Sean McDermott's vaunted Dual A gap

[Buffalo716]

With the season right around the corner I thought I would rehash some things that make his defense special 

 

Going back to Philadelphia and Carolina, it is his vaunted Dual A Gap look on 3rd downs

 

 

 

It's not even about blitzing necessarily... It's about making the quarterback think you're going to blitz.. make him think for one more second and hold on to the ball for a little bit longer 

 

From here he has a lot of options... he can bring all six up front and man up... He can bring four and drop in to cover 3 or 2 .. or even cover 1 man 

 

 

As you can see it's a numbers game.. he has no choice but to Max protect or risk getting destroyed 

 

 

He only will bring the heat ever 3-4th time... But when he does like above... You have no time, and you're getting a monster like AJ Klein taking your head off 

 

This is exotic zone zone blitz scheme's he learned from Jim Johnson and perfected 

 

McDermott's vaunted dual a gap formation

 

 

 

 

 

[Malazan]

Eh, we all know he barely knows a 3-4 from a 4-3 and is just a motivational guy, right?

Edited September 2, 2021 by jeremy2020

[marky]

The Klein play was when they were down by 14 with 6 to go. In the NFL, you should be able to do any scheme. Too much talent looking for a job.

[Buffalo716]

8 minutes ago, beavis said:

The Klein play was when they were down by 14 with 6 to go. In the NFL, you should be able to do any scheme. Too much talent looking for a job.

He has 10+ years of clips in this formation stifling offenses 

 

This is his look , that others have adopted around the league 

 

he is the master of confusing defense's with this look... Some coordinators try it and look foolish

Edited September 2, 2021 by Buffalo716

[billybrew1]

"I like that play."  - Joe Willy Namath

[Shaw66]

Thanks.  Interesting simple look at it.  Easy to see why you need speed in your linebackers.   Sticking them right in there and then expecting them to make the necessary zone drops is pretty demanding.  

[LeGOATski]

Do the LBs have the choice to blitz or drop based on the protection? That would make sense to me and provide the defense with the advantage, as long as the LBs and DBs are all on the same page.

[Buffalo716]

24 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks.  Interesting simple look at it.  Easy to see why you need speed in your linebackers.   Sticking them right in there and then expecting them to make the necessary zone drops is pretty demanding.  

Edmund's length also makes him ideal

 

He swallows up seam routes in the 5 to 15 yard range.. and his quickness allows him to reach his drops from that formation 

 

There's been times he's misread a play fake... Been picked up by a center/guard ... QB throws it hot to his zone... And he still gets his arms up bats the ball down

 

Insane length

[Rubes]

28 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks.  Interesting simple look at it.  Easy to see why you need speed in your linebackers.   Sticking them right in there and then expecting them to make the necessary zone drops is pretty demanding.  

 

What's interesting about the Seattle sack/fumble play linked above is that it wasn't the linebackers in the A gaps.

 

The four rushers on the play were Klein, Edwards, Oliver, and...I think Jefferson?

 

The two guys in the A gaps who both drop into coverage there are Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, I believe.

 

[Buffalo716]

2 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Do the LBs have the choice to blitz or drop based on the protection? That would make sense to me and provide the defense with the advantage, as long as the LBs and DBs are all on the same page.

There are certain calls and adjustments based on offensive formations 

 

McDermott's favorite is what's called a green dog... And it effects the play in man to man... When you have a green dog called... It allows the linebackers or Safeties in man coverage.. to blitz if their man stays home to pass block 

 

His other favorite is a peel off.. which if the linebacker or safeties man stays in .. they peel off to double an undercutting route

[Shaw66]

2 minutes ago, Rubes said:

 

What's interesting about the Seattle sack/fumble play linked above is that it wasn't the linebackers in the A gaps.

 

The four rushers on the play were Klein, Edwards, Oliver, and...I think Jefferson?

 

The two guys in the A gaps who both drop into coverage there are Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, I believe.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure who dropped.  But what I found interesting is looking at the still photo and explanation of how the lineup challenges the offense to go nearly max protect.   That formation says "you know that we're sending four, and probably only four, but you have no idea which four.  And maybe it's five.  And it it's five, the fifth may be a safety, or the slot corner.  And maybe it's six.  You figure it out."  So, then you watch the video, and there it is - Klein and Edmunds coming, some other guys dropping.   They don't adjust protections properly, Bills rush four and Wilson's on his back.   Simple, consistent look, but it requires your QB, line and backs to be ready for a lot of different things.   

