Are the essential elements in place?

[Mr. Scot]

Highlighting an excerpt from the Lombardi article in Fireball's thread (link)

When you study the Bucs/Dungy style of defense, the critical pieces are a right defensive end, an explosive three technique, a will linebacker, a middle backer who can run and a left end who can defeat single blocks.

So who do we have in these positions?

Right Defensive End - Julius Peppers

Three Technique DT - Damione Lewis (possibly backed up by Corvey Irvin)

Will Linebacker - Thomas Davis

Middle Linebacker - Jon Beason

Left End - Brayton/Johnson/Brown (starter undetermined)

So if you match those names to the descriptions that Lombardi gives above (explosive three technique, left end that can beat single blocks, etc), how confident are you that we have the essential elements needed to successfully run the kind of scheme Ron Meeks is implementing? Explain your thinking.

[joemac]

I wouldnt say that we have the explosive 3 technique, but other than that, yeah I think we have the pieces in place.

[Jase]

pardon my ignorance, but what is the three technique?

[Fireball77]

I am much more confident in the LB part than the DL part. That scheme needs speed and athleticism which I believe the LB part has.

[Fireball77]

pardon my ignorance, but what is the three technique?

I believe it means the DT lines up on the outside shoulder of the G.

[Johnny Rockets]

Will be interesting to see how this new defensive scheme matches up against a new (but promising) offensive line of Philly in week one. Probably won't be a good gauge on what to expect since it will be the first time for both but it should be interesting.

[Mr. Scot]

pardon my ignorance, but what is the three technique?

Fireball is right. Here's a little elaboration.

Lewis would be a three technique guy. As a more athletic DT, his main responsibility would be to penetrate the line and stop or disrupt the play. By contrast, Kemoeatu is built like a one-technique guy (i.e. a nose guard) but likely would be used in our defense like a four-technique, i.e. a space eater who occupies blockers so that a LB (usually Beason) can make tackles.

For comparison sake, In the Dungy years, Tampa's three technique guy was Warren Sapp.

[rayzor]

pardon my ignorance, but what is the three technique?

best and easiest explanation of the DTs i know of....

Gaps in the Offensive Line

The linemen on the offensive line line up a few feet away from each other. This leaves gaps between the linemen. These gaps are both lettered and numbered, as shown below. The gap between the guard and tackle is called the B gap. If you are a defensive tackle lined up in the B gap, but shifted over a bit towards the guard, you're called a 3-technique. If you were lined up in the same gap but shifted over a couple feet to line up on the tackle's shoulder, you would be a 4-technique. If you line up directly facing the center, you're called a nose tackle.

Nose tackles are two-gap players, and are typically very big and very strong men, usually 350 pounds or more and 6'5" or taller. These guys have the responsibility of clogging up the entire center of the field, of keeping the center and at least one guard busy, and thereby protecting their middle linebacker. The nose tackle will also be responsible in passing plays to push the center back towards the quarterback so that the quarterback cannot step up in the pocket and evade the rush of the defensive ends. A good nose tackle can be hit simultaneously by 650 pounds of center and guard and will not budge as much as one inch.

A 3-technique tackle lines up between the offensive guard and tackle. A 3-technique tackle is supposed to run through his gap immediately. He is a 1-gap player. His job is not to block or get tied up in a block, but rather to be athletic and get himself into the offensive backfield and disrupt their plans. Because of this a 3-technique tackle is a lighter more athletic guy than a nose tackle, typically weighing more like 290 to 300 pounds.

http://football.calsci.com/Positions8.html

[dpanthersman]

dt is the only area on the defensive line that still concerns me. Lewis is a great role player but im not sure if hell ever be more than that. kemo is great against the run but isn't fast enough to get pressure on the QB im keeping my fingers crossed the Irvin can be that dominant guy we need in the middle but he seems like a project

[rayzor]

i think we for sure have all the right elements. depth is the only concern and even at that...i'm not too worried. i think we have the players and now the leadership/coaching that we have needed to make the most of the talent we have in spades.

i think the 3gap is the only concern we have but between lewis and irvin i think we have what we need.

[Fiz]

i love thomas davis as much as his mother does, but the WLB they had in tampa was a little better.

it'll be curious to see how davis adjusts, if there's really an adjustment to be made which i still doubt

[scpanther22]

DT is still a prob for me...lewis is 31 so how much pure speed can he still give us for the entire year

[Mr. Scot]

Lot of talk about the DT, and I expected that, but there's another area I think worth discussing that no one has hit on yet.

In any of the potential starters listed, do we have a left defensive end that can consistently beat single blocks?

Keep in mind that right offensive tackles tend to be the big mauler types.

[Fireball77]

Yeah that's why I said DL not DT. Not sure of LE. I'm not even sure of RE if you want to know the truth. Pep CAN do, but not as often as he SHOULD do.