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Are The Panthers Ready For a 3-4 Defense?
Published: November 21, 2009
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Seven out of the last ten super bowl winners employ the 3-4 defense.
That’s right, seven, and if that wasn’t enough, six out of the eight teams leading their respective divisions this year also use the 3-4. Only two of the top 10 defenses in the NFL right now utilize the 4-3, and of the 14 teams that have over 20 sacks thus far this year, only four do not use the 3-4.
Since its conception by Bud Wilkinson in the 1940s, and its implementation in the NFL by Chuck Fairbanks decades later, the 3-4 defense has garnered its fair share of attention and its popularity has risen and fallen accordingly.
There are several dimensions to the benefits and sacrifices that come with the 3-4, both in personnel and the situation in which the defense finds itself. Against a three or more WR set, the 3-4 is tricky and has many defects; but against the run, it can be lethal.
Typically, a 3-4 defense requires a nose tackle with the strength to occupy at least two defenders and the size to plug up both ‘a gaps.’ The DEs on both sides have a little more lee-way; their primary job is to play the inside shoulder of their respective tackles and contain the run.
The real asset of this defense is its ability to utilize talented, speedy outside linebackers. They are the sack masters, and the guys that keep those speedy lateral rushers contained. The inside linebackers typically act as coverage backs, but can also blitz in order to confuse the offense’s blocking scheme.
For cornerbacks, a certain amount of trust is required as they are usually solely responsible for the man lined up against him on the other side of the line of scrimmage. As in other formations, safeties can be used to prevent coverage, in blitzes, or to keep an eye on the extra receiver, usually a TE or someone in the backfield.
When Carolina played New England in their infamous Super Bowl, the Panthers possessed arguably one of the greatest defensive lines the 4-3 had ever seen. But the team has changed since then and next year, without Peppers, Carolina’s d-line will be far from impressive.
Since a strong, intact line is vital to a 4-3, it begs the notion that the Panthers may be headed for a change.
Now, as long as John Fox is still at the helm, this Panthers team will never make the switch. But I think we can all agree that Foxie’s days in Charlotte are numbered so the possibilities are open-ended.
Since the 3-4 depends entirely upon its personnel, the only legitimate way to measure how effective the Panthers could be with it is to examine their current roster, minus Julius Peppers.
The only DT on our roster right now that contributes semi-elite numbers is Ma’ake Kemoeatu, and he’s been on injured reserve since August. Kemoeatu has proven he can be effective in a 3-4 when he was in the rotation as a NT in Baltimore, but it’s unclear if he can stay healthy enough to be the starter.
At 6’5″, 345 lbs, he certainly commands the space necessary to plug up those gaps and keep big-body RBs in front of him. Damione Lewis would serve as his relief and, though slightly undersized for the position, could also prove to be effective.
Tyler Brayton, Charles Johnson, and Everett Brown are all undersized for the DE position, but in a 4-3 they have enough support behind them to engage only one defender. Brayton has the speed to be an effective pass rusher against the outside tackles, but not the size to control the running lanes that tend to develop in the ‘c gaps’ against a 3-4.
Carolina has always seemed to have a good corp of linebackers, but they have a true leader in Jon Beason. This guy is as smart as he is tenacious. I think he has the ability to contain the inside run and the speed to get to the outside if he needs to. Dan Connor, the man most likely to line up next to Beason, is an impressive ILB from Penn State that has shown great potential.
Thomas Davis, once a safety turned OLB, would most likely be the rushing linebacker in a 3-4 Carolina defense. Before he was injured last year, he led the team in tackles.
He has sufficient speed to jump the line of scrimmage, and get after the quarterback, and the coverage skill to stay back and play the zone. Were the Panthers to make the switch, Davis would easily become the Panthers’ own Shawne Merriman or DeMarcus Ware.
Carolina’s CBs are hardly lacking, especially when asked to play man-to-man defense. Chris Gamble is not yet considered an elite corner, but he has the athletic ability and football IQ to line up against any NFL wide receiver.
With our mediocre but physical safeties protecting the deep interior balls and serving as the occasional blitz-er, I have no doubt that Carolina’s corners can keep any passing game at bay when the offense is lined up in a base formation.
As I said before, there are many things to consider when talking about the 3-4 defense and its uses/effectiveness. While most teams find the 4-3 to be the most useful against an interior run, others find the 3-4 most effective against lateral runners.
In a “run-first” league like the NFL, its imperative for a team to be able to stop the run. However, most of the runners that lead the league this year are getting it done outside the tackles. Players like Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, Adrian Peterson, and Maurice Jones-Drew all have the ability to cut inside, but seem to almost always opt for the route that takes them outside the hash marks.
It remains imperative for any team in the NFL to adapt, to constantly evolve in order to compete in an ever-evolving sport. As a Panther fan myself, I’m tired of watching my team do well one year and then bomb the next.
I have always liked Fox and the kind of professionalism he brings to the organization, but since he took the role of head coach, the Panthers have not had consecutive winning seasons.
As of right now, with the personnel they have, I do not think the team would find the kind of success they’re looking for with a 3-4 defense. The front three just don’t have the skills necessary to effectively engage the offensive line, in order to free up the OLBs for those much-needed sacks.
With Peppers leaving and Brown not meeting the coaches’ expectations, it’s not out of the question that Carolina will need to acquire a more talented defensive line come the offseason.
With better personnel, I sure wouldn’t mind seeing the switch made as long as it means more wins, and with a coaching change on the horizon, that may be a possibility. For now though, we must watch our Panthers continue the trend and finish this year under .500.
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