If you've been reading the audio bits coming out of OTAs and after the draft, you'd know that we'll be using the 3-4, 4-3, and 4-6 this season. We'll use the 4-3 more than ever before primarily because we took Coples, who is a great interior disruptor. He and Wilkerson will make a great pair at 3-4 DE, but are even better lined up next to each other in a 4-3 as DTs. QBs will be pressured to leave the pocket, pushing them into Calvin Pace and Aaron Maybin as the DEs rushing. Our weakness last year in the 3-4 was our edge run D because Maybin isn't great against the run and Pace doesn't have the speed he once did. With them both down on the line, we'll have two outside LBs -- most likely David Harris and Demario Davis -- both with very good speed to take that away. I'm excited for our defense this year. Coples and Davis are going to be major players from Day 1, and Laron Landry will be the swing piece. If he's healthy and at his best, we'll return to the #1 defense I have no doubts.
Rex Ryan's father Buddy Ryan was the pioneer of the 4-6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/46_defense Basically it's the same as a 4-3 for the down linemen, so Wilkerson and Coples would be the DTs, Calvin Pace and Aaron Maybin would be the DEs. Then you have 3 LBs in and the SS is basically a 4th LB lining up in the box where an ILB would. You need two great man cover corners to pull this off because you only have one safety deep (LaRon Landry in our case who has ideal speed and range if healthy) and we have Revis and Cromartie so we should be good. It's a pressure defense to stop the run and get to the QB. The other ILB would likely be David Harris, and the SLB lines up over the TE (Bart Scott) and the WLB lines up on the weak side near the line of scrimmage (Demario Davis). Teams can't run on the 4-6 because you have 8 people right near the line of scrimmage at the O-Line. If they want to pass they need to get it out quickly because the LBs are coming hard. It gets the name because there are 4 down linemen and then 6 players in the second line right behind them, from the CB on one side to the 3 LBs and a SS in the middle to the other CB on the other side. Then the free safety is deep in center field to prevent the big play.
4-3 and 46 are entirely different monsters even from the DL perspective. In a typical 4-3. you have four linemen taking up on 5 OLs. The NT usually shades at 1T, and the undertackle lines up at 3T on the opposite side of NT shading. In case of 46, the NT lines up at 0T, and two DEs both line up at 2T - that is, 3 DLs square off on C and 2 OGs. In case of Jets defense set up, Pace and Thomas will assume the DE spot, leaving both ILBs at LB spot. Eric Smith will be the 46 SS/OLB role. P.S. I think he was taking shot at 4-6. Unlike 3-4 or 4-3, 46 is just 46. You don't call it four-six. It is forty six. Doug Plank's back number was 46, and that's where the name of the defense originates.
heh Thank you. I'm just getting annoyed with seeing 4-6 written a lot on here. As Jets fans we should know by now that it's 46.
The 46 does have 10 men on or near the line of scrimmage though. The corners both are in press most of the time and the safety who is not in the box is usually only 10-12 yards deep. The 46 was designed to solve the dual problems of the 49ers West Coast offense and the smashing run-based attacks that the Steelers used in the late 70's and the Redskins used in the early 80's. Those were the teams you were worried about facing in the playoffs or Super Bowl. The 46 attacks the 7 yards from the line of scrimmage like no other defense. It is full of defenders in that area and the receivers get routinely bumped at the line of scrimmage to disrupt timing patterns on short slants and crossing routes. The really memorable plays for me in watching that defense were seeing a running back swarmed by three tacklers at the line of scrimmage because all the holes were covered with too many defenders to be blocked and watching Doug Plank or Gary Fencik barely hold onto a TE and wrestle him to the ground when the QB had gotten a short pass off under heavy pressure as the TE (Brent Jones?) released. Nobody was in front of the TE and he'd have gone for a lot of yards if the safety hadn't hog-wrestled him to the ground after the catch. The play got about 5 yards. FWIW Eric Smith is probably a great 46 safety in the box. He played that way a bit in 2009 and made several really good plays, including a full-extension dive to knock down a pass that was headed for a releasing TE with nobody behind him in coverage.
We know what Wilkerson is capable of but if everything they say is true about coples, then I'm excited about the potential our defense has.
I expect to see this against the Pats. Everyone talks about their TE's but it's their spacing based west coast offense that really opens everything up for those big plays w/ Gronkowski & Hernandez down the seam. Clogging ten yards & in with defenders designed to eliminate spacing & punish the offensive skill players will take Brady out of his comfort zone & will affect his rythym. Additionally Brady hates pressure right in his face. We have seen time & time again that the Patriots O-line struggles pass protecting against plus interior defenders . Guys with a quick first steps,long arms & explosion(Wilkerson & hopefully Coples) give them issues. They'll mix in some other stuff along the way to keep Brady from zeroing in on one alternative but it seems whenever the Jets force Brady to try & "Throw over the defense", sure he completes acouple deep one's...but he also throws a couple picks & loses confidence.
