1 Gap 3-4 Teams and 2 Gap 3-4 Teams
 

A little football 101, with your assistance.

One of the reasons Aubrayo Franklin is not worth the contract for Kansas City is because San Francisco plays a different scheme than we do along the defensive line.

There are really two major schemes for the defensive line for the 3-4.

A one-gap 3-4 exhibits a more penetrating role for the DL. Both DEs and even the Nose Tackle are penetrating and aggressive. Typically you are going to ask your DL to be an iota or two smaller than we'd be accustomed to them being in a two-gap, and definitively more athletic.

A two-gap 3-4 is less about creating havoc yourself, and more about freeing up your teammates. The defensive line is more focused on forcing the offensive line to commit as much resources to holding you up as possible. You are literally there to occupy blockers and force double-teams. Your players here need to be very strong run defenders, don't have to be as athletic, but need to rush the passer in a pinch.

These are just generalizations of course. But they are two different schemes and often times, teams with one type of scheme will not even touch or look at players in another type of scheme, because they ask such different things that don't often translate. See: Franklin.

I was hoping you guys could help me sort out the 3-4 teams, which scheme they run.

These are the 3-4 defenses:

Patriots (hybrid)
Jets
Dolphins (hybrid)
Steelers
Ravens
Texans
Colts
Chiefs
Chargers
Redskins
Packers
Saints
49ers
Cardinals

The following teams primarily play two-gap.

Patriots (when they play 3-4)
Jets
Dolphins (when they play 3-4)
Ravens
Colts

The following teams primarily play one-gap.

Packers
49ers
Cardinals
Chargers
Texans
Steelers
Chiefs
Saints

I don't know about the following teams:

Redskins

Anybody know what the Redskins play?

Actually, the Browns are going 4-3 this year. (Way to draft Phil Taylor, guys...) So I'll take them off the list.

I think you have the one-gap and two-gap teams confuzzled in the OP

Yup. Fixed.

Yeah, but Franklin fits the description of a two gap player to a tee.

(now that the OP was changed)

The Dolphins are a one gap team.

Thanks.

Uhhh... so I don't think I got them mixed up in the OP at all.

One-gap: penetration.

Two-gap: occupying blockers.

For people curious, this is a good vid...

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p1DHEcVtVdA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What do the Chargers play? We can throw the Texans in with them of course.

I think the Bills are one-gap, based on Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus...

Yes, this is correct.

San Diego runs a 1 gap BTW...Or they did when Rivera was there...

I always get it confused.

Bum Phillips D is 1 gap.

The Bill Bellichick D is a 2 gap.

Dolphins are a 2 gap.

You know, now that I think about it, I wonder if the Chargers have any interest at all in Franklin considering Manusky coached with him for a few years. If not, that probably tells us what we need to know about his attitude and work ethic.

Chiefs, 2 gap.

Texans will be a 1 gap of course.

Dallas was always a 1 gap, which is why a NT like Jay Ratliff has always been such a great penetrating lineman.

I like my women with two gaps. It allows for more penetration.

I'll give my quick input on it...

Basically a 1 gap 3-4 relies on the d-line to target one hole along the offensive and "shoot the gap". A NT in a 3-4 RARELY lines up straight across from the Center. Usually the NT will line up just off set of the center, putting himself in position to penetrate the 1 hole along the offensive line.

The 2 gap 3-4 teams like Kansas City, need the defensive line to tie up blockers, typically you want the Nose to take up 2 blockers, 1 always being the center obviously, and the "5 technique" defensive end like Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey are asked to tie up the tackles on both sides. This allows for the outside linebackers, and at times the inside linebackers to shoot an open gap, and get free to the backfield and disrupt the QB or HB.

And the term 2-gap represents how many gaps each lineman has to control. Once a play begins the d-line goes head up on an offensive lineman, and they now have the read the play, and control each gap on both sides of them. If a play goes outside, the Nose wants to shed his blocker and fill his gap before the runningback can hit an open hole and reach the 2nd level of the defense.

Hope that helps some people.

The Jets/Ravens often seem to shoot the gap in pass situations.

Bump. Thought people could use the primer.

which is why we need an upgrade over Belcher ... the MLB needs to be raping people in a 2-gap 3-4 defense.

:facepalm:

http://uranus.ckt.net/~gochiefs/belcherchi.gif

http://uranus.ckt.net/~gochiefs/belcherchi2.gif

http://uranus.ckt.net/~gochiefs/belcherchi3.gif

what the **** ever ... if i wasn't so lazy i could show 5 times the number of plays where Belcher didn't penetrate and got caught up in the wash. In fact, against Baltimore it happened several times.

maybe Belcher will learn and develop like DJ did ... but not so far.

Dolphins are also going 4-3

You are a ****ing idiot.

I bet you are one of those stupid mother****ers that was crying for Brandon Carr to be replaced for 3 years, and now are crying that he was lost to free agency.

Wrong, he had a very positive grade in run defense.

Does his job well.

should we just change your name to Profootballfocus Goat and get it over with?

Here's a clue, moron: I was touting Belcher at the beginning of 2010, long before I had a subscription to PFF.

He's always been an above average thumper.

PFF only confirms my keen football insight.

and i don't give a shit

i've seen it myself ... don't need a website to watch for me.

perfect example in that very Baltimore game

Baltimore sweep left
means DJ is lead LB on the play ... he shoots the first gap and blows up lead blocker, stalling the play and allowing other guys to make tackle.

later

Baltimore with sweep right
Houston couldn't contain so Belcher is lead LB
Belcher doesn't shoot gap and just slides down the LOS
finally DJ has to come from the far side and attack the sweep but it takes longer so the tackle ends up happening 10 yrds down field

Baltimore with draw play
Belcher again just waits
Belcher makes tackle but RB runs him over and the tackle is more of a 'catch'
several yards down the field.


maybe his 'grade' in run defense is like a shortstop in baseball who never extends his range so he never makes an error. I dunno but Belcher needs to be much,much more aggressive and attack the lead blocker in the hole instead of pulling a Donnie Edwards and making tackles 5 yards down field.

