Forget The Base 3-4 Or 4-3 Talk. Overdone. Which Is The Better Nickel Style? 3-4 Or 4-2.

[xskyx]

Excuse the title. 3-3-5 or 4-2-5.

Haven't seen this question around here so far. (I didn't say it hasn't been asked, just I haven't personally seen it, and I lurk a lot more than I post)

So as most of you who actually know football already know, there is a 4 front allignment for nickel, and a 3 front allignment.

Which would be most effective for us? (after this years offseason, of course)

The nickel is used primarily for what we believe will be a passing down. With that in mind, I think a 3-4 is the most appropriate for the situation at hand. Sure, you lose a little run insurance with the package, but aren't you already putting your bets on this play being a pass by putting a nickel on the field in the first place?

Also, what draft or FA moves this year (if any) would support your preferance?

Edited March 6, 2014 by xskyx

[kane#7]

4-2-5.

4 of our dline are easy enough to block.

3 might as well be 0-3-5

[Wjcorner]

4-2-5.

4 of our dline are easy enough to block.

3 might as well be 0-3-5

...you can send more pass rushers than your linemen...

as bad as our LBs are in pass coverage, might as well have as little as we can on the field in pass packages...our big nickel package is decent

[Guest F_A_1_C_O_N]

What Nolan did with dunta in the camps and first game (before Grimes decided to get hurt), made me love the 4-2. And dunta drop in for qb pressure.

[xskyx]

What Nolan did with dunta in the camps and first game (before Grimes decided to get hurt), made me love the 4-2. And dunta drop in for qb pressure.

I'm the minority here, I'm sure, but I'd LOVE to bring Dunta back on the cheap for our nickel packages.

[Guest F_A_1_C_O_N]

I'm the minority here, I'm sure, but I'd LOVE to bring Dunta back on the cheap for our nickel packages.

you are not alone....trust me. I would do it in a heart beat

[xskyx]

you are not alone....trust me. I would do it in a heart beat

He may not the be absolute best in coverage, but he definitely helps against the run.

All in all, he's the most fun Falcon defender to watch in the past 3 years.

[takeitdown]

I'm a fan of the big nickel variant of the 4 and 3 man front. I don't see us having enough safeties to work this, but keeping the WILL and a SS dropped should help against the seam passes, particularly to TEs.

Whether 4-2 or 3-3 will likely depend so heavily on who we get, it's hard to predict. If we get Mack, I'd guess 3-3, if we get 2 penetrating DTs, I'd guess 4-2.

As long a 4 of those 6 guys can get to the QB I don't even care.

[Lornoth]

He may not the be absolute best in coverage, but he definitely helps against the run.

All in all, he's the most fun Falcon defender to watch in the past 3 years.

He was flashy but he wasn't a great tackler and he knocked himself out more than offensive players. McClain is a much better run defender imo. He was fun to watch though i'll admit.

[DonDaLuvMaker]

It all depends on how good the players are that you have in the front 7.

If you have good enough players that you can effectively pressure the QB with just 3 then that is music to a d-coordinator's ears because that means that they can drop an extra DB/LB in coverage without a problem. Being able to effectively pressure a QB with 4 is just as good too, especially if you have some good edge rushers that are capable of sliding inside so you can put all of your best pass rushers on the field at once.

It all comes down to the type of players a team has and how effective they are at pressuring the QB.

[Guest F_A_1_C_O_N]

He was flashy but he wasn't a great tackler and he knocked himself out more than offensive players. McClain is a much better run defender imo. He was fun to watch though i'll admit.

look at when they are in nickel.

Dunta wins, hands down. And therefore that is someone who is better at safety. Always has and always will. They learn how to observe the field and how to be ball hawks. And dunta did excellent with it every tine he got to do it, and he really nailed it in Texas.

Also look at how dunta did in the 4-2. And then go watch decoud try to sneak in. Dunta had no problem. But then Grimes got hurt and it twisted Noland arm to push dunta to be a corner.

[Lornoth]

look at when they are in nickel.

Dunta wins, hands down. And therefore that is someone who is better at safety. Always has and always will. They learn how to observe the field and how to be ball hawks. And dunta did excellent with it every tine he got to do it, and he really nailed it in Texas.

Also look at how dunta did in the 4-2. And then go watch decoud try to sneak in. Dunta had no problem. But then Grimes got hurt and it twisted Noland arm to push dunta to be a corner.

Maybe you're right. He was so poor on the outside it's kind of hard to remember him being in the nickel. He did look much better there. It's too bad Brent pulled a Grimes and ruined everything with an injury.

Still he's gone for a reason, i wouldn't haul him back here again.

[xskyx]

Maybe you're right. He was so poor on the outside it's kind of hard to remember him being in the nickel. He did look much better there. It's too bad Brent pulled a Grimes and ruined everything with an injury.

Still he's gone for a reason, i wouldn't haul him back here again.

I've always seen Dunta as more of a Nickel. He isn't build to be an outside corner. The guy needs to be near the box. He excels in the box.

