OT: Arians first interview on Tampa radio. Defense switch?

[CFLredzoned]

I caught BA's first interview on their local radio show - Ron and Ian.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-wdae-on-demand-26994263/episode/bruce-arians-1-10-30400484/

Ian Beckles is like their version of Wolfley. Played OL for the Bucs. Only he's alot more chill. And the station isn't tied to the team so they can be critical and talk about whatever they want.

Arians sounded kind of subdued and all business like. No sound bites. Nothing real interesting except when Ian asked about a defensive switch from 4-3 to 3-4.

Ian:

With coach Bowles coming in, we were wondering if it's gonna be a 4-3 or a 3-4. I don't think we have the personnel to be a 3-4 and I heard you reiterate that we're gonna stay aggressive, so you definitely don't want to be a straight up 3-4 defense?

Arians:

No, we're not a 2-gap team. It's over and under. Whether it's 3-4 /4-3. There's a rush factor. There's a sam backer. And 70% of the game is in nickel so it doesn't really matter...

Sound familiar? That last sentence made me perk up. This will be interesting to watch. Will BA stick to his word and fit the personnel? Or will Bowles show that a DC can never change his spots? If so, how will that go?

After BA answered, Ian didn't sound so convinced with his under the breath "Mmm hmm."

Overall though, the fans and show hosts sound excited about BA. They like him and his staff and size of staff.

 

[TheCardFan]

I am no expert but the 3-4 base seems to be better at stopping the run than the 4-3. Typically, you have to stop the run first and would run your base to do that. You get into nickel on obvious passing downs. The NFL is changing and as I said, I am no expert.

We couldn't stop the run at all this year, which is a recipe for disaster.

 

[BigRedRage]

I am no expert but the 3-4 base seems to be better at stopping the run than the 4-3. Typically, you have to stop the run first and would run your base to do that. You get into nickel on obvious passing downs. The NFL is changing and as I said, I am no expert.

We couldn't stop the run at all this year, which is a recipe for disaster.

4-3 and 3-4 can both do whatever. It depends on your players.

For example, I think Horton was top in pass d and bad in run d and then bowles came in and that flip flopped. Or it was the other way around. Either way, both were 3-4. It's a combo of scheme, intent and talent.

Sent from my LG-LS993 using Tapatalk

 

[Shane]

I am no expert but the 3-4 base seems to be better at stopping the run than the 4-3. Typically, you have to stop the run first and would run your base to do that. You get into nickel on obvious passing downs. The NFL is changing and as I said, I am no expert.

We couldn't stop the run at all this year, which is a recipe for disaster.

It’s all about the talent you have not scheme

 

[Veer]

To complicate things, you can make a 3-4 defense look like a classic 4-3 with slight alignment tweaks. And vice versa.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

You can listen to Bowles introductory presser, he covers this - single gap defense, calling it 3/4 or 4/3 isnt a big deal to him, he has coached both.

He expects that you will see both types of defense during the season as they evolve and based on what the personnel excels at.

Seeing what he has done here and in NY (where he used a DT as an ILB occasionally at the beginning), I would believe him.

 

[NJCardFan]

I always thought that 4-3/3-4 was a matter of taste or personnel. Look at the great defenses in history. With the exception of the '85 Bears(4-6 but technically they were 4-3), the rest have been 4-3. The Steel Curtain, Fearsome Foursome, Purple People Eaters, No Name, 2000 Ravens, were all 4-3. The '86 Giants were 3-4(Belichick). Also, I always thought the 4-3 relied on brute strength while the 3-4 utilized speed.

 

[KYCardFan]

Its truly the Jimmy and Joes, not the X's and O's when it comes to defense, until the Cardinals drastically upgrade their linebacking corps, nothing will change, stopping the run.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Overall though, the fans and show hosts sound excited about BA. They like him and his staff and size of staff.

And for good reason lol

 

[GuernseyCard]

I caught BA's first interview on their local radio show - Ron and Ian.

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-wdae-on-demand-26994263/episode/bruce-arians-1-10-30400484/

Ian Beckles is like their version of Wolfley. Played OL for the Bucs. Only he's alot more chill. And the station isn't tied to the team so they can be critical and talk about whatever they want.

Arians sounded kind of subdued and all business like. No sound bites. Nothing real interesting except when Ian asked about a defensive switch from 4-3 to 3-4.

Ian:


Arians:


Sound familiar? That last sentence made me perk up. This will be interesting to watch. Will BA stick to his word and fit the personnel? Or will Bowles show that a DC can never change his spots? If so, how will that go?

After BA answered, Ian didn't sound so convinced with his under the breath "Mmm hmm."

Overall though, the fans and show hosts sound excited about BA. They like him and his staff and size of staff.

Bowles ran a 4-3 in Philly and Arians (unlike Wilks) is wise enough not to screw with his "D" in year one.

 

[Jasper]

Bowles ran a 4-3 in Philly and Arians (unlike Wilks) is wise enough not to screw with his "D" in year one.

Bowles took over a 4-3 (wide nine) from Juan Castillo. Great pass defense but terrible run defense.

When Todd was here we had an awesome defensive roster with players in their prime. CC, DD, Dan Williams, Dansby, DWeed, Foote, Abraham, PP, Cromartie, HB, Rashad, Tony Jefferson, Buccanon, Okafor, Powers, Shaunessey, etc. Todd put them together, but homestly that defense roster was much more talented than this current one.

Arians is wiser, but just as stubborn in some ways.

 

[CFLredzoned]

The thing that made this so dejavu for me is that a year ago I could have sworn I heard Wilks utter the same exact words about defenses being mostly nickel so it doesn't really matter. I pulled up his intro press conference, where Jody Jackson asked him about defensive tweaks and he said:

... I think the personnel is there. Someone asked me before about the 3-4 or 4-3. I've coached in both systems and most importantly we're not gonna change too much. If it's not broke, we won't worry about trying to fix it.

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No mention of the nickel there. Maybe it was a different interview. Or maybe I just read it here, misremembered, then pinned it on Wilks. Either way, I think with Arians saying "70% of the game is in nickel so it doesn't really matter." — it kind of gives him an out, doesn't it? So if they do change base defense, hey, I already told you it doesn't really matter.