Rugby Saint II

The 4-3 defense has been the most predominant front on the D line in the NFL for years. Recently teams have been converting to the 3-4 on a regular basis.(two more teams have converted this year) GW runs a base 4-3 with some variations on the 3-4.(as seen in the Superbowl) The strength of the 3-4 is it's OLB'er. It also helps to have space eaters on the D line to occupy the O line while sending in LB'ers to get to the ball carrier or QB. Both teams in the SB last year run a base 4-3 even though GW threw a bunch of 3-4 looks at Peyton which he wasn't ready for. Which do you prefer? Also, do you think we have the personnel to run the 3-4 more?

strato

I prefer the 3-4..but i dont know if we have the personel...i like how G.W mixes it up...he puts our players in a position to succeed...I hope we play the run better this year...Alex Brown should help..

dizzle88

yer the personel front would be one problem with us constantly running 3-4, but GW switches it up all the time which i love. Can't play 4-3 every single down, QB's would get used to it. Also i Hope Al Woods Helps us when we go in both formations, that guy in the middle would help the run stopping

D_it_up

This pretty much sums it up for me.

MatthewT

I think it's important to keep mixing it up. That is the key to keeping offenses out of balance. With the secondary the Saints have, you may even see a little more 46 formations this coming year. The Saints did appear to use that, or something close to that, a few times last year.

st thomas

we don't have the elite lb's to play the 3-4, but doing so as g.w. does just enough to let the opposing offense think about it then change it at the line to a 46 o r 4-3 then we rock and roll to another super bowl.

foreverfan

If you can play both, you play both and use it when is plays to your strengths.

Crusader

If I had to choose one over the other I would say 4-3 just because its easier to find guys for that system. In the 3-4 you need more freaks.

SapperSaint

What he said.

the-commish

I prefer a base 3-4 D. Going back to the Dome Patrol days, it worked pretty well for the Saints and Dom Capers. You do need a big space eater to play NT; and you have to have great LBs, both outside and inside.

The advantage I see to the 3-4, as opposed to the 4-3, is a 3-4 will likely have at least 1 more unblocked defender (LBs do get blocked in the 3-4; it's just harder to block all 4 LBs than it is to find a way to get 3 LBs blocked in a 4-3).

That said, the Saints may play a base 4-3, but they will be in some alignment other than a base 4-3 up to 50 percent of the snaps. So the title or base of the defense won't really matter.