Here is an example of Tennessee’s third down plan against the Dolphins, now a divisional opponent this staff will face twice a year. The Titans overload the right side of the offensive line and run a three-man stunt as they often did to stress the protection. The Titans play cover-one robber in the backend, with man-to-man coverage aided by post-safety and robber help. The stunt gets home to apply pressure on Tua, and the pass is nearly intercepted.
The benefit of transitioning to a four-down defense is that it tends to be more aggressive. Rather than reading and reacting to run or pass, the defensive line is unlocked to get upfield, leading to more plays behind the line of scrimmage. Last season, the Pats struggled to generate early-down pressure, ranking 31st in pressure rate on first and second down. In theory, this style of play could lead to more negative plays.
The potential downside is that it can sometimes be boom-or-bust against the run, while there are personnel questions worth asking. One could see DT Christian Barmore thriving in a Jeffery Simmons-type role as a penetrating three-technique, while the upfield nature of the scheme could also benefit third-year DE Keion White. However, career two-gappers might not have a place in this defense. Along those lines, the Patriots would probably need to target defensive ends this offseason who specialize in getting up the field rather than holding the point of attack.
There’s also a conversation about the types of linebackers that fit this scheme. Typically, even front defenses feature athletic linebackers like 49ers star Fred Warner or All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano in Buffalo. Inside linebackers can be put in high-stress coverage assignments in this defense and asked to blitz, while it helps to have sideline-to-sideline range to chase down the ball carrier effectively. Simply put, the mechanics often force the ball outside (spill), where an “overlap” defender will wrap around to make…
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