- Joined
- Aug 11, 2010
- Messages
- 9,622
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ared-defensive-beasts/?utm_term=.3d0e1d545cf2
By Mark Bullock June 2 at 9:43 AM
Aaron Donald will be in Wade Phillips’s 3-4 scheme this season. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images)
When the Rams hired Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, many wondered exactly how the team’s best defensive player, Aaron Donald, would fit into Phillips’s 3-4 scheme. Since entering the NFL, Donald has been one of the best defensive tackles in the league, playing as a three-technique in the Rams 4-3 scheme. Some Rams fans were concerned that switching to a 3-4 might force Donald to line up in different spots and take away from his effectiveness.
But that concern is based in a stereotype of the 3-4 defense. Certainly, there are 3-4 schemes which would take away from what Donald does best. A two-gap 3-4 defense wouldn’t be a good fit for Donald, who is all about bursting quickly off the line of scrimmage and making plays in the backfield, not reading blockers and defending two gaps. But Phillips runs a one-gap 3-4, which makes it not all that different to the 4-3 system Donald is used too.
Here against the Cardinals, Donald lines up in his typical three-technique spot, over the outside shoulder of the right guard. While the Rams were a 4-3 team last season, this particular play shows a lot of similarities with a 3-4 defense. Next to Donald is a zero-technique nose tackle lined up directly over the center, with a five-technique defensive end lined up over the left tackle. Linebacker Mark Barron lines up outside the five-technique, just like a 3-4 outside linebacker would.
For comparison, here is an example of one of Phillips’s fronts with the Broncos last season.
Phillips’s 3-4 scheme has some similarities to the Rams’ 4-3 front above. Phillips has a three-technique defensive tackle, a zero-technique nose tackle that is slightly shaded to the strong side of the offensive line, and a five-technique defensive end lined up head up over the right tackle.
Despite being a 3-4 instead of a 4-3, both schemes play with a three-technique, a zero-technique and a five-technique along the defensive line. That means Phillips will be able to keep Donald at his preferred three-technique spot on first and second down to stop the run. The main different Donald will notice is switching sides. Last year, the Rams lined up their three-technique defensive tackle to the strong side of the offensive line (the side of the tight end). But Phillips prefers to have his three-technique on the weak side (away from the tight end’s side).
Using the three-technique on the weak side of the offensive line is something Phillips does consistently. He did it with the Broncos and as we can see here, he did it with the Texans back in 2013 too.
The Rams played Donald on the strong side because he was quick enough to penetrate and disrupt zone blocking schemes that were run at him, as we can see here.
Donald lines up as a three-technique, on the outside shoulder of the right guard. He gets a terrific burst off the snap, staying low and getting into the chest of the right guard, driving him back into the running back before peeling off to make the tackle for a loss.
However, there were times when he was double-teamed by power running schemes that managed to negate his quickness. Power teams prefer to run to the strong side. With Donald on that strong side, he would get double-teamed by down blockers and washed out of the play.
Here, the Patriots run a power run right at Donald. He gets double-teamed by the left guard and left tackle, forcing him inside while the right guard pulls and leads the way for the running back.
In that sense, switching to the weak side could be a beneficial move for Donald. By switching him to the weak side, Phillips can make the most of Donald’s first step quickness. Against zone teams, he’ll be too quick for backside blockers to reach and cut him off, as seen against the Panthers here.
The Panthers run the ball to their right here, with Donald lined up between the left tackle and left guard. The tackle has to try and reach Donald to cut him off, but Donald is just too quick, getting to the running back in the back field as he attempts to cut back.
Zone teams also like to run the ball to their weak side. But as we’ve seen, Donald is perfectly capable of disrupting zone plays run at him.
Lining him up on the weak side against power would make him a nightmare for the offensive line to deal with.
Pulling the weakside guard means the center would then have to work across two gaps to reach Donald and cut him off. Asking the center to cut off a three-technique on a power run is tough against any defensive tackle, but against someone as quick as Donald, it’d be virtually impossible because he’s just too quick.
On third downs and other obvious passing situations, Donald should be able to continue doing what he does best. He could easily just stick to playing the three-technique, matching up against guards. Phillips likes to send enough rushers to ensure he has one-on-one matchups across the board, with no offensive linemen free to help out others.
This philosophy would practically guarantee Donald faced a one-on-one with the guard of his choice, where he could continue to produce plays like this.
Alternatively, Phillips may try and convince Donald to move around and make the most of his athletic ability. With the Texans, Phillips had defensive lineman J.J. Watt line up all over the defensive line in obvious passing situations.
Here, Watt lines up as a seven-technique defensive end, outside the right tackle.
A few plays later, Watt switches to the other side, lining up outside the left tackle.
On the next series, Watt kicks inside to a more conventional three-technique, over the outside shoulder of the right guard.
Watt and Donald are different players, but Donald has the athleticism, quickness and strength to challenge any offensive lineman. If he’s open to the idea of moving around, Phillips has shown he is able to create schemes to make the most of a special talent like Donald in the past. But as previously noted, Donald would be just as effective lining up as a three-technique for the vast majority of the snaps, which is where I think Phillips will use him with the Rams.
Rams fans shouldn’t be worried about a marriage between Donald and Phillips’s 3-4 scheme. Phillips has always been excellent at matching his scheme to his talent and quite frankly, he won’t have to make many adjustments to fit in Donald. The Rams and Donald are likely to come to an agreement on a new contract soon that will make him one of the top paid defensive linemen in the NFL and under Wade Phillips, he’ll almost certainly be worth every penny.
