Article: How does the 3-4 defense work?

[NUance]

How does the 3-4 defense work?
With Alabama's base defense featuring three linemen and four linebackers, we wanted to revisit what exactly the 3-4 is and what the primary responsibilities are among the front seven.

by Juco All-American Sep 27, 2013, 3:14pm EDT
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To restate the obvious, the 3-4 defense puts one fewer defensive lineman on the field and one more linebacker compared to more traditional looks. Since the lineman removed from the equation is theoretically a defensive tackle, there could be a significant decrease in the size of the front seven. To combat this, and for other reasons which will be explained, the 3-4 defensive ends are very different than 4-3 ends. In the 3-4, defensive ends are big, typically in the 280-300 range, or roughly the size of most 4-3 defensive tackles. They flank what is typically a gargantuan, space-eating nose tackle.

Big changes underway for the Blackshirts. It's a whole new era!

 

[84HuskerLaw]

This comports with my general understanding of the 3-4 as well. I've read some comments suggesting that the NT in the 3-4 is often quicker and more agile and smaller than typical DTs in the 4-3 I think you always benefit with a Suh type out there. Two would be better! Give me three and we'll kick every team's butt. Three bigger DTs as opposed to two with slightly undersized DEs of the typical 4-3.

The challenge, which Bama has been apparently able to meet, is the ability to recruit DTs better as you need MORE in the 3-4 than the 4-3 . Not so sure Huskers have been all that successful in recruiting DTs lately or even not so lately really. The old 5-2 we ran back in the by gone eras is much like the 3-4 except you push your rush ends forward from a LB positioning into a line of scrimmage (stop the outside runs and get after the QB spot). With the 5-2 and 3-4, you still must rely on your secondary to be great cover and open field tacklers. You need outside LBs who can run extremely fast for pass rushing and to attack the line of scrimmage to stop the runs (inside and out) and interior LBs that are a little bigger and run stoppers as well.

In the end, I am not sure it really makes a whole lot of difference to Nebraska's prospects. There is no scheme, alignment or method of playing, strategy or formation wise, that will make a team more talented, physicaly. Football always, in the big picture, comes down to basics of blocking and tackling, running and throwing, kicking and catching, in a well organized 'team' fashion, playing with as much guts, heart and determination and focus as humanly possible. Above all else is the "will" and the 'want to' of each and every member of the team. Even one or two slackers will prevent the outcome the rest desire.