[Rubes]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

Yeah, I wasn't sure who dropped.  But what I found interesting is looking at the still photo and explanation of how the lineup challenges the offense to go nearly max protect.   That formation says "you know that we're sending four, and probably only four, but you have no idea which four.  And maybe it's five.  And it it's five, the fifth may be a safety, or the slot corner.  And maybe it's six.  You figure it out."  So, then you watch the video, and there it is - Klein and Edmunds coming, some other guys dropping.   They don't adjust protections properly, Bills rush four and Wilson's on his back.   Simple, consistent look, but it requires your QB, line and backs to be ready for a lot of different things.   

 

Yeah, it was really interesting to watch. I think part of it is that maybe Seattle thought there's no way they're really dropping two standing D-linemen into coverage, are they? And perhaps it messed up the assignments.

 

[Shaw66]

9 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Edmund's length also makes him ideal

 

He swallows up seam routes in the 5 to 15 yard range.. and his quickness allows him to reach his drops from that formation 

 

There's been times he's misread a play fake... Been picked up by a center/guard ... QB throws it hot to his zone... And he still gets his arms up bats the ball down

 

Insane length

Thanks.  That's an example of what I've been saying about Edmunds and not even known exactly what situations show it.  His length and athleticism allow him to lineup effectively as a down lineman and still cover the short zones, because he can get out their quickly, but even if he can't get all the way back, his height and length save him.  

[Buffalo716]

1 minute ago, Rubes said:

 

Yeah, it was really interesting to watch. I think part of it is that maybe Seattle thought there's no way they're really dropping two standing D-linemen into coverage, are they? And perhaps it messed up the assignments.

 

McDermott has mastered this over a 10+ year span learning from Jim Johnson 

 

Johnson was a lot more aggressive with it.. McDermott wants you to think he's going to be aggressive... And when you finally think he's not going to send five or six... He does from different angles

[Shaw66]

2 minutes ago, Rubes said:

 

Yeah, it was really interesting to watch. I think part of it is that maybe Seattle thought there's no way they're really dropping two standing D-linemen into coverage, are they? And perhaps it messed up the assignments.

 

What people say about McDermott's defense, and McDermott admits it, is that he makes it really hard to make any useful pre-snap reads.  He forces the offense to read and adjust post-snap, and on this play it's obvious that someone on the offense didn't adjust.   

 

And add to that a growing list of guys who can simply beat their man one on one - Hughes, Oliver, Epenesa, Rousseau, Zimmer, even maybe Basham, and you're putting immense pressure on the offensive line.   Those guys don't know who's coming, and the guys who ARE coming can beat you off the ball.  

[MasterStrategist]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

With the season right around the corner I thought I would rehash some things that make his defense special 

 

Going back to Philadelphia and Carolina, it is his vaunted Dual A Gap look on 3rd downs

 

 

 

It's not even about blitzing necessarily... It's about making the quarterback think you're going to blitz.. make him think for one more second and hold on to the ball for a little bit longer 

 

From here he has a lot of options... he can bring all six up front and man up... He can bring four and drop in to cover 3 or 2 .. or even cover 1 man 

 

 

As you can see it's a numbers game.. he has no choice but to Max protect or risk getting destroyed 

 

 

He only will bring the heat ever 3-4th time... But when he does like above... You have no time, and you're getting a monster like AJ Klein taking your head off 

 

This is exotic zone zone blitz scheme's he learned from Jim Johnson and perfected 

 

McDermott's vaunted dual a gap formation

 

 

 

 

 

Great post!

 

Definitely a great way to "simulate" pressure, as they say, or bring the heat with man/ more exotic zone schemes behind it.  Definitely important to have LBs that can not only blitz but drop into coverage as Milano and Edmunds have proven capable of.

 

Especially going up against a young/new oline of Pitt Week 1 should be a great opportunity to be aggressive with these looks and see how they can adjust.  

 

 

[Buffalo716]

2 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

What people say about McDermott's defense, and McDermott admits it, is that he makes it really hard to make any useful pre-snap reads.  He forces the offense to read and adjust post-snap, and on this play it's obvious that someone on the offense didn't adjust.   

 

And add to that a growing list of guys who can simply beat their man one on one - Hughes, Oliver, Epenesa, Rousseau, Zimmer, even maybe Basham, and you're putting immense pressure on the offensive line.   Those guys don't know who's coming, and the guys who ARE coming can beat you off the ball.  

