Morris plays a 2 gap NT with everyone else playing a gap and a half read / react style.
People need to understand what Morris is doing and the effect it has and understand it's all by design.
Morris does not play 2-gap for the NT and Gap-½ for everyone else. He plays it the same as Fango/Staley and the other
disciples.
Where the NT aligns is based on the call. Rams basically have two 5-man surfaces, a 3-4 base (both OLBers on LOS) and Penny which is a 5-1 (33 Nickel with 5 man surface). Depending on the package the NT can play 1-gap, Gap-½
In the Penny in the NT is a 0-tech and the other 2 DL (call them DEs, DTs, DIs--whatever) along in a 4i ( or with Donald could be a 3-tech).
Where they go is based on the call. In Penny the Nose’s primary responsibility is the A gap to the call (Rip or Liz)--and squeeze opposite A-gap (squeezing the gap next to you is the ½ part of Gap-½. So Rip call NT takes right A-Gap, Liz, left-A-gap. NT is not reading flow and going playside gap as in 2-gap.
In base defense, again depends on the call. The base, the 5-2 or 3-4 whatever you prefer... there are different calls. If it is a TITE call then it's same mechanics as the Penny.
It it is a TUFF call the NT has the A-gap on the opposite, the backside.
1-gap is
attack, 2-gap is
react and attack, 1-½ is
attack then react. You have to know the technique of 2-gap to recognize it, and 1-½ as well. 1-gap is pretty easy.
it gets sticky in gap-½ when call is RIP and the flow of the play is left. The NT went right---so, he's in wrong gap. He Still has to control playside A-gap...
So, how do they do it? They are pros, they are reading blocks and good ones can attack and react fast to the flow (or if it is a pass, they have to rush if it is a pass). Ideally, the call is right and based on down and distance, formation, personnel package (12 or 21), tendencies, and also has to be tied to the coverage and blitzes. You cannot use a call in the front that does not match the rotation of the 2-high safeties and does not match where you want to blitz from.
Another thing to consider is in Fangio's system the NT in 0-tech can have a two-way go based on his choice...and that is when reading blocks is important. He's not reading flow in that case, but reading the block (IZ, OZ, duo?) and taking the right gap.
Now---the NT does NOT only align in 0-tech. He can shade one side or another and does so often--can be a 2i, a 1-tech.
As for Gaines, he was used the same way under Morris as he was with Staley. Same with SJD and now Brown and Turner. The scheme didn't change ... (everyone puts their own tweaks in) but the fronts and coverages are the basically the same. Of course nothing is exactly the same.
In Fangio system---Sam and Will are the outside linebackers ... and Sam is strong, Will is weak (of course, people know that) but it is based on the side of two receivers. Not the TE. You could have a 2x2 with TE one side but the RB then determines strength.
The ILBers - Mike and Jack (E. Jones and Rozenbloom) oddly ARE mostly aligned to and away from TE, with some exceptions. So Mike is to the TE and Jack is away from TE.
In Penny there is only a MIKE. In sub defenses there can be a 4-2-5 and one of the "2" is a safety playing dime linebacker. That's the money backer.
There is so much more that is off on the original post... but I just took the NT part. The paragraph about Ebukam, Hamption and Young really makes no sense.
I attached a Penny front 4i-0-4i I think Donald is cheating it to a 3-tech
with a line call, and a blitz. It's a 0-tech playing 1-gap.
also still of Gaines in 0-tech
but there is so much here---hard to do at once.