Am I still right about the Dolphins?

Does anybody have a read on what the Redskins are doing?

This thread was bumped due to confusion in the Poe thread about 3-4 defenses that different players play in.

Hopefully this will set folks straight for yet another offseason.

I disagree with the OP.

The only base defense we have is the 3-4.

HOW we play that changes as the game goes on/players get tired/players get injured.

We ran a lot of 4-3 some games once we started to get tore up on the ground and our down 3 change on 3rd down as well.

Romeo moves people around on defense as much as Saunders did on offense...

All teams have sub-packages...

Part of the problem is mentality that if you get blocked by one person and it is a draw that you won somehow on defender, if you take up 2 blocks hurray, but 1 blocker...noooo

The Steelers run a 1 gap system, not a 2 gap system.

http://steelerstoday.com/?p=3210

Straight from the horse's mouth.

Excellent work. OP will be changed in short time.

DJ and Belchers jobs are completely different.

Notice how Belcher is cheating to one side or the other presnap? That's because he watches enough film and is coached well enough to identify keys presnap that allow him to cheat to either side to gain a step in his responsibility...which is to identify the lead blocker and blow him up allowing DJ to make the tackle.

The fact that's his job and DJ was our leading tackler and Belcher was our second is a testament to how well the two work together.

What's interesting about 2-gap is that the trend is shifting to having a nose that can play somewhat across the line. Wilfork doesn't okay 20 to 25 snaps as many nose tackles do. He is now playing almost all the defensive snaps. It adds a lot of flexibility to have a nose that can rotate into a 5-technique without taking the guy off the field. The 5-technique is still 2-gap. But you see where I'm coming from.

Hence, why they went after Poe. As I've said before,I imagine the chiefs top priority is to get him to learn one position, nose tackle, wel. But in a few months, I bet he plays across the line.

The bold part is a bit off - collapse the pocket, sometimes, but never really pass rushers. A 1 gap system relies more on the 3-4 DL applying pass rushing pressure than a 2 gap system. You'll notice sometimes that a 2 gap 3-4 will also put a DL on watch for a draw ( Dorsey often has this role for the Chiefs, hanging out by the line vs working upfield ). All depends on the system, game plan, and play call.

Bills play 4-3 but you can line a 4-3 exactly like a 3-4 and play same concept. Donkeys do that with Von Miller with a 4-3 under alignment which frees up Miller to rush the passer and puts him on the line next to a DE. Marty ran DT like that back in the hey day.

I saw that video "1 Poe, 2 Gaps".

nasty

This whole post seems pretty wrong. I could be wrong, but since the Bills were just making the switch to the 3-4 under Gaily, I doubt they are already switching back. The Broncos use a 4-3, but yes they might use Miller more like Thomas.

He's right, the Bills are switching back to the 4-3.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...o-4-3-defense/

Sucks for the Bills. You need to make a choice and stick with it. Don't be like the Raiders and make a change every year or two continuously setting your team back.

And I had no idea Wannstedt was a Bill now.

Actually no. Their personnel is more fitted for a 4-3.

So you're saying in their attempt to switch to the 3-4, they literally didn't sign or draft a single player to make the switch? Interesting.

The 3-4 isn't a Defense, it's a defensive front alignment, and part of a personnel package. At times Von Miller is the 5th, 4th or even (rarely) 3rd guy on the LOS. He's a Linebacker and he gets lined up wherever the play dictates, then sometimes moves in/out or laterally. Of course that was last year. Our old DC is now the HC for the Raiders.

merriman

^^^This

A gap by any other name....

http://files.myopera.com/bcdc/albums...meth_mouth.jpg

Why the f would they get Mario Williams and mark Anderson and not run a 4-3.

Mario looked damn good as a 3-4 olb before hurting himself.

Good post. Also, Belcher is a "strongside" backer whereas DJ is a "weakside" backer. When the TE motions to the other side, watch DJ & Belcher flip with the offense. The TE is an extra blocker Belcher must handle in the run game as compared to DJ's assignments.

I've moved the Chiefs from 1-gap to 2-gap, and removed the Cowboys since they're going to a 4-3.

The Saints are going to a 3-4, right? You gotta assume that's a 1-gap scheme?

You mean 2-gap to 1-gap.

Wait what? Did you get that backwards?

Yes

why do you think the chiefs are switching to a 1-gap

kcchiefs.com/news/article-2/QA-with-Defensive-Coordinator-Bob-Sutton/b96e3304-0857-4b4e-b4ac-33b5e7a4d8e4

sutton said:
profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/04/11/fantasy-defensive-personnel-packages-%E2%80%93-part-1/

Although the chiefs base defense was the 2-gap 3-4, they use alot of other looks. For the 2011 season the chiefs used the 3-4 55% of the time and were in a dime (2-3-6) 32% of the time. The jets were only in the 3-4 37% of the time, and than were in a 3-3-5 and a 1-3-7 over 15% of the time. Essentially they were in their nickel and dime defenses 50% of the time.

The big reason that Poe was brought in was because the chiefs were getting gashed against the run in the dime defense. You need two big bodies for that.

Rex Ryan, Rob Ryan all use the multiple fronts of buddy ryan's 4-6. The defensive line 2-gaps.

So why do you think that Sutton will 1-gap?

Because only reeruns play 2-gap 3-4 these days.

So we are gonna change to a 1 gap?

Ya buddy.

^