That is why he's a master.. you get zero, none, zilch pre snap from him 

 

His favorite first down play, is a cover 3 Robber... Not exotic, easy to dissect... But he runs it pre-snap like cover two man... or he will mask the single high as the robber

 

He never gives you a straight up look

[Shaw66]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

McDermott has mastered this over a 10+ year span learning from Jim Johnson 

 

Johnson was a lot more aggressive with it.. McDermott wants you to think he's going to be aggressive... And when you finally think he's not going to send five or six... He does from different angles

Thanks for your intitial explanation and the discussion it started.  I now see much more clearly what's going on up front.   I never understood why Edmunds lines up on the line so often.   I would think "come on, everyone knows he's dropping, why doesn't he line up two yards back, like in a more traditional 4-3?"   Well, because he isn't dropping every time.  And because he's good enough to drop from there.  

 

McDermott always says he wants to get pass rush from four.   It's easy to see the technique.   He is getting pass rush from four, most of the time.   He's able to do it by making it difficult for the offense to understand which four it is.  When you plug the A gaps like that, and you have guys who can drop, the combinations of four you can send at the offense can be pretty confusing.  

2 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

That is why he's a master.. you get zero, none, zilch pre snap from him 

 

His favorite first down play, is a cover 3 Robber... Not exotic, easy to dissect... But he runs it pre-snap like cover two man... or he will mask the single high as the robber

 

He never gives you a straight up look

And he's apparently a master with the safeties, as well.  I remember reading something where one of them was describing how their interchangeable, and how they are regularly disguising their coverage assignments presnap.   

 

So, the opposing QB starts the play not knowing where the rush is coming from and knowing where is go-to receiver likely will be.   He as to figure it all out on the fly, post-snap.  

[Buffalo716]

10 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks for your intitial explanation and the discussion it started.  I now see much more clearly what's going on up front.   I never understood why Edmunds lines up on the line so often.   I would think "come on, everyone knows he's dropping, why doesn't he line up two yards back, like in a more traditional 4-3?"   Well, because he isn't dropping every time.  And because he's good enough to drop from there.  

 

McDermott always says he wants to get pass rush from four.   It's easy to see the technique.   He is getting pass rush from four, most of the time.   He's able to do it by making it difficult for the offense to understand which four it is.  When you plug the A gaps like that, and you have guys who can drop, the combinations of four you can send at the offense can be pretty confusing.  

And he's apparently a master with the safeties, as well.  I remember reading something where one of them was describing how their interchangeable, and how they are regularly disguising their coverage assignments presnap.   

 

So, the opposing QB starts the play not knowing where the rush is coming from and knowing where is go-to receiver likely will be.   He as to figure it all out on the fly, post-snap.  

Yes the way you disguise looks like cover 3 and such is with manipulating the Safeties 

 

And nobody does it better than him 

 

There is no defined role like in a Kam Chancellor Earl Thomas safety relationship... Micah and Jordan Mix Max their positions, their techniques .. and quarterbacks have no idea what role they will be in Post snap 

 

McDermott's hands down the best I've ever seen with manipulating safeties

[HardyBoy]

13 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

That is why he's a master.. you get zero, none, zilch pre snap from him 

 

His favorite first down play, is a cover 3 Robber... Not exotic, easy to dissect... But he runs it pre-snap like cover two man... or he will mask the single high as the robber

 

He never gives you a straight up look

With the robber look, having the safety basically coming down into the box, especially with how late and unexpectedly the bills safety’s shift (which was not as significant last year without crowd noise because easy to call an audible even with two seconds on the play clock), gotta think that it basically allows Edmunds or Milano to sell out on the pass and have the safety come in and fill that gap if it is a run. 
 

Like it’s not just that the lb is not blitzing, but he is potentially cycling back to the safety’s robber position and having the safety rotate down and the entire defense pivots kind of. 
 

lol, that is actually more of a question, I am not a football player, but I try and pay attention to smart people talking about it and have played soccer, lax and bball and understand defensive principles. Basically synergizing what I’ve heard smart people say in parts, along with my conceptual understanding of defense in other sports.

Am I right, or at least rightish?!

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, Buffalo716 said:

Yes the way you disguise looks like cover 3 and such is with manipulating the Safeties 

 

And nobody does it better than him 

 

There is no defined role like in a Kam Chancellor Earl Thomas safety relationship... Micah and Jordan Mix Max their positions, their techniques .. and quarterbacks have no idea what role they will be in Post snap 

 

McDermott's hands down the best I've ever seen with manipulating safeties

This is 100% true and something he was only able to accomplish with the talent here in Buffalo in Hyde and Poyer.

