Cravens traded to Denver

[samparnell]

At least our coaches had plenty of time to watch film. You know, with not being busy doing anything for the playoffs.

Twenty teams had five weeks, four teams had four weeks, four teams had three weeks and two teams had two weeks. After the Super Bowl, everyone was even in the time department again. Guess the Pats lost over a month.

[listopencil]

Wade Phillips is usually identified with Cover 1/0 and using five to rush the passer. There was a lot of that in 2015 and 2016, but there was one game I remember when he was in cover 8 almost the whole time. It isn't a question of man versus zone, because both must be used including Combo, Zone Blitz, Inverts and Rotations. Combine multiple coverages with line stunts and twists with the Backers and it is possible to present a QB with over twenty possibilities per game with plenty left in the bag for future contests. Another layer is disguising the true identity of the look.

By now, I'm sure each TD pass surrendered has been studied for offensive formation and personnel package, alignment on the O, down & distance, FP, defensive personnel package and the call which includes coverage. What happened will be broken down in categories like: amount of pressure; proper coverage played; containment; which eligible receivers. Common denominators will be found which will inform future calls.

Acquiring Su'a Cravens addresses Denver's difficulties in covering Backs and TEs. Talib's departure doesn't seem to have been fully addressed yet. Maybe we'll see it in the Draft. Pass rusher is a factor in pass coverage which may be addressed as well.

At least our coaches had plenty of time to watch film. You know, with not being busy doing anything for the playoffs.

[samparnell]

The offense needs to play better. 2nd most interceptions. tied 6th most fumbles lost. This leads to a lot of short fields to defend.

The game I went to the defense played tough all game but the offense was just complete crap and I watched as in the fourth quarter the defense finally caved in allowing a fourth quarter td pass after the offense failed to score all game.

It is very hard for a defense to carry the offense in this day and age of offense happy rules in the NFL

Also frankly Wade Phillips has a way of defending the pass that Joe Woods did not seem able to match in 2017 as a defensive play caller.

Wade Phillips is usually identified with Cover 1/0 and using five to rush the passer. There was a lot of that in 2015 and 2016, but there was one game I remember when he was in cover 8 almost the whole time. It isn't a question of man versus zone, because both must be used including Combo, Zone Blitz, Inverts and Rotations. Combine multiple coverages with line stunts and twists with the Backers and it is possible to present a QB with over twenty possibilities per game with plenty left in the bag for future contests. Another layer is disguising the true identity of the look.

By now, I'm sure each TD pass surrendered has been studied for offensive formation and personnel package, alignment on the O, down & distance, FP, defensive personnel package and the call which includes coverage. What happened will be broken down in categories like: amount of pressure; proper coverage played; containment; which eligible receivers. Common denominators will be found which will inform future calls.

Acquiring Su'a Cravens addresses Denver's difficulties in covering Backs and TEs. Talib's departure doesn't seem to have been fully addressed yet. Maybe we'll see it in the Draft. Pass rusher is a factor in pass coverage which may be addressed as well.

[MH Stampede]

The offense needs to play better. 2nd most interceptions. tied 6th most fumbles lost. This leads to a lot of short fields to defend.

The game I went to the defense played tough all game but the offense was just complete crap and I watched as in the fourth quarter the defense finally caved in allowing a fourth quarter td pass after the offense failed to score all game.

It is very hard for a defense to carry the offense in this day and age of offense happy rules in the NFL

Also frankly Wade Phillips has a way of defending the pass that Joe Woods did not seem able to match in 2017 as a defensive play caller.

This I agree with.

The defense, as good as it has been over the last 4 years or so, simply cant be the entire team all by itself, the other two units have to be better than absolute garbage.. The offense has to do something more than throw interceptions in our own end of the field, in the first quarter...practically every game. And the special teams have to stop coughing up the ball so much too.

[Hadez]

Not sure. Run D was greatly improved in 2017. They need to figure out how the 29 TD passes happened and why and fix that. On run D they might try putting D-Linemen in even numbered techniques instead of in gaps. Once a guy is lined up in a gap, that's the one he'll attack if it's a run. From head up, they can go either way which can be mixed and is less predictable.

The offense needs to play better. 2nd most interceptions. tied 6th most fumbles lost. This leads to a lot of short fields to defend.

The game I went to the defense played tough all game but the offense was just complete crap and I watched as in the fourth quarter the defense finally caved in allowing a fourth quarter td pass after the offense failed to score all game.

It is very hard for a defense to carry the offense in this day and age of offense happy rules in the NFL

Also frankly Wade Phillips has a way of defending the pass that Joe Woods did not seem able to match in 2017 as a defensive play caller.

[samparnell]

Any ideas what Joe Woods will do based on how he called games last year? It would be nice to be able change things up and keep the O's guessing but can you foresee any tendencies at all?

Not sure. Run D was greatly improved in 2017. They need to figure out how the 29 TD passes happened and why and fix that. On run D they might try putting D-Linemen in even numbered techniques instead of in gaps. Once a guy is lined up in a gap, that's the one he'll attack if it's a run. From head up, they can go either way which can be mixed and is less predictable.

[conannilsen]

For lining up against that KC offense, the 3 3 5 will be a necessity.

Sideline to sideline pursuit has been our downfall, and I can finally see that being addressed.

How many times did we see Von be allowed to go free, just to see the RB or TE be free right behind him?

The 3 3 5 means teams can dump it over Von this year and we will have the speed to close on that now.

I hope.

