Arizona Cardinals Question Of The Day: Should The Defense Switch To The 4-3?

Gerald Hayes should be back in two or three weeks. I can’t see them bringing in another LB with Hayes and Schofield in the wings. Anyone that gets cut by another team is not going to be an upgrade. Not even Shawne Merriman. Trading for a LB this close to the deadline would be asking to get shortchanged. It’s going to take the guys on the roster now stepping it up. Except for Wilson against the Rams we haven’t seen that level of play and you’re right, they need it.

Let me break it down by d-line first (it’s remarkably convoluted). Three of the linemen are lined up over the center and two guards, and the “rush” end (DE) is isolated against the LT. On the other side is where both of the OLB’s are lined up over the TE and RT. In short, every blocker is accounted for and it isolates your best pass rusher (i.e. – Richard Dent in Chicago). Going back to the weakside is where the ILB and SS line up (hence the 4-4, the SS is now basically a LB – although the alignment can look like a 6-2, you have to see who has their hand on the ground to count the alignment, of course). It can be a great defense if operated properly (as the 85-86 Bears so aptly demonstrated). You can rush any variation imagineable (5, 6, all 8, etc.), and if there is an interior D-lineman that can command a double team (like Hampton in his prime) somebody has a clear shot at the QB (in Chicago’s case it was usually Wilson or Marshall). If you’re picturing it in your head it’s clear why it’s next to impossible run against as well.

Major drawbacks are it only leaves three outside the box (although Ryan used to do some of the damndest things with Singletary out in coverage as well – benefits of having HOF players). The west coast offense, as you can imagine, really negated the advantages it previously had. The ball/routes were too quick for the pressure, and later on all the variations of the spread offense you see now created the same mismatches for the offense as the 46 used to create for the defense. Gary Fencik, in particular, was abused by Miami in their one loss when they isolated him in coverage.

While I can see why it isn’t used much at all anymore, with our personnel I could see it working. Picture C.C. in Dent’s role; 9-0, Big Dan, and either Iwebema, Watson or Branch over the interior linemen with Haggans and Porter over the RT and TE. We know Dockett can’t be single blocked and I really doubt that Williams could be either. That would allow a lot of free lanes to the QB. Over on the weakside we could put Daryl Washington next to AW, and have Rhodes playing deep in support of DRC and Toler. Yes, quick routes and multiple receiver formations could create problems but with Washington and Wilson’s athleticism I think they could make it work.

Whatever they do, it goes back to creating favorable match-ups which, to be honest, Davis has sucked at in the last half-season. CC and BRob (and Watson) are too easily single-blocked so there is no reason not to double Dockett. Our OLB’s very seldom win their one-on-one match-ups, and because BRob really isn’t a NT running up the gut against us is much easier than it should be. I don’t think it can be stated enough that Williams needs a bigger role if we’re going to stay with the 3-4. It only has a chance at working if the middle of the field is taken away. They run up the gut, we bring Wilson in the box, and boom, big play over the top while the QB sets up shop waiting for our OLB’s to finally arrive.