In theory, if you run a 3-4 and blitz a safety every down....are you not turning in into a 4-4? Because the safety is "on the line" thus creating a kind of 4-4 D

hmmmm

yes a nerf 4-4

You can also turn a 3-4 into a quasi 4-3, 5-3, 5-2, or even 6-2.

All of the defenses have some potentially useful variations like that with the proper employment of line and/or blitz.

Thanks guys. Going to try this out

I run both and I would much rather have a DL than a DB on the line all day. Sure I could save practice points, but in the long run I don't think it would help much.

I ran the 5-2 for a while recently. Found it amazingly effective. You would think they could pass the hell out of you but with right personnel it worked great. Only drawback I can see is good DL are hard to recruit. However you can get decent ones and since more DL are starting you can grow your own.

"In theory, if you run a 3-4 and blitz a safety every down....are you not turning in into a 4-4??"

Sort of similar.

Posted by kevsgirl on 3/29/2024 11:26:00 PM (view original):
In theory, if you run a 3-4 and blitz a safety every down....are you not turning in into a 4-4? Because the safety is "on the line" thus creating a kind of 4-4 D

hmmmm

There is definitely more to it than this, but, in simplistic terms, YES, that is what you are doing.

Although all that has been said it true, there is a lot to consider in this question.

* The safety will line up as the deepest defender no matter what your defensive settings, so it will take him several steps before he reaches the LOS.
* If you are worried about the run then taking a safety away, your best open field tackler, could open a hole in your 3rd level run defense.
* Your CB will line up on the LOS
* If the offense you are defending against only utilizes one WR then you have a CB that is free.
* If you are defending an Offense with no more than three receivers in pass patterns then when you move a LB to "line" then a CB or a Safety will take his pass coverage responsibilities and in effect become like another LB.
* You can shorten the setting for what is considered "Long" in your defensive playbook to move your safeties closer to the LOS, but be careful because their reaction time and tackling angles change and you can more easily give up big plays.