 

In Carolina McDermott was able to design his front7 scheme with insane LB talent in Kuechly and Davis and a reasonably stout dline, albeit lacking top flight ends...but he was working with pretty much just Norman in the secondary, his safeties in Carolina were always barely above average/below average.

[HardyBoy]

Isn’t it kind of a synergy of the orchestrated zone blitzing they did in Pittsburg and Philly for a long time (basically everything designed to get one specific guy to come free, and the others just getting players to move and free up a weakness for that one guy to come free) and what Rex Ryan was doing with the Jets, having guys walking all around super late (instead of just the safeties) and causing a ton of confusion. 
 

But less aggressive and realizing it always comes down to a handful of plays, so wait for the other offense to get confused and throw you a few of those plays over the course of the entire game, instead of trying to force it to happen and getting burned. Otherwise, if it’s not one of the game defining plays, rally to the ball, keep them in front of you and make a solid tackle without giving up YAC or something over the top. 

[Buffalo716]

15 minutes ago, HardyBoy said:

With the robber look, having the safety basically coming down into the box, especially with how late and unexpectedly the bills safety’s shift (which was not as significant last year without crowd noise because easy to call an audible even with two seconds on the play clock), gotta think that it basically allows Edmunds or Milano to sell out on the pass and have the safety come in and fill that gap if it is a run. 
 

Like it’s not just that the lb is not blitzing, but he is potentially cycling back to the safety’s robber position and having the safety rotate down and the entire defense pivots kind of. 
 

lol, that is actually more of a question, I am not a football player, but I try and pay attention to smart people talking about it and have played soccer, lax and bball and understand defensive principles. Basically synergizing what I’ve heard smart people say in parts, along with my conceptual understanding of defense in other sports.

Am I right, or at least rightish?!

It all depends what formation the offense is in 

 

In Sean's base 43 under... Milano the sam is reading the tight end or slot receiver for pass from the LoS

 

He just needs to keep outside leverage while he can play pass, looking for a run.. because he has the mike and will , and robber coming into the box 

 

Milano is perfect in that role

 

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Buffalo716

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Edmund's length also makes him ideal

 

He swallows up seam routes in the 5 to 15 yard range.. and his quickness allows him to reach his drops from that formation 

 

There's been times he's misread a play fake... Been picked up by a center/guard ... QB throws it hot to his zone... And he still gets his arms up bats the ball down

 

Insane length

 

 

 

Edmunds blitzed 67 times without generating a single pressure last season.

 

On paper he is ideal.......unfortunately games aren't played on paper they are played on tv.

[Richard Noggin]

THIS is the kind of football talk I like to nerd out with.

 

Analyzing McD's 3rd down disguises, be it up front and/or on the back end, really also highlights the absolute necessity of keeping offenses behind the sticks. In order to employ his various and interchangeable pressure/cover packages, McD's defense MUST stop the run well enough to earn those 3rd-and-longs (at least at some point in a given drive). Otherwise they're left playing a more vanilla, read-and-react approach that gets carved up by NFL offenses. 

 

Why I love football so much: the interrelatedness of all things. The ultimate team sport (and the team extends well beyond the players on the field). 

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, GoBills808 said:

This is 100% true and something he was only able to accomplish with the talent here in Buffalo in Hyde and Poyer.

 

In Carolina McDermott was able to design his front7 scheme with insane LB talent in Kuechly and Davis and a reasonably stout dline, albeit lacking top flight ends...but he was working with pretty much just Norman in the secondary, his safeties in Carolina were always barely above average/below average.

 

 

They had excellent DE's in Carolina...........Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson and prime Mario Addison.

[GoBills808]

4 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

They had excellent DE's in Carolina...........Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson and prime Mario Addison.

They were good, I would say excellent is a stretch...zero All-Pros between the three of them. The strength of that defense was through the middle.

[BADOLBILZ]

14 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

They were good, I would say excellent is a stretch...zero All-Pros between the three of them. The strength of that defense was through the middle.

 

So if you aren't in the top 4 DE's in the NFL you aren't excellent?

 

Greg Hardy had 26 sacks and 48 QB hits in a 2 year stretch.

 

Charles Johnson had 12.5 and 11 sack seasons.

 

In truth,  the Carolina McDefense was inconsistent..........his 2016 defense ranked 26th in points allowed and 21st in yards.

