What was the setup of Gunther's Falcon Defense

[ChiefsCountry]

Was the baseset 3-4 or 4-3, I say it was 3-4.

Wasn't this the depth chart?
DE Vaughn Booker
DT Joe Phillips
DE Dan Williams
FL DerricK Thomas
LB Wayne Simmons
LB Donnie Edwards
LB Anthony Davis
CB James Hasty
CB Dale Carter
SS Reggie Tongue
FS Jerome Woods

[tyton75]

I'm pretty sure it was a Base 3-4 defense but DT would line up at Rush End a lot of the time on passing downs..

[Deberg_1990]

So was DT more of a DE or an outside linebacker??

[Rain Man]

I didn't remember Dan Williams being there in that situation, but I don't know who was.

[ChiefsCountry]

I think alittle more of a DE. If I recall wasn't DT hurt that year as well.

[tyton75]

Thats why they called it "Falcon".. because he wasn't really a DE or an OLB.. "Tweener" would be a good name now

BTW.. I've wondered what it would look like to run that defense with Stills as Falcon.. I mean.. he looked damn good in the Pro Bowl at End, but he's a little light in the @ss to play End all game..

[tk13]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/970929/nfl0929/b.html

In March the Chiefs signed Thomas to a seven-year, $27.5 million contract and restructured their defense to give him the freedom to line up wherever he found a mismatch. The position is called the Falcon, and Thomas set his sights on Mark Gastineau's NFL single-season sack record of 22.

[tk13]

http://examiner.net/stories/080798/spo_chiefs.shtml

Thomas free to roam
New additions to give `Falcon` room to fly

By The Associated Press


RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- As if he didn`t wreak enough havoc on opposing offenses, Derrick Thomas should feel less pressure this year.

With the Chiefs` new defensive additions, he should feel free to roam the field.

With the offseason acquisition of four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chester McGlockton and six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Leslie O`Neal, Thomas will find himself with more freedom from his rushing linebacker position, known as the Falcon, this season.

Going into his 10th season, Thomas has 107.5 sacks and 39 forced fumbles. He`s always been a marked man for opposing offenses, but with the new additions to the defense, opponents can no longer focus only on him.

``Defensively, we`ve put together an all-star team,`` Thomas said. ``It`s going to be interesting, but it`s going to be difficult because when you put that much talent together, you have to not become complacent.``

Thomas, 31, who has made a trip to the Pro Bowl in each of his nine years in the league, appears to be surrounded by the best supporting cast of defenders since the Chiefs made him their first-round selection in the 1989 NFL draft.

And it didn`t take long for Thomas and friends to make an impression in the Chiefs exhibition opener.

On the second play from scrimmage in last Saturday`s 27-24 overtime exhibition loss to Green Bay in Tokyo, Thomas forced Packers quarterback Brett Favre to fumble. McGlockton recovered, and minutes later the Chiefs took a 7-0 lead.

Before McGlockton, a former Raider defensive tackle, was signed away from Oakland this spring, Thomas said the two All-Pros would

dream about playing on the same side of the football.

O`Neal, whom the Chiefs have played inside at tackle as well as at end throughout training camp, has also made an impression on Thomas. While McGlockton`s quickness draws much of the attention, O`Neal, a 13-year veteran, works with teaching and motivating younger players.

Thomas, who was injured last year in training camp, said the Chiefs are ready to begin their defense of last year`s AFC West title.

``The important thing is to start fast,`` Thomas said. ``To start where we left off and not have a slump. Which only gives our defense confidence and works on our chemistry."

[shaneo69]

Was the baseset 3-4 or 4-3, I say it was 3-4.

Wasn't this the depth chart?
DE Vaughn Booker
DT Joe Phillips
DE Dan Williams
FL DerricK Thomas
LB Wayne Simmons
LB Donnie Edwards
LB Anthony Davis
CB James Hasty
CB Dale Carter
SS Reggie Tongue
FS Jerome Woods

That was the lineup in '97, although Browning rotated at DE with Booker and Williams, and Barndt played as much NT as Phillips.

In '98 though, we signed Chester to be a 4-3 DT, and I think Browning missed the year with injury, while D. Williams was holding out, so Derrick returned to full-time DE. I think he was best as a 3-4 OLB like he was in 1990 when he had 20 sacks.

[htismaqe]

Williams lined up inside Thomas, even though he was listed as a DE. Thomas lined up in a 3-point stance like a DE and did nothing but rush the QB. This use of a LB make it look like a 3-4, but in reality it's not, because of what's going on BEHIND the linemen.

Thomas was, in effect, a defensive end, not a linebacker. Wayne Simmons lined up at SSLB, over the TE, even though Thomas also often lined up on the strong side of the defense.

That's why, when Thomas was injured, we used Pellom McDaniel, a true DE at Falcon, instead of someone like Simmons.

[htismaqe]

OK, that made no sense.

My post on the other thread was much more succint and easy to understand.

The reason it looks like a 3-4 is because DT was lining up outside and rushing the passer with 3 other down linemen.

The reason it was a 4-3 is because Wayne Simmons was lining up as a 4-3 SSLB.

[JohnnyV13]

Well...

i think it was more a 4-3 b/c you never saw DT in pass coverage. His job was to crash the backfield and blow up plays behind the line of scrimmage whether it was a run or pass.

[the Talking Can]

Was the baseset 3-4 or 4-3, I say it was 3-4.

Wasn't this the depth chart?
DE Vaughn Booker
DT Joe Phillips
DE Dan Williams
FL DerricK Thomas
LB Wayne Simmons
LB Donnie Edwards
LB Anthony Davis
CB James Hasty
CB Dale Carter
SS Reggie Tongue
FS Jerome Woods

There's not one player on our defense that would start on that roster, not even Woods.

[philfree]

So was DT more of a DE or an outside linebacker??

He was the first rushbacker.

PhilFree :arrow: