4 OLB responsibilities and just focus on what they do best, which is rush the quarterback. They wouldn’t have to worry about dropping into pass coverage.
This gives the Pats lots of options to adjust and give different looks to opposing offenses, keeping them puzzled and off-balance.
Which is what the 3-4 already allows New England to do. A change in alignment won’t dramatically alter the pass rush or blitzes. And if the defense shuffles players in and out constantly based on situations, then it won’t be different from how the Pats would run the 3-4 this year. It’s a difference of rushing the passer from a three-point stance or a two-point stance.
Whether it’s a 3-4 or a 4-3, Belichick will put the players in position to make plays, period. If that means changing various personnel packages based on situations because so-and-so is better in coverage or this group rushes the passer better, then the Patriots will do it.
Running a 4-3 isn’t new for Belichick. He did it for the first Super Bowl championship season. Once he had enough players to switch to a 3-4, he did it. But that never stopped Bill from using it from time to time.
Over the years, we’ve seen 4-3, 3-4, safetys playing linebacker, and even a one down lineman look against the Buffalo Bills to really mess with Drew Bledsoe’s head. A 4-3 sometimes made an in-game appearance before the team returned to playing a 3-4. It’s really not a big deal.
For now Belichick is trying out a 4-3. It might fit the personnel better, but that’s to be determined on the field. They produced a good pass rush last Thursday, but the run defense wasn’t solid. There are three more games to find out for sure which front is better for the Patriots.
Questions? Comments? Send to talktome@randolphc.com
Keywords: and Ty Warren), Bill Belichick, Darryl Richard, Derrick Burgess, Erick Alexander, Gary Guyton, Jarvis Green, Jerod Mayo, Myron Pryor, New England Patriots, Paris Lenon, Pierre Woods, Richard Seymour, Rob Ninkovich, Ron Brace, Shawn Crable, Steve Williams, Tank Williams, Tedy Bruschi, Titus Adams, Tully Banta-Cain, Vince Wilfork, Vinny Ciurciu