By Mark Bullock June 2 at 9:43 AM
Aaron Donald will be in Wade Phillips’s 3-4 scheme this season. (Jeff Haynes/AP Images)
When the Rams hired Wade Phillips to be their defensive coordinator, many wondered exactly how the team’s best defensive player, Aaron Donald, would fit into Phillips’s 3-4 scheme. Since entering the NFL, Donald has been one of the best defensive tackles in the league, playing as a three-technique in the Rams 4-3 scheme. Some Rams fans were concerned that switching to a 3-4 might force Donald to line up in different spots and take away from his effectiveness.
But that concern is based in a stereotype of the 3-4 defense. Certainly, there are 3-4 schemes which would take away from what Donald does best. A two-gap 3-4 defense wouldn’t be a good fit for Donald, who is all about bursting quickly off the line of scrimmage and making plays in the backfield, not reading blockers and defending two gaps. But Phillips runs a one-gap 3-4, which makes it not all that different to the 4-3 system Donald is used too.
Here against the Cardinals, Donald lines up in his typical three-technique spot, over the outside shoulder of the right guard. While the Rams were a 4-3 team last season, this particular play shows a lot of similarities with a 3-4 defense. Next to Donald is a zero-technique nose tackle lined up directly over the center, with a five-technique defensive end lined up over the left tackle. Linebacker Mark Barron lines up outside the five-technique, just like a 3-4 outside linebacker would.
For comparison, here is an example of one of Phillips’s fronts with the Broncos last season.
Phillips’s 3-4 scheme has some similarities to the Rams’ 4-3 front above. Phillips has a three-technique defensive tackle, a zero-technique nose tackle that is slightly shaded to the strong side of the offensive line, and a five-technique defensive end lined up head up over the right tackle.
Despite being a 3-4 instead of a 4-3, both schemes play with a three-technique, a zero-technique and a five-technique along the defensive line. That means Phillips will be able to keep Donald at his preferred three-technique spot on first and second down to stop the run. The main different Donald will notice is switching sides. Last year, the Rams lined up their three-technique defensive tackle to the strong side of the offensive line (the side of the tight end). But Phillips prefers to have his three-technique on the weak side (away from the tight end’s side).
Using the three-technique on the weak side of the offensive line is something Phillips does consistently. He did it with the Broncos and as we can see here, he did it with the Texans back in 2013 too.
The Rams played Donald on the strong side because he was quick enough to penetrate and disrupt zone blocking schemes that were run at him, as we can see here.
Donald lines up as a three-technique, on the outside shoulder of the right guard. He gets a terrific burst off the snap, staying low and getting into the chest of the right guard, driving him back into the running back before peeling off to make the tackle for a loss.
However, there were times when he was double-teamed by power running schemes that managed to negate his quickness. Power teams prefer to run to the strong side. With Donald on that strong side, he would get double-teamed by down blockers and washed out of the play.
Here, the Patriots run a power run right at Donald. He gets double-teamed by the left guard and left tackle, forcing him inside while the right guard pulls and leads the way for the running back.
In that sense, switching to the weak side could be a beneficial move for Donald. By switching him to the weak side, Phillips can make the most of Donald’s first step quickness. Against zone teams, he’ll be too quick for backside blockers to reach and cut him off, as seen against the Panthers here.
The Panthers run the ball to their right here, with Donald lined up between the left tackle and left guard. The tackle has to try and reach Donald to cut him off, but Donald is just too quick, getting to the running back in the back field as he attempts to cut back.
Zone teams also like to run the ball to their weak side. But as we’ve seen, Donald is perfectly capable of disrupting zone plays run at him.
Lining him up on the weak side against power would make him a nightmare for the offensive line to deal with.
Pulling the weakside guard means the center would then have to work across two gaps to reach Donald and cut him off. Asking the center to cut off a three-technique on a power run is tough against any defensive tackle, but against someone as quick as Donald, it’d be virtually impossible because he’s just too quick.
On third downs and other obvious passing situations, Donald should be able to continue doing what he does best. He could easily just stick to playing the three-technique, matching up against guards. Phillips likes to send enough rushers to ensure he has one-on-one matchups across the board, with no offensive linemen free to help out others.
This philosophy would practically guarantee Donald faced a one-on-one with the guard of his choice, where he could continue to produce plays like this.
Alternatively, Phillips may try and convince Donald to move around and make the most of his athletic ability. With the Texans, Phillips had defensive lineman J.J. Watt line up all over the defensive line in obvious passing situations.
Here, Watt lines up as a seven-technique defensive end, outside the right tackle.
A few plays later, Watt switches to the other side, lining up outside the left tackle.
On the next series, Watt kicks inside to a more conventional three-technique, over the outside shoulder of the right guard.
Watt and Donald are different players, but Donald has the athleticism, quickness and strength to challenge any offensive lineman. If he’s open to the idea of moving around, Phillips has shown he is able to create schemes to make the most of a special talent like Donald in the past. But as previously noted, Donald would be just as effective lining up as a three-technique for the vast majority of the snaps, which is where I think Phillips will use him with the Rams.
Rams fans shouldn’t be worried about a marriage between Donald and Phillips’s 3-4 scheme. Phillips has always been excellent at matching his scheme to his talent and quite frankly, he won’t have to make many adjustments to fit in Donald. The Rams and Donald are likely to come to an agreement on a new contract soon that will make him one of the top paid defensive linemen in the NFL and under Wade Phillips, he’ll almost certainly be worth every penny.
Last edited:
