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The Film Room - Texans Defensive Evolution

Section516

Section516

Warrior
http://www.battleredblog.com/2013/4...hat-will-the-texans-defense-look-like-in-2013

If there is one thing I've learned in my two seasons of studying the Wade Phillips defense, it's that players have a remarkable ability to play better football when they don't have to think. Philosophically, the Texans' scheme operates on the concept that if players are too busy thinking about what they need to be doing, then they can't get busy doing what they need to be doing. To mitigate that problem, Wade Phillips makes his players think as little as possible. Read your guy, cover him if he runs a route, blow him up if he tries to run block, and do whatever you need to do to stay in your gap. See ball, get ball.

Phillips' scheme is pretty much just a few simple gap concepts and basic key reads (more on those later) with man coverage on the back end that is entirely tailored from top to bottom to fit the players he has to work with. Season to season, game to game, snap to snap, every single play call is completely dependent on who is on the field, what those players are good at, and what they aren't so good at. If a player like J.J. Watt is good enough to beat any guard in the league, Phillips would never be caught dead having him two-gap on that guard like most other 3-4 ends. He would rather make an outside linebacker two-gap, almost unheard of in the modern 3-4, than waste his best player on what is essentially a containment assignment. That kind of thinking is incredibly rare, and that is why this defense works.
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Huge post, with a lot of pictures. I like pictures. Enjoyed reading, Hope you will too.
 
I think sharp corners are what allow this defense to work. very excited to shee how KJ and a healthy Joseph do this season.
 
I hope it comes to pass the way the author says it will. The "D" he's describing here can't be ran on or passed on. That'd be nice but I'll wait and see. A NT another ILB and good safety would go a long way to getting us there.
 
From what I observed, and had mentioned a few times, the Texans favorite front last year was the Under Front.
Antonio mostly played the 3tech weak side while Watts mostly played the 5tech strong side.

Cody did a pretty decent job at the nose, but we need somebody to replace him now.
 
Moving a 300 lb DT up and down the line to wreak havoc is pretty cool. Blitzing like crazy is something Im not a fan of, especially this last year when we were soft up the middle and missing a true outside rush presence for the first time in a long time. Wade is a Texan in every sense and we're good at improvising.
 
Uncle Rico said:
Moving a 300 lb DT up and down the line to wreak havoc is pretty cool. Blitzing like crazy is something Im not a fan of, especially this last year when we were soft up the middle and missing a true outside rush presence for the first time in a long time. Wade is a Texan in every sense and we're good at improvising.
Click to expand...

I dont mind blitzing here and there...but we shouldn't rely on it for a pass rush. It can work great until you face a top tier qb. I'm onboard with drafting a nose tackle in the first.
 
Section516 said:
http://www.battleredblog.com/2013/4...hat-will-the-texans-defense-look-like-in-2013

If there is one thing I've learned in my two seasons of studying the Wade Phillips defense, it's that players have a remarkable ability to play better football when they don't have to think. Philosophically, the Texans' scheme operates on the concept that if players are too busy thinking about what they need to be doing, then they can't get busy doing what they need to be doing. To mitigate that problem, Wade Phillips makes his players think as little as possible. Read your guy, cover him if he runs a route, blow him up if he tries to run block, and do whatever you need to do to stay in your gap. See ball, get ball.
Click to expand...

I don't care for this article, I think he's off base. 1st he says the secret to our D is that the players don't have to think, then he says the players are taught, "If this, then do that. If that, then do this."

Sounds like thinking to me.

I think Wade's defense is built on being the aggressor. Instead of waiting to see what the offense does, our players already know what they are going to do... hence, they don't have to think.

Blitzer is going to blitz, guys in coverage are going to cover. Doesn't matter where the TE lines up, the WOLB will still blitz, if that's his assignment.

Players attack the gap they've identified prior to the snap, they don't have to wait to see how the OL is going to play it. They know their gaps, they attack them.

Whatever the offense is planning on doing, they better do it before the pass rushers get through. Run or pass, we're going to penetrate the OL. That's our MO.

Uncle Rico said:
Moving a 300 lb DT up and down the line to wreak havoc is pretty cool. Blitzing like crazy is something Im not a fan of, especially this last year when we were soft up the middle and missing a true outside rush presence for the first time in a long time. Wade is a Texan in every sense and we're good at improvising.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, you just got to pick your poison. I don't mind being "soft up the middle" & still being the 7th best run defense in the NFL.

A lot of that has to do with the offense scoring early & often, but that's the team's concept. The offense has to pressure the other team to score. That's what took the run game away from most teams in 2012. The only running game that really gave us any problem (that I can remember) was New England during the regular season. They were able to jump on us early, scoring off turnovers. Then they turned on their run game & kept us on our heals.
 
Number19 said:
Here's a link to a current analysis of Wade's unique 34 defense. It's a must read - and I won't say anything more than, it has heavily influenced my thinking on this years draft.

http://www.battleredblog.com/2013/4...hat-will-the-texans-defense-look-like-in-2013
Click to expand...

In a "one gap" system, the defensive line shifts into the gaps themselves and tries to penetrate into the backfield on every single snap. Rather than being the decoys, the defensive ends and nose tackle in the Texans' defense are more often than not the main tools of destruction.

I am totally confused as to how you got "in Wade's defense, the NT isn't required to penetrate".
 
mussop said:
In a "one gap" system, the defensive line shifts into the gaps themselves and tries to penetrate into the backfield on every single snap. Rather than being the decoys, the defensive ends and nose tackle in the Texans' defense are more often than not the main tools of destruction.

I am totally confused as to how you got "in Wade's defense, the NT isn't required to penetrate".
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First, I never wrote " NT isn't required to penetrate". His responsibility is to penetrate the A-gap. Each of the front 5 has responsibility for a gap. But it is expected that he'll draw the double team in which case his responsibility is to stack the A-gap and not be moved out of position. If he draws the single block, Wade needs a player to collapse the pocket, but he is not to freelance. His responsibility is the A-gap and only the A-gap, unless there is a stunt or other play called. If he is to rush the passer, it should be through the blocker. He is not free to abandon the A-gap or go around the block. Often you'll see a defensive player use a move to disengage from the block and in the process goes around the block to one side or the other. I guess what it boils down to is a strong bull rush is what is required of a NT in Wade's defense.

I just re-read the analysis, twice, and fail to see any mention of your statement. Other than a generic "(the NT) penetrates the A-gap", mentioned several times, the only other statement I find on the play of the NT is: "(the NT) is plugging the A-gap and ideally drawing the guard on a double team to stop the interior pressure."
 
Number19 said:
First, I never wrote " NT isn't required to penetrate". His responsibility is to penetrate the A-gap. Each of the front 5 has responsibility for a gap. But it is expected that he'll draw the double team in which case his responsibility is to stack the A-gap and not be moved out of position. If he draws the single block, Wade needs a player to collapse the pocket, but he is not to freelance. His responsibility is the A-gap and only the A-gap, unless there is a stunt or other play called. If he is to rush the passer, it should be through the blocker. He is not free to abandon the A-gap or go around the block. Often you'll see a defensive player use a move to disengage from the block and in the process goes around the block to one side or the other. I guess what it boils down to is a strong bull rush is what is required of a NT in Wade's defense.

I just re-read the analysis, twice, and fail to see any mention of your statement. Other than a generic "(the NT) penetrates the A-gap", mentioned several times, the only other statement I find on the play of the NT is: "(the NT) is plugging the A-gap and ideally drawing the guard on a double team to stop the interior pressure."
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I'd agree with you mostly.

However, I've seen the NT in previous Wade's defense go on the attack with one DE staying home.

There are also instances when the line left the middle wide open; I expected one of the ILBs to come down quickly, but he's often picked up by an O-lineman.

Wade takes chance sometimes like that.
It seems to me he prefers not to see the runner or the QB to get to the outside.
Once in a while, we'd see a RB or QB up the middle.

At any rate, back to the NT.
In the days of the Charges and the Bills, once in a while I would see the NT two-gapping, but mostly they performed the functions you describe.

With a big NT, it's usually the bull rush.

However, as Wade employs multi-fronts and move his players around all the time, I don't know if we can say that the guy who starts as NT would have such and such responsibilities most of the time.

In SD, I saw the NT mainly at the 1-tech, and occasionally at the 0-tech; but in Denver and Buffalo, big Ted Washington moved around a lot;
You can even find him at 5-tech.

The main point goes back to Wade's philosophy; he would tailor the defense around the players he has available, from season to season, from game to game, depending on the offense he faces.

In this draft, a guy like Jesse Williams fits the Chargers' mold, and I believe he can work well.
The rest of the guys were moved around by their college coaches, and they would work in different fashion.

Even big guys like Jonathan Hankins and Jonathan Jenkins saw less time at NT when I watched their college tapes.
Smaller guys like Short was moved around a lot.

If Wade wants a true NT, I think it would be Jesse.
This is not to say that the other guys can't man the spot.
 
drs23 said:
I hope it comes to pass the way the author says it will. The "D" he's describing here can't be ran on or passed on. That'd be nice but I'll wait and see. A NT another ILB and good safety would go a long way to getting us there.
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a great outsider rusher next to Watt would allow for us to just be average at those other positions you named and all of that could be covered up...which is the most likely and best case scenario for us.
 
76Texan said:
...Wade employs multi-fronts and move his players around all the time, I don't know if we can say that the guy who starts as NT would have such and such responsibilities most of the time...The main point goes back to Wade's philosophy; he would tailor the defense around the players he has available, from season to season, from game to game, depending on the offense he faces...
Click to expand...
I agree with what you've said. I'm not nearly the "expert" on analysis and my understanding comes from reading those who do have the capability of breaking things down and whose analysis I value. There's a lot of added value in your comments. I appreciate it.
 
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