 

The great season they had(2nd in points and 2nd in yards) was 2013 when Hardy and Johnson both put up double digit sacks from the DE position.    That's excellent DE production.   

 

 

 

[GoBills808]

35 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

So if you aren't in the top 4 DE's in the NFL you aren't excellent?

 

Greg Hardy had 26 sacks and 48 QB hits in a 2 year stretch.

 

Charles Johnson had 12.5 and 11 sack seasons.

 

In truth,  the Carolina McDefense was inconsistent..........his 2016 defense ranked 26th in points allowed and 21st in yards.

 

The great season they had(2nd in points and 2nd in yards) was 2013 when Hardy and Johnson both put up double digit sacks from the DE position.    That's excellent DE production.   

 

 

 

Also coincidentally the year they drafted Lotulelei😉

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

So if you aren't in the top 4 DE's in the NFL you aren't excellent?

 

Greg Hardy had 26 sacks and 48 QB hits in a 2 year stretch.

 

Charles Johnson had 12.5 and 11 sack seasons.

 

In truth,  the Carolina McDefense was inconsistent..........his 2016 defense ranked 26th in points allowed and 21st in yards.

 

The great season they had(2nd in points and 2nd in yards) was 2013 when Hardy and Johnson both put up double digit sacks from the DE position.    That's excellent DE production.   

 

 

 

 

2016 was the year they started rookies at all corner spots wasn't it? After they traded Norman to Wahsington. It was four years in a row of top 10 defenses before that. 

 

Greg Hardy was an all pro level talent, unfortunately he was an all pro knuckle head as well. 

[colin]

great thread.

 

this is solid evidence of why mcd puts so much into the dline.  he schemes and disguises all over the spot, so if his deep squad on the front 4 can get some pressure, with the big play taken away w disciplined coverage and making it hard to dial up good plays, the opposing O gets a step behind and can't manufacture yards and points.

 

it also shows why it is so frustrating to watch as a fan sometimes.  when the dline can't get pressure, on a post snap basis its a bit of an open book and without a ton of size it makes us look small and passive.  I really hope AJ, and our two new rookies (and that obada guy too) really make a contribution because i think we are striking distance from being a top 3 d again.

[BADOLBILZ]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

2016 was the year they started rookies at all corner spots wasn't it? After they traded Norman to Wahsington. It was four years in a row of top 10 defenses before that. 

 

Greg Hardy was an all pro level talent, unfortunately he was an all pro knuckle head as well. 

 

Team defense(yards allowed) alone is an antiquated way of judging a defense.

 

The two years where they were top 10 in both points allowed and yardage they had a double digit sacker.    

 

McD's defense team rank in points allowed 2011-2016:

 

27th

18th

2nd

21st

6th

26th

 

That's inconsistency and it's a bit disingenuous to call a team like that a top 10 defense in an era of so many advanced statistics.  

 

Points matter in the equation.

 

Here are the Bills ranks in points allowed under McD:

 

18th

18th

2nd

16th

 

People can talk all they want about how they use the back 7........and no question McD does a good job there.........but the defense doesn't work right without that pass rush..........it's the #1 component.

 

 

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

14 hours ago, Rubes said:

 

What's interesting about the Seattle sack/fumble play linked above is that it wasn't the linebackers in the A gaps.

 

The four rushers on the play were Klein, Edwards, Oliver, and...I think Jefferson?

 

The two guys in the A gaps who both drop into coverage there are Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, I believe.

 

 

Yeah, that was part of the deceptions. The A gap guys aren't being subtle about it.  They're revving their engines and saying "get ready, we're coming!"

 

Then they drop and Klein zips around the end unblocked.

 

The thing there is, if a team is well-coached and well prepared I wonder if the engine-revving constitutes a "tell" - do they behave differently when they're dropping vs. coming?

[BringBackFlutie]

14 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Team defense(yards allowed) alone is an antiquated way of judging a defense.

 

The two years where they were top 10 in both points allowed and yardage they had a double digit sacker.    

 

McD's defense team rank in points allowed 2011-2016:

 

27th

18th

2nd

21st

6th

26th

 

That's inconsistency and it's a bit disingenuous to call a team like that a top 10 defense in an era of so many advanced statistics.  

 

Points matter in the equation.

 

Here are the Bills ranks in points allowed under McD:

 

18th

18th

2nd

16th

 

People can talk all they want about how they use the back 7........and no question McD does a good job there.........but the defense doesn't work right without that pass rush..........it's the #1 component.