[DonDaLuvMaker]

look at when they are in nickel.

Dunta wins, hands down. And therefore that is someone who is better at safety. Always has and always will. They learn how to observe the field and how to be ball hawks. And dunta did excellent with it every tine he got to do it, and he really nailed it in Texas.

Also look at how dunta did in the 4-2. And then go watch decoud try to sneak in. Dunta had no problem. But then Grimes got hurt and it twisted Noland arm to push dunta to be a corner.

Dunta's biggest problem is that he can't run with almost anybody anymore. The knee injury that he suffered during his time with the Texans ruined him because he has lost all of his speed and quickness.

Yeah, he can put hits on opposing players and be good on safety blitzes but he will not hold up in coverage well as he consistently needs to in order to be a good FS. The Falcons need a FS that can cover deep and can run along with being a good tackler.

[xskyx]

Dunta's biggest problem is that he can't run with almost anybody anymore. The knee injury that he suffered during his time with the Texans ruined him because he has lost all of his speed and quickness.

Yeah, he can put hits on opposing players and be good on safety blitzes but he will not hold up in coverage well as he consistently needs to in order to be a good FS. The Falcons need a FS that can cover deep and can run along with being a good tackler.

Then keep him at Nickel. Give him the money we would have to give McClain.

[DonDaLuvMaker]

I've always seen Dunta as more of a Nickel. He isn't build to be an outside corner. The guy needs to be near the box. He excels in the box.

He was a top corner before his bad knee injury.

Willy Mo is the Falcon's box safety. Need a FS that has the range and speed to cover the deep end of the field.

[Lornoth]

Then keep him at Nickel. Give him the money we would have to give McClain.

Nickelbacks have to cover too...

[DonDaLuvMaker]

Then keep him at Nickel. Give him the money we would have to give McClain.

McClain has more upside than Dunta at this point in his career and can run much better with slot WRs.

[droopy1592]

McClain has more upside than Dunta at this point in his career and can run much better with slot WRs.

and actually wraps up with tackles, not just spearing people. Fun to watch, dangerous, but not always effective.

[MSalmon]

Excuse the title. 3-3-5 or 4-2-5.

Haven't seen this question around here so far. (I didn't say it hasn't been asked, just I haven't personally seen it, and I lurk a lot more than I post)

So as most of you who actually know football already know, there is a 4 front allignment for nickel, and a 3 front allignment.

Which would be most effective for us? (after this years offseason, of course)

The nickel is used primarily for what we believe will be a passing down. With that in mind, I think a 3-4 is the most appropriate for the situation at hand. Sure, you lose a little run insurance with the package, but aren't you already putting your bets on this play being a pass by putting a nickel on the field in the first place?

Also, what draft or FA moves this year (if any) would support your preferance?

I dint get hung up on alignment. Historically though Nolan has stocked lots of guys who can play 5 tech and 43 DE or DT and a couple of NTs. He also seemed to have a couple of traditional 43 will amd chase backers and several hybrid edge rusher/OLBs type

So for me is to add 2-3 DTs at least one of them can play 5 tech (which peters can do) and a stout NT or 2.

Also I think we add one LB who excels in coverage (maybe Telvin smith?)) and an edge rusher hybrid like Murphy, attachou or Mack if we go that way first pick

I've followed Nolan since the giants and he seems to base alignments on match ups and to get blitz/pass rush opportunities maximized

[Mike Kenn]

How about a 2-4-5 out of a 3-4 personnel group? That is one of the benefits of running a true 3-4. We could go 3-4 as our base front, then we can change it up between a 3-3-5, and a 2-4-5 (which is basically a 4-2 front). Plus, we could even throw in a few 1-5-5 looks like the Steelers have done with **** Richard LeBeau (Longtime Steelers DC). However, iIt is all about the personnel we have. We could use Peters as a nose with Goodman and Babs as DE's. Kroy as the Jack, Worrilow as the Mike, Spoon as the Will and Bartu as the Sam. Then we can get creative on passing downs and use Kroy as an End, Babs as a nose, etc. If we ran a true 3-4 it would be a whole lot more flexible than our current defense and Nolan would have a field day. I hope we get a guy like Mack or Barr with our first pick.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Mike Kenn

[PeytonMannings Forehead]

3-3-5 is fun to play around with because of all the looks, but it only works if you've got a linebacker(s) who have pass rush abilty. Otherwise you're looking at the much hated 3 man rush that made BVG one of the most hated men on this board.

[GTJeff1975]

It really doesn't matter. The personal on the defensive side of the football are subpar with the exception of Trufant. TD will dump all of his eggs in the offensive basket as usual & the defense will be just as bad as next year.

[WOR]

If we drafted an outside corner is be fine with bringing back dunta and have him and mcclain battle for the nickle

[Free Radical]

Which Nickel defense has 3 down linemen, 4 LBers, and 4 defensive backs?

List of nickel personnel groupings commonly seen in the NFL.

1-5-5, 2-4-5, 3-3-5, 4-2-5.