Where did the defense go?

[CoachGugs]

Mike, since you and I both qualify as senior citizens, I'm sure you remember the offensive explosions that the option teams had during the the late 1960's. Eventually, as you mentioned, the defenses caught up with them to a point. The Triple option has certainly stood the test of time. I see today's Zone Read Option as an extension of the Outside Veer that I made a living off of for 15 years.

Football is cyclical. The next "great offense" has a run of a couple of years, and then some smart defensive coordinator comes up with a scheme that works for him, and everybody imitates it.

Currently, it seems that teams are placing all of their best athletes on offense, and the accuracy of many contemporary QBs is astonishing. Maybe because nobody can rush them due to legalized holding as currently permitted. Sooner or later, the rules will be revised to level the field. (I hope, as some of these displays of offense is not good, overall, for the game).

Like the option offenses, these Spread teams are totally capable of beating themselves, and since many aspects of the games trickle down, it's always interesting to see teams that lack the overall talent needed to be successful running these schemes.

Additionally, most High Schools and youth programs cannot devote the amount of time needed to perfect this type of game, due to practice and limited number of players available. For example, we have 2 1/2 hours of practice daily, and almost all of our kids are two way players. Compare that to the colleges with 100+ kids and 20 hours of practice time. Try explaining that to parents!

I am not as you say a “senior citizen” but I do know the history of football and it powers on Off and Def bounce back in forth throughout the ages… but this is the first time that the Defenses have been truly handicapped by rules and neglect.  Offensive Lineman have to practically tackle a defensive player to have holding called on him and a defensive player has to wait for a WR to catch the ball, land, and make a “football move” before you can level the guy.

I know it is a safety thing… I get that!  These guys are moving fast as they get bigger.  Watching the Under Armor High School All-Star Game last night the White team had a kid playing safety that was 6’ 210lbs.  Are you kidding!  In my day that was Offensive and Defensive Line… Guaranteed!!

Maybe the real issue isn’t the rules or the players… how about the advancement of equipment not keeping up with the times.  Most of the time it only catches up when it has too… well… time to catch up before football is ruined for me!

[dalasbob]

It's the evolution of the athlete. Look at RG3. About 10 years ago he would be a WR not a QB, unless he went to a full on triple option team. The man has world class speed and is a QB!!! As players get bigger, faster, stronger, they are put into different positions. Most of these spread QB's would be WB's, or WR's, not QB's. Plus that's what these bowl games want offense. Barely anybody watches them, so they need a hook. The rules give the offense an advantage so they are going to run with it. If you want defense watch the BCS title game. Of course most people hated the first game and have not been to kind to the rematch, but we'll see.

[jem]

It's the evolution of the athlete. Look at RG3. About 10 years ago he would be a WR not a QB, unless he went to a full on triple option team. The man has world class speed and is a QB!!! As players get bigger, faster, stronger, they are put into different positions. Most of these spread QB's would be WB's, or WR's, not QB's. Plus that's what these bowl games want offense. Barely anybody watches them, so they need a hook. The rules give the offense an advantage so they are going to run with it. If you want defense watch the BCS title game. Of course most people hated the first game and have not been to kind to the rematch, but we'll see.

Since you mention players playing at different positions.

Below is My favorite QB 

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/05/18/former-giants-qb-jared-lorenzen-still-wingin-it-living-large/

An inspiration for every OLineman who was made an OLinemen by a coach due to "casting call" evaluations.

{UPDATE} On defense-- an interesting article I read the other day (which confirmed my thoughts) was that the south is the biggest producer of Really Large & Fast Defensive Linemen and those players mostly stayed in the south.  Outside the south lots of great QBs are produced and the south didn't produce that many great QBs.  That will make a big difference in the offensive and defensive performance around the county.

j   

[mahonz]

Since you mention players playing at different positions.

Below is My favorite QB 

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/05/18/former-giants-qb-jared-lorenzen-still-wingin-it-living-large/

An inspiration for every OLineman who was made an OLinemen by a coach due to "casting call" evaluations.

j

J

Ah yes...The Pillsbury Throwboy. 

[jem]

J

Ah yes...The Pillsbury Throwboy. 

 

It was fun as hell watching him when he was at Kentucky.  I actually looked for KY football games on TV (which nobody does... even KY fans) just to watch him.  I was hoping he would start a revolution in QB types and some big boys would get a chance.

j

[CoachGugs]

It was fun as hell watching him when he was at Kentucky.  I actually looked for KY football games on TV (which nobody does... even KY fans) just to watch him.  I was hoping he would start a revolution in QB types and some big boys would get a chance.

j

Being Giants fan and an olineman.  I was a huge FAN!

[Coach Davis]

Jem,
Have you heard of the 270 pound QB that LSU just signed?

[jem]

Jem,
Have you heard of the 270 pound QB that LSU just signed?

Coach,

I saw where they signed him, but I hadn't heard of him til then, but I don't follow recruiting that much except to check in every now and then and then see how they all finish.

But that should be interesting.... however I had rather see him at KY than LSU    I could actually root for him then, but LSU is to good to give any help too   

j

[CoachShad]

Coach,

I saw where they signed him, but I hadn't heard of him til then, but I don't follow recruiting that much except to check in every now and then and then see how they all finish.

But that should be interesting.... however I had rather see him at KY than LSU    I could actually root for him then, but LSU is to good to give any help too   

j

I seem to remember another LARGE LSU QB who ate his way out of the NFL. 

[CoachAD]

They mentioned the 3 nicknames but I always remembered him as the "Hefty Lefty"

[DumCoach]

I think defense has reached the point of "no where to go".  If you create a light, fast defense to counter spread, how will you do against Stanford?  If you create a big, strong defense to counter Stanford, how will you do against Spread?

The game has reached the point where Small can beat Big as much as Big can beat Small.

I don't object to that.

But the current offenses have been losing steam for the last two years.  Whether Penn State originated it or not, they have been very successful at holding normaly 40 point offenses to 13.  Indeed!  My most recent ideas on defense all came from Penn State.  And look at the points scored in today's Super Bowl.  That scoreboard comes from out of the 1960's for Super Bowls.

Spread is dead.  Whatever the next innovation is, we don't have long to wait.  All it has to do is score 21 points.   

[ltlacy]

I think defense has reached the point of "no where to go".  If you create a light, fast defense to counter spread, how will you do against Stanford?  If you create a big, strong defense to counter Stanford, how will you do against Spread?

The game has reached the point where Small can beat Big as much as Big can beat Small.

I don't object to that.

But the current offenses have been losing steam for the last two years.  Whether Penn State originated it or not, they have been very successful at holding normaly 40 point offenses to 13.  Indeed!  My most recent ideas on defense all came from Penn State.  And look at the points scored in today's Super Bowl.  That scoreboard comes from out of the 1960's for Super Bowls.

Spread is dead.  Whatever the next innovation is, we don't have long to wait.  All it has to do is score 21 points.   

That's why last yr to almost date I said the Spread was a fad!
http://www.dumcoach.com/index.php/topic,2893.0.html

[Michael]

But the current offenses have been losing steam for the last two years.

And look at the points scored in today's Super Bowl.  That scoreboard comes from out of the 1960's for Super Bowls.

Scores have been down for a while.  And there have ALWAYS been low-scoring Super Bowls mixed in with the high-scoring ones.

The last two Super Bowls averaged 47.0.

2000 through 2010 (Super Bowl year, not regular season year) averaged 45.3.

1996 through 2010 averaged 47.1.

The highest-scoring six-year stretch (1990 through 1995) had games of 75, 69, 65, and 61.  But it also had a 39 and a 43, was preceded by a 36, and was followed by a 44.

Everybody remembers 55-10, but 20-16 and 20-19 were on either side of it.

[jem]

I seem to remember another LARGE LSU QB who ate his way out of the NFL. 

he was a load 

j