I understand Coples is supposed to be our pass rusher now but what exactly is Wilkersons role? I just thought of him as an all around guy but after reading this thread it appears as though hes supposed to develop into a nice pass rush talent as well? Anyone care to share?
I remember reading something post-draft last year that he was touted as being a decent interior pass rusher coming out of college. High motor guy who got decent sack numbers for the position.
Yes, Doug Plank wore 46 and was the hybrid SS/LB that lined up in the box, originally giving it the name 46 defense. The defense is also shaped with 4 down linemen and 6 players 5-6 yards off the line of scrimmage right behind them -- the name stuck because it was easy with the actual line-up of the D. And yes, I can see you read the article. What I said was the not much changes in terms of how many down linemen there are and this is true -- still 4. For people talking about Eric Smith, I believe we signed Yeremiah Bell to be our starting strong safety and he'd play the SS/LB role in a 46 defense. He's a better tackler than Smith and takes better angles -- he's pretty poor in coverage, about par with Smith. If Landry can't stay healthy, then we'll see Smith with Bell in which case they are interchangeable, giving us an edge in that defense with an offense not knowing who is dropping black or staying up in the box. I think Antonio Allen is also a dark horse candidate to emerge as the starting strong safety -- he's more athletic than them both, faster, and younger. He was the SS at South Carolina and was viewed as a SS/LB 'tweener in the draft. Coples and Wilkerson both have pass rush talent from the interior, the former more than the latter. If both develop well we could have a dominant duo inside 4-3s and outside 3-4s.
No. Where are you coming up with this? The name has nothing to do with the alignment and it is incorrect to refer to it as 4-6. If it had to do with the alignment you'd have 6 linebackers, which isn't the case. You also usually have 6 guys directly on the LOS in the box in the 46 which doesn't match up with what you're saying either. It's named after Plank and if he were number 42 it would be called the forty two defense. See this image. There aren't 6 guys behind the four down linemen. There are 6 guys right on the LOS with the center and both guards covered by linemen.
thing i remember was always having 6 guys right on the line which could go to 7 or 8 depending on the down, yard distance, and offensive set. if u want to put it into alignment speak the best way to view it would be 6-2-3, 6-3-2, or even a 5-3-3.
Just looking at the picture here's what's really relevant: 1. 6 guys on the line of scrimmage. 2. 2 defensive backfield guys within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage in the CB following the motion receiver and the safety lined up just inside the tightend on the weakside. 3. 20 guys within a few yards of the hashmarks and the line of scrimmage. Only the free safety and one of the corners is not in the picture. In fact it's possible that the picture shows a cornerback up in the box on the weakside receiver in which case it's not a classic 46 look because both of the safeties are at least 7 yards off of the line of scrimmage. It's probably Todd Bell though. The 46 doesn't have an extra linebacker. It just has a safety lining up where a linebacker otherwise would. That's what made it effective against the West Coast and the Hogs.
That picture is a little confusing as a "description" of the 46 defense. Because the offense is lined up with either two TEs or thw 2nd WR hugging the line, there are going to be more defenders crowding the line. Also Rice is in motion and 27 is following him across the formation. Finally, you can only see 9 defenders. What the picture is showing is the NT directly over the Center and the Ends directly over the Guards. That combined with the SS playing in the box is really all that the 46 Defense is.
You are about DEAD wrong about this. Read my posting again. Seriously. You are supposed to have five lining up head to head against each of the OL, then two ILBs lining up behind the DL, and 46 looking to double team the TE with one of the LB. That is 8 in the box, with minimum FIVE at the line, at times six (if SS lines up on LOS at an angle). No such thing as four at the line.
why should Rex tell the rest of the NFL what defense we are going to run? He will take the NFL by surprise and that will contribute to winning!
Scheme is important but not everything. Good football players make plays; Wilkerson and Coples both benefit from each other's presence, and should both have very good seasons.
I'd be really happy to see the Jets in a 46 next season. As good as Rex is it has been frustrating to watch the Jets try to play a 3-4 since 2006 without great linebackers. The teams that really excel in that front have great players behind the line and the Jets have never had that. David Harris is a very good player but he'd be 2nd or 3rd best LB in the great 3-4's in the NFL right now.
