Football experts

[Todd4State]

Random question- why don't you see teams running the 46 defense all that much? Is it too risky? Or is it a personnel issue?

[Coach34]

Random question- why don't you see teams running the 46 defense all that much? Is it too risky? Or is it a personnel issue?

The 46 is geared up to stop regular Pro-I, power-type football- not the spread it out 3-4 wide stuff of today.

[dawgoneyall]

Spread.

[Todd4State]

Thanks.

[Political Hack]

disagree. It's because hybrid OLB's like Matt Wells can now give you a combo 4-3/46 look without having to change personnel.

[sleepy dawg]

disagree. It's because hybrid OLB's like Matt Wells can now give you a combo 4-3/46 look without having to change personnel.

disagree... I agree with coach34. If there was no spread, the 46 defense would be quite common. It's not just to stop the run though, but more to cause confusion and allow blitzes from all over the place. It is good at stopping the run and the pass, just not 4-5 wide receivers all over the field.

[Political Hack]

disagree... I agree with coach34. If there was no spread, the 46 defense would be quite common. It's not just to stop the run though, but more to cause confusion and allow blitzes from all over the place. It is good at stopping the run and the pass, just not 4-5 wide receivers all over the field.

It's the same as a 4-3... you just drop a heavy LB two steps south and bring your safety down. I don't see any difference. Defenses move all over now. Pre-snap formations are dying and it's becoming "responsibility" focused. We have three DL play inside the OTs all the time and drop a 3rd LB down on the line. That's a 46. To me, you can play that or a 4-3 without having to move a guy like Matt Wells pre-snap because he can hide his assignment until the snap. Don't really care where he lines up... he runs a 4.3

[Coach34]

It's not the same as a 4-3. It morphed out of a 50-base double eagle set. You're also talking about playing a shitload of man coverage. Spread offenses take you out of all that. Rex Ryan still runs some bastardized version of it- but it's done out of a 50- base with a badass NG and CB's like Revis.

[Political Hack]

It's not the same as a 4-3. It morphed out of a 50-base double eagle set. You're also talking about playing a shitload of man coverage. Spread offenses take you out of all that. Rex Ryan still runs some bastardized version of it- but it's done out of a 50- base with a badass NG and CB's like Revis.

You're talking formation (50). I'm talking personnel (4-3). It's a 4-3 personnel wise with a zero, 3-tehcniques, DE and the 3rd backer on the LOS.

And you know why they don't call it a 50? It's because they're using a 4-3 personnel set.

[BeastMan]

A 46 is essentially a 4-4. It's a 4-3 personnel look (as in 4 DL & 3 LB) where you walk up a SS who essentially plays a 4th LB making it a 4-4. Its 8 men in the box. There is no way you can play that against the spread. This look isn't uncommon in short yardage situations when you walk the safety up. And as coach said, you end up running a ton of man because you can really only play cover 1. If you try to run cover 2 you'd have to have a big shift dropping back one of the CBs as you second deep player. If you try to run cover 3 you'd be brutalized underneath. You almost have to run man cover 0 or man with 1 deep safety. Then that leaves you with LBs and SS playing in coverage vs inside WR which is a recipe for disaster.

If we're just talking about in theory, you could run this defense as far as the look if you had a ton of hybrid plays. You'd have to run only 1 true LB and he'd have to play mike. The other 2 LBs would have to be safeties really. So you're personnel would have to be 4 DL, 1 LB, 4 safties, and 2 CBs. The advantage would be a ton of speed on the field. The weakness would be very little beef out there. Further, most safeties are a mismatch in coverage vs a slot WR. This is why you are seeing so much 3 CB defenses in the NFL and college. Offenses of today are demanding more cover guys.

IMO a 46 is still a look a defense could and should give. You have to be multiple and give numerous looks to confuse a QB and the OC's play- calling. You just can't run a 46 look as any kind of base defense with today's offenses. 8 men in the box with any regularity will get you torched.

[Coach34]

6 one- half dozen the other. It's a double eagle look with a zero and two 3 techs.

You can't run it today because of all the 3 and 4 wide sets. The quick passing game has killed it- hot routes. Offenses willing to go 5 wide. It just can't match-up anymore- it's unsound

[Jack Lambert]

I think you should run a 53 and blitz the middle LB ever time.

[Political Hack]

I'd run a 90 Ameoba and blitz Joe Lee Dun's socks.