 

 

 

 

I have to agree here, from a historical perspective.  McD's defenses are always average-to-good, and he can do some incredible things with his backfield, but his defense truly hums when the DL can get to the QB.

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Yeah, that was part of the deceptions. The A gap guys aren't being subtle about it.  They're revving their engines and saying "get ready, we're coming!"

 

Then they drop and Klein zips around the end unblocked.

 

The thing there is, if a team is well-coached and well prepared I wonder if the engine-revving constitutes a "tell" - do they behave differently when they're dropping vs. coming?

I'm sure they "rev" a bit higher when they're not coming 😅

[JohnBonhamRocks]

12 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

Edmunds blitzed 67 times without generating a single pressure last season.

 

On paper he is ideal.......unfortunately games aren't played on paper they are played on tv.

Someone get Edmunds an HDTV stat!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, BringBackFlutie said:

I'm sure they "rev" a bit higher when they're not coming 😅

 

That's My Point.  Those things can become "tells" for a really detailed offensive coach to prepare his team.

[BringBackFlutie]

13 hours ago, HardyBoy said:

Isn’t it kind of a synergy of the orchestrated zone blitzing they did in Pittsburg and Philly for a long time (basically everything designed to get one specific guy to come free, and the others just getting players to move and free up a weakness for that one guy to come free) and what Rex Ryan was doing with the Jets, having guys walking all around super late (instead of just the safeties) and causing a ton of confusion. 
 

But less aggressive and realizing it always comes down to a handful of plays, so wait for the other offense to get confused and throw you a few of those plays over the course of the entire game, instead of trying to force it to happen and getting burned. Otherwise, if it’s not one of the game defining plays, rally to the ball, keep them in front of you and make a solid tackle without giving up YAC or something over the top. 

Well, he came from that scheme in Philly, right (rhetorical)?

 

I agree about the Pitt scheme.  Pretty sure the double A-gap is just a variation on the zone-blitzing concept that LeBeau, apparently, created. And yeah, Rex did it too (Mario hated it).

[BADOLBILZ]

8 minutes ago, BringBackFlutie said:

I have to agree here, from a historical perspective.  McD's defenses are always average-to-good, and he can do some incredible things with his backfield, but his defense truly hums when the DL can get to the QB.

I'm sure they "rev" a bit higher when they're not coming 😅

 

Yeah and I know it's been proven very difficult to maintain consistent defensive success from year to year...........but technically the Steelers are defying that rule with regard to their pass rush being dominant year after year.    So it can be done.   Which brings me back to Edmunds and the blitz..........it's not easy for him, with that wide, rangy frame to get thru that A gap unscathed.    Had they instead made him and edge player from the start they might have that TJ Watt kinda' reliable presence by now.

[BringBackFlutie]

16 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Yeah and I know it's been proven very difficult to maintain consistent defensive success from year to year...........but technically the Steelers are defying that rule with regard to their pass rush being dominant year after year.    So it can be done.   Which brings me back to Edmunds and the blitz..........it's not easy for him, with that wide, rangy frame to get thru that A gap unscathed.    Had they instead made him and edge player from the start they might have that TJ Watt kinda' reliable presence by now.

I see it both ways.  

 

Edmunds would be an excellent edge player.  It's easier reads for him, and would allow his athleticism to truly shine.

 

For better or worse, McD is coverage-focused.  He values that athleticism to disrupt passing lanes rather than disrupt the ones throwing into those lanes (or so it seems).

 

...I'm not one to crap on Edmunds or claim to understand the nuances of his responsibilities and whether the coaches are pleased with his execution there.  However, what concerns me about McD's apparent valuation of his skills as they pertain to his role in this defense is that it sure seemed like throwing directly at his zone worked a lot last year (such was not the case previously).

[section122]

46 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

That's My Point.  Those things can become "tells" for a really detailed offensive coach to prepare his team.

 

I have a very strong belief that this was Ernie Adams entire role with the Patriots.  He watched and re-watched film to find tells from players.  I vaguely remember something about Fitz opening his hips when throwing left so the defense was trained to watch for that, and that being spoken about after the game.

 

I think that is why he was so instrumental to the success of the Patriots.  It also explains why they seemed to have a good idea what was coming on many plays (if you don't dive into headset eavesdropping/spygate as the explanation).  I think they did know what was coming but it was part of the preparation process for the team.  If you see a guy do this watch for that which is normal film study stuff.  I feel like the Pats did that but on another level from most teams.