Defensive snap counts

[vince56]

Reference: https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/20/az-arizona-cardinals-week-7-defensive-snap-counts/

So let's get this right, we had 59 snaps on defense the other night. Breaking down LBs and DBs:

• Linebackers: Josh Bynes, 59; Haason Reddick, 59; Deone Bucannon, 7; Gerald Hodges, 1
• Defensive backs: Antoine Bethea, 59; Patrick Peterson, 58; Bené Benwikere, 58; Budda Baker, 58; Rudy Ford, 52; Jamar Taylor, 1

I count 2 LBs with 100% playtime. I count 4 DBs with 58 or 59 plays, and Rudy Ford (??!) had 52.

This has been getting to me all year but I haven't cared enough to buy the game films package. Are we running the same play, every play? We're basically running the same formation. That's 99% nickel. No added LBs, no added DBs. Did we even have a goal-line sub in D-lineman? Something about the vanilla-ness of this defense is just gnawing away at the back of my mind every time I watch them play and I'm starting to think this is it. Maybe it's just me, it doesn't seem like a system. Please someone tell me I'm wrong here.

 

[AZ Shocker]

It certainly looks like a bad system. Something I haven't seen since the 1980's and a few bad teams sticking with it in the early 90's. I kinda dont know what Bidwill was thinking in hiring Wilks.

 

[ReasonableMan]

Certainly appears so. I haven’t watched closely enough to make that determination, but I am now. If it continues I’d imagine things will get ugly.

 

[cardpa]

Let me get this right so I don't misunderstand, the base defense is a 4-3 yet they only played 8 snaps out of 59 in the base defense. Maybe Wilks should be given a hint as to maybe that's why teams are able to run all over the defense. For a guy who was supposed to be a defensive guru, he leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Hoodhero]

I guess this is what happens when your HC is just a DB coach with bravado that lucked into promotion smh

 

[juza76]

I guess this is what happens when your HC is just a DB coach with bravado that lucked into promotion smh

Is very stubborn too, i ve never seen a more inadequate coach

 

[Harry]

I’m surprised we didn’t see the Single Wing during McCoy’s Nostalgia Tour. I know you’re talking defense, but everything’s old.

 

[DeAnna]

It's been talked about on radio ... he plays a 4-2-5 which is usually nickel defense most of the time. No wonder they get killed in the run game, lol

Earlier this year, our own Alex Rubenstein pointed out that the Cardinals never break out of nickel defense. Never ever.

In a 34-0 loss to the Rams in Week 2, the Cardinals had five defensive backs on the field for all 72 defensive snaps. Not even on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line did the Cardinals think ‘Hmm ... an extra defensive lineman instead of another 200-pound DB would probably be a good idea here.’

While it hasn’t quite been five defensive backs playing 100 percent of the snaps in every game since that Week 2 blowout, the problem hasn’t gone away. The Cardinals still stubbornly refuse to have any more than six defensive lineman and linebackers on the field.

 

[ReasonableMan]

It's been talked about on radio ... he plays a 5-2 which is usually nickel defense most of the time. No wonder they get killed in the run game, lol

It’s kinda crazy but Wilks defense is built on anticipating the pass and bending to the run, because this is a passing league, yet he builds his offense on the opposite premise.

 

[Finito]

The thing that's been going on with the offense same stuborn no adjustments BS has been going on with the Defense.

You have to match up and get creative and this coaching staff thinks it's 1992.

 

[wit3card]

It's about 90% of the time that we play 4-2-5 and clearly he thought he could get away with it, but Bucannon&Reddick can't play in this D as run stopping LB ... I think only a handful of LB could play this situation hence, I only can think of Luke K. of the Panthers to play in such a D.

And don't get me wrong, we were a 3-4 D and played many 3-3-5 or 2-4-5 packages under Bettcher/Bowles but, with 3 or 4 ILB you have a chance to stop the run and even than we sometimes had problems when they catched us off guard.

So this D concept is bad, it's really bad, because we can't stop the pass because of a soft zone system and we can't stop the run.

with a 4-3 with man I would see much more chance but ... yeah ... this system isn't build to win, and not build for our players