I think the biggest weakness in the front for me has been not being able to set the edge as a defensive line. When your DEs are lined up more inside the tackles it’s harder to set the edge effectively, especially when some of those DEs are more like undersized DTs who aren’t as quick or hard to reach block.
We have had a very soft edge and our LBs and safeties don’t do a great job with angles or understanding that you can’t bite on jab steps towards the middle part of the field when it’s obvious the runner wants to get outside you because that’s where you don’t have help defenders set up.
Similarly on pass rush, we don’t set up good paths to the QB in the 3-3-5 stack because we have not been able to put pressure on tackles getting beat to the outside. And the blitzes never really had the same effect because blitzers are looking for a clean path to the QB and trying to avoid getting engaged by a lineman. Which is easier for a QB to manipulate than a DL’s path, and the blitzer vacates part of the field. Mccown for example was able to make one quick move up in the pocket, sometimes after baiting the blitzer a certain direction, and suddenly he had nothing but green grass for days.
I think more of a 4-2-5 look would at least give us a chance to be more competitive setting the edges. I think that’ll go a long way and give us an easier chance at success given the caliber of athletes that are available at our level.
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