Interesting look at Lebeau's 3-4 Defense

A basic breakdown of the defense that we'll be running next year.

12 months ago GraydonS 12 comments 0 recs |

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Yeah, he lost me when he suggested a defensive end was the ideal strong safety in LeBeau's defense.

by hadrarius on Jun 13, 2011 7:56 PM MDT reply actions

Ya I didn't notice he said that.

The general alignment looks like Lebeau’s 2002 Bengals Defensive Playbook. But I did think it was weird he was saying the Corners mostly play Man. That is not normally what I see them playing.

by GraydonS on Jun 13, 2011 9:58 PM MDT up reply actions

They still do fairly often

How else would McFadden get burned deep all the time?

by tw3kr on Jun 13, 2011 10:02 PM MDT up reply actions

Bengals have had a good corner tandem.

Don’t know what they had in 2002.

by hadrarius on Jun 14, 2011 4:40 PM MDT up reply actions

Under LeBeau the steelers have been playing mostly zone coverage! Hence the term “zone blitz”. And LeBeau and Dom Capers worked together to design the zone blitz schemes that both still use to this day. The SS plays in the box quite a bit cuz, well, thats what Polamalu excels at. The writer is an idiot.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jun 13, 2011 9:36 PM MDT reply actions

The Lebeau D does use a heck of a lot of Man cover from the Corners, probably more man from the corners than zone.

It is called a “zone btliz” becasue it will use DE’s to drop into a short zone and allow a LB to “blitz” without actually rushing more than 4 players. Techincally it is not a blitz (Which I beleive is defined by rushing more than 4 players on a play, though it depends on who you ask really) all of the time.

Cover 1 is probably the most used shell for the Steelers over the past 2-3 seasons and that is a defense that has the Corners playing Man coverage, a single deep safety and the other 8 defenders in some combination of Man/Zone Coverage or Pass Rush.

Expect a lot of Cover 1/Cover 3 this season with Rhodes playing a lot of deep center coverage, our Corners playing a mix of Man/Zone coverages, but generally shadowing receivers or playing a deep third each, Wilson being allowed a bit of freedom to play short zones, blitz or play man coverage. The front 7 will play a lot of zone coverage from the backers and ends and will see a lot of pass rushing, overload blitzes and fire zone blitzes.

by khodder on Jun 15, 2011 8:37 PM MDT up reply actions

Based on what I saw.

Pitts plays man about 35 to 40% of the time. They play much more zone than man. As for the name zone blitz, it does come from a DL dropping into zone coverage. But the D generally plays zone behind it.

AS for the cards D this season, I think that would be the best fit for the personnel you have, so it would make sense to play it that way. DRC, Peterson and Toler playing man w/ a single deep safety and Wilson “in the box” and either covering TE or trying to create havoc near the LOS.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jun 17, 2011 12:13 PM MDT up reply actions

It really does play to the strengths of our team

Wilson in the box is a terror; Wilson in coverage is terrifying.
Rhodes also made a lot of plays last year so playing a roaming FS could lead a to a repeat 2010 performance. Also I’d love to see DRC and PP in man coverage with Toler being in the slot as a zone coverage/occasional stunter/blitzer due to his physical style.
But as they say, best laid plans of mice and men…

by Jesse Reynolds on Jun 21, 2011 1:35 PM MDT up reply actions

Well I feel like an idiot now....

by GraydonS on Jun 13, 2011 9:48 PM MDT reply actions

No reason

For you to feel that way… How were you supposed to know? Funny thing is that in some ways it fits the Packers better than it does Pitts. We play a majority of man coverage as opposed to Pitts, due to the fact that Woodson, Williams and Shields (and Al Harris before) are very good in man. So Capers has adjusted his scheme to fit the players he has. We also don’t have an in the box safety. Just a few ways that Capers, and LeBeau have been able to adapt their D to the players. Pitts has also been drafting specifically for that D for over a decade. Packers have for 2 drafts.

Long term we might start to look more like Pitts. but I hope we stay w/ man coverage. Not a big fan of zones all the time. Just play it enough to keep offenses on their toes.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jun 13, 2011 10:54 PM MDT up reply actions