I just read this BTSC article and see that it hasn't been discussed here yet ( that I can find ). With the draft fast approaching, I think it is important....especially with my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage..lol
How football evolution, and terminology, are changing the way we talk about Defense
https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.c...ng-the-way-we-talk-about-defense-steelers-nfl
Language. It’s the basis of all communication. In order for that communication to be effective, not only must two people be speaking the same language, but the meaning of the vocabulary used must be the same.
How do we go about fixing this “failure to communicate?” Well, it stems from the lack of shared understanding of terms. That lack of understanding is rooted in teams using the same terms (Outside Linebacker, Defensive End) to describe different positions. The discussion of a “4-3” defense vs. a “3-4” defense is outdated and moot. I hope that point will be clear by the end of this article. Since, however, that is where the miscommunication emanates, that is where we must begin.
It should be clear by now that we can not have any meaningful discussion using terms such as OLB, ILB, and DE. Depending on whether you are referring to a 3-4 base defense or a 4-3 base defense, these terms will have a different meaning. What we need are “new” terms that carry the same meaning, regardless of what type of defense the player(s) is in.
Thankfully, those new terms already exist. We don’t have to invent them. We just need to understand their meaning. Pro Football Focus is among the websites that use them. They have slowly been working their way towards more common use. The new terms are:
Edge Defender/Rusher, or simply Edge: the edge defender group includes 4-3 DE’s and 3-4 OLB’s. These players are typically aligned outside the offensive tackle and/or TE. Their primary roles are to set the edge vs the run, and pass rush from around the edge. Hence, the name. They may drop into pass coverage. This is typically limited to the flat areas on one side of the field.
Interior Defensive Lineman, or Defensive Interior (DI): the interior defensive line group includes 4-3 DT’s and 3-4 NT’s and DE’s. These players are typically aligned anywhere on the LOS between the offensive tackle and center. They defend the run and rush the passer from the interior of the O-line.
Linebacker, meaning any LB playing off-the-ball: the LB group (“off-the-ball” is implied when using the term LB, and is dropped from the name for convenience) includes all 4-3 LB’s and 3-4 ILB’s. These players read and react to run keys, filling holes vs the run. They flow laterally in run pursuit. They also drop into pass coverage; some zone, but also man coverage. They have to be comfortable “playing in space.”
I won’t dispute that there are some differences between the positions that are grouped together in these new terms. There are specific roles, and physical attributes that make a player better suited to play say, the Mack LB rather than the Buck LB, in a 3-4 defense. The same can be said for the Sam, Mike, and Will LB’s in a 4-3. All of those LB’s however, perform the same primary function, and are aligned similarly. Although there are similarly nuanced differences among the Edge and DI groups, the terms function well to better describe the primary roles of these groups.
I hope it is now clear as to why terms like DI, Edge, and LB are better suited to describe the positions of defensive players today. Still, not everyone has adopted them. CBS Sports.com draft prospect rankings has both Harold Landry and Leighton Vander Esch listed as OLB. NFL.com’s draft prospect rankings show a slight improvement. They have a position heading of “DL,” under which both Vita Vea and Harold Landry are listed. Vea then has the position of “DT” listed alongside, while Landry has “Edge” alongside. Why would Landry and Vander Esch be grouped together? Or Landry and Vea? Ugh!!
Please. Please. Use the new terms. Let us forever eradicate our “failure to communicate.”
Good article if ya ask me. I know it cleared up some of my questions and delineated some positional grey areas. I don't know if PFF was a catalyst for this lesson but football is always changing and it good to see the little nuances more clearly.
How football evolution, and terminology, are changing the way we talk about Defense
https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.c...ng-the-way-we-talk-about-defense-steelers-nfl
Language. It’s the basis of all communication. In order for that communication to be effective, not only must two people be speaking the same language, but the meaning of the vocabulary used must be the same.
How do we go about fixing this “failure to communicate?” Well, it stems from the lack of shared understanding of terms. That lack of understanding is rooted in teams using the same terms (Outside Linebacker, Defensive End) to describe different positions. The discussion of a “4-3” defense vs. a “3-4” defense is outdated and moot. I hope that point will be clear by the end of this article. Since, however, that is where the miscommunication emanates, that is where we must begin.
It should be clear by now that we can not have any meaningful discussion using terms such as OLB, ILB, and DE. Depending on whether you are referring to a 3-4 base defense or a 4-3 base defense, these terms will have a different meaning. What we need are “new” terms that carry the same meaning, regardless of what type of defense the player(s) is in.
Thankfully, those new terms already exist. We don’t have to invent them. We just need to understand their meaning. Pro Football Focus is among the websites that use them. They have slowly been working their way towards more common use. The new terms are:
Edge Defender/Rusher, or simply Edge: the edge defender group includes 4-3 DE’s and 3-4 OLB’s. These players are typically aligned outside the offensive tackle and/or TE. Their primary roles are to set the edge vs the run, and pass rush from around the edge. Hence, the name. They may drop into pass coverage. This is typically limited to the flat areas on one side of the field.
Interior Defensive Lineman, or Defensive Interior (DI): the interior defensive line group includes 4-3 DT’s and 3-4 NT’s and DE’s. These players are typically aligned anywhere on the LOS between the offensive tackle and center. They defend the run and rush the passer from the interior of the O-line.
Linebacker, meaning any LB playing off-the-ball: the LB group (“off-the-ball” is implied when using the term LB, and is dropped from the name for convenience) includes all 4-3 LB’s and 3-4 ILB’s. These players read and react to run keys, filling holes vs the run. They flow laterally in run pursuit. They also drop into pass coverage; some zone, but also man coverage. They have to be comfortable “playing in space.”
I won’t dispute that there are some differences between the positions that are grouped together in these new terms. There are specific roles, and physical attributes that make a player better suited to play say, the Mack LB rather than the Buck LB, in a 3-4 defense. The same can be said for the Sam, Mike, and Will LB’s in a 4-3. All of those LB’s however, perform the same primary function, and are aligned similarly. Although there are similarly nuanced differences among the Edge and DI groups, the terms function well to better describe the primary roles of these groups.
I hope it is now clear as to why terms like DI, Edge, and LB are better suited to describe the positions of defensive players today. Still, not everyone has adopted them. CBS Sports.com draft prospect rankings has both Harold Landry and Leighton Vander Esch listed as OLB. NFL.com’s draft prospect rankings show a slight improvement. They have a position heading of “DL,” under which both Vita Vea and Harold Landry are listed. Vea then has the position of “DT” listed alongside, while Landry has “Edge” alongside. Why would Landry and Vander Esch be grouped together? Or Landry and Vea? Ugh!!
Please. Please. Use the new terms. Let us forever eradicate our “failure to communicate.”
Good article if ya ask me. I know it cleared up some of my questions and delineated some positional grey areas. I don't know if PFF was a catalyst for this lesson but football is always changing and it good to see the little nuances more clearly.
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