Thread: So happy to see this team in a 3-4 this year.

I have been hoping for this switch for a while now. I know the Broncos did it under McDaniels and it did not exactly work so well. Sorry to bring his name up.

This defense can really be special this year, assuming they are healthy. The only point of concern to me is NT. I thought the loss of Pot Roast was a big loss, but I think it can be dealt with. Hopefully S Williams will live up to that first round status this year. He will sure get his chance with out any excuses.

The pass rush (especially when Wolfe returns) should be the best in the NFL imo. Von Miller was a projected 3-4 OLB coming out the draft. That is his absolute natural position. Demarcus Ware, is also far more comfortable as a 3-4 OLB. Combined with Malik on the DL and Shane Ray. There is a lot of room for creativity from a 3-4 look imo than what has been done under Del Rio.

Even though the defenses under Del Rio did pretty well statistically, it frustrated me to see Von Miller not being used properly. In the 4-3, Von Miller pretty much rushed when he was kicked down as a DE. When he was back at OLB, he hardly ever rushed. That is one of the misnomers about OLBs in a 4-3. They are NOT edge rushers. Their sack production is not typically very high. So, for 4 years Von Miller was easily identified. The opposing offense knew when he was coming, and where he was rushing from. He would typically rush against bigger OTs. Now, they will be able to move him around. They will not if he is or if he is not coming. He will be getting RBs blocking him a lot more.

Del Rio was a turd. Although I actually think he is a good head coach.

It really is amazing how good we were for years in spite of average coaching.

I am super excited to see our defense bringing pressure this year.

We just need to be lucky with injuries.

Very well written post.

I've always thought the Broncos under Del Rio had something similar to a 3-4. A lot of times we had something like 3 DL, 3 LB, 2 S, and 3 CB. Jackson and Wolfe played the 3-4 DE position a lot.

great post man. And I agree completely. This roster fits the system and especially the Phillips 3-4 which is actually unique enought that anyone in the league knows what you mean when you reference a Phillips 3-4. Mark it down, Sly will be more valuable in this one gap system that Pot Roast would have been.

It hink Del Rio is a good coach....but Phillips is a GREAT defensive coordinator. I think the addition of Phillips is the biggest addition to this team.

I think Del Rio is a better HC than coordinator. He benefitted greatly from a loaded roster in Baltimore that was churning out top 5 defenses and this defense was pretty loaded as well.

Del Rio is a sissy mary la la when it comes to aggression. Lay back, play 10 yards off your guy, show the offense when you're rushing...sissy mary freaking la la...good riddance!

Originally Posted by GEM

Del Rio is a sissy mary la la when it comes to aggression. Lay back, play 10 yards off your guy, show the offense when you're rushing...sissy mary freaking la la...good riddance!

The fact is in a 4-3 there is not much creativity. The Giants for example when they beat the Pats really 4 guys (NASCAR DL) that rushed the passer relentlessly. The elite QBs are the ones that you simply cannot rush more than 4 against. They will absolutely pick you apart if you consistently rush 5 on a regular basis. The rub is if the 4 cannot get consistent pressure, then it is going to be a long long long day for the defense. We repeatedly saw this against Manning in the play offs. Remember those days?

Brady kryptonite if you will is when that comfortable pocket is pushed back. Hence, the reason he had such a tough time against that NASCAR package. The Seahawks also run a 4-3 and they did more of a coverage sack type of thing. They also did have members along their front 4 that could rush the passer.

If you notice most of those elite QBs always had the tougher times against the 3-4. Manning infamously had the tougher time against the 3-4 teams. He notoriously lost to the Pats. He always had a very tough time against the Chargers in the play offs. He had tough times against the Ravens, even in 2006 when they made their SB run. He was shut down by that Steelers defense in 2005 which guess what? Yeap a 3-4. Brady had notorious tough times against the Ravens and Rex Ryan with his 3-4 schemes.

Anyway, Del Rio tried to form a version of that NASCAR package. I just do not think Von Miller was properly used. I do think he along with Ware are better suited as OLBs in the 3-4. I think there is a possibility that Philips could be quite creative with blitz packages and getting Miller to be against RBs.

We will see. Philips does not have the best record against elite QBs but we will see. Hope they stay healthy.

Who are you?

Originally Posted by SR

Who are you?

Uhh, who are you?

Originally Posted by Broncoknight30

Uhh, who are you?

Phil. Phil Tolbert.

Originally Posted by SR

Phil. Phil Tolbert.

I thought you were SR aka Seeing Red?

Brady had notorious tough times against the Ravens and Rex Ryan with his 3-4 schemes.

He didn't look too good against Ryan's Jets in the 2010 playoffs. In addition, the Chargers played good defense last year against NE in that Sunday Night game (they run a 3-4 coached by John Pagano, Chuck's brother).

Against that Patriot offense, I think that you need to get at Brady up the middle, especially on third and long. I see too many teams rush him around the end, and he just steps up in a wide open pocket and hits someone for the first down. I don't understand that.

Also, the rules state that you can chuck people inside the five-yard area. Teams should do that more against NE. Sitting back 10 yards off the ball like Del Rio does won't work against the Patriots. I would bump Edelman and their utility back at the line, and I would try to double Gronk as much as possible.

Originally Posted by 7DnBrnc53

He didn't look too good against Ryan's Jets in the 2010 playoffs. In addition, the Chargers played good defense last year against NE in that Sunday Night game (they run a 3-4 coached by John Pagano, Chuck's brother).

Against that Patriot offense, I think that you need to get at Brady up the middle, especially on third and long. I see too many teams rush him around the end, and he just steps up in a wide open pocket and hits someone for the first down. I don't understand that.

Also, the rules state that you can chuck people inside the five-yard area. Teams should do that more against NE. Sitting back 10 yards off the ball like Del Rio does won't work against the Patriots. I would bump Edelman and their utility back at the line, and I would try to double Gronk as much as possible.

Yes, the most underrated aspect of the Pats has always been that center and guards in the passing game. Have to give credit to Brady in being able to identify the blitz and knowing where to go with his hot reads. That is the reason it is so hard to defeat the elite QBs. That, more than anything, is what makes them so hard to beat.

The only other chance is to confuse the OL communication with disguised zone blitzes. I think that is when the 3-4 is most effective against those elite types of QBs.

Bottom line is a team really cannot send more than 4 on a regular basis against the Bradys of the league. Of course, if a team cannot provide that pressure (yes up the middle is especially effective against Brady) with 4 rushers, then he will also pick you apart.

The Broncos, when playing Brady under Del Rio had the outside guys but did not have any real push up the middle.

This defense looks like it is going to rack up a lot of sacks, and I think they could break the team record. I believe it is 57 sacks from 1984. I believe.

I think John Pagano is the most underrated coach in the NFL. His disguised blitz packages are a thing of beauty, he has caught PFM out a few times by showing one thing and doing another