[listopencil]

Could be Big Nickel, 4-2-5 or 3-3-5. A 4-3 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 4-2-5 or Big Nickel. The 4-2-5 is Gary Patterson's base defense and has certain rules like the two QB defense. A 3-4 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 3-3-5 depending on how they play run D and how the third Safety is used. The 3-3-5 is Rocky Long's and Rich Rodriguez's base defense. Rocky's plays gap control and each snap is a call. Depending on what kind of player the third Safety is, he can be at LOS, play in the box like a Backer, or as a DB and can't be keyed.

Any ideas what Joe Woods will do based on how he called games last year? It would be nice to be able change things up and keep the O's guessing but can you foresee any tendencies at all?

[samparnell]

Not a lot of teams in the NFL go to a 3-3-5 nickel defense. I can only think of Dennis Allen running that. Actually the Steelers might a little bit as well. But most teams (Denver included) tend to go to the 4-2-5.

Right. In Super Bowl XLIV, the Saints' D frustrated Peyton Manning with the 3-3-5, especially in the second half culminating with a 74 yard pick six by Tracy Porter. Many commentators wanted to give the credit for that to Gregg Williams, but I'm pretty sure he got it from Dennis Allen who was his Secondary coach at the time. I think Allen picked the 3-3-5 up when he was coaching at Tulsa. Back then Tulsa, Troy, West Virginia and UNM were running the 3-3-5. Dennis ran some 3-3-5 in Denver in 2011.

There were certain defenses and defensive looks that caused Peyton Manning problems. The common denominator was any defensive scheme or call that put defenders where he didn't expect them to be. Zone Blitz, Cover 2 Robber and the 3-3-5 were examples of those that could fool PM. Also, DCs started showing one look and switching just before the snap. Anything that could confuse PM is worth studying.

In his Indy years, PM used mostly 11 personnel formations with no motion in order to force the D to align to his balanced formation so he could get a clean pre-snap read. After that, it was a matter of execution based on hours and hours of practice with his receivers.

The 3-3-5 isn't common at any level of which I am aware. For that reason it would be difficult to implement just from lack of coaches and their expertise. Many coaches look at it and think it's an odd front with the usual two-gap, 0 tech commanding a double mind-set. Some look at Wade Phillips' D that way, too.

One difference between Wade's D and 3-3-5 run D is that he tends to line his front seven up the same way over half the time and each player in that alignment always has the same gap responsibility. 3-3-5 mixes the gap responsibilities of the 3-3 guys up, so that it's different from one snap to the next. The third Safety sometimes rotates into the gap attack, and these variations have a tendency to foul up the O-Line blocking assignments.

I'd have to check to see, but at the moment the only colleges that I know of using 3-3-5 defense are San Diego State, Arizona and UNM. There are probably more, but not many I don't think. Dennis Allen may be using it in New Orleans, but I don't see the Saints play enough to be able to tell.

[Butler By'Note]

Could be Big Nickel, 4-2-5 or 3-3-5. A 4-3 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 4-2-5 or Big Nickel. The 4-2-5 is Gary Patterson's base defense and has certain rules like the two QB defense. A 3-4 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 3-3-5 depending on how they play run D and how the third Safety is used. The 3-3-5 is Rocky Long's and Rich Rodriguez's base defense. Rocky's plays gap control and each snap is a call. Depending on what kind of player the third Safety is, he can be at LOS, play in the box like a Backer, or as a DB and can't be keyed.

Not a lot of teams in the NFL go to a 3-3-5 nickel defense. I can only think of Dennis Allen running that. Actually the Steelers might a little bit as well. But most teams (Denver included) tend to go to the 4-2-5.

[ArchAngel]

Could be Big Nickel, 4-2-5 or 3-3-5. A 4-3 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 4-2-5 or Big Nickel. The 4-2-5 is Gary Patterson's base defense and has certain rules like the two QB defense. A 3-4 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 3-3-5 depending on how they play run D and how the third Safety is used. The 3-3-5 is Rocky Long's and Rich Rodriguez's base defense. Rocky's plays gap control and each snap is a call. Depending on what kind of player the third Safety is, he can be at LOS, play in the box like a Backer, or as a DB and can't be keyed.

Yea, what he said...

[samparnell]

Big Nickel?

Could be Big Nickel, 4-2-5 or 3-3-5. A 4-3 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 4-2-5 or Big Nickel. The 4-2-5 is Gary Patterson's base defense and has certain rules like the two QB defense. A 3-4 base with a Backer out and a Safety in can become 3-3-5 depending on how they play run D and how the third Safety is used. The 3-3-5 is Rocky Long's and Rich Rodriguez's base defense. Rocky's plays gap control and each snap is a call. Depending on what kind of player the third Safety is, he can be at LOS, play in the box like a Backer, or as a DB and can't be keyed.

[Fantaztic7]

Cravens's press conference today was positive. He said all the right things to demonstrate to me that whatever behavioral health issues he had in recent years are under control and his love for football is burning. We still have to see how he responds to adversity, but if he is healthy (in mind and body) Elway may have found one of his best moves in his tenure.

22 years old. 3 years left on a rookie contract. Starting caliber SS with exceptional RB and TE cover skills.... yep sounds like complete junk!

- GB2

I’m looking forward to seeing how he plays. Small risk with potential for big reward. I didn’t get to see his press conference but it sounds like he’s in a good place.

[listopencil]

Sounds like a three-Safety defense with the ability to run all the Cover 2 possibilities as well.

Big Nickel?

[16TheSnake]

Sigh...ANOTHER damaged, rehab player. Are the Broncos becoming a junkyard reclamaition organization?

22 years old. 3 years left on a rookie contract. Starting caliber SS with exceptional RB and TE cover skills.... yep sounds like complete junk!

- GB2