fringe

there's that college coach, mike leach who just got canned for locking some spoiled kid in the closet. he's supposed to be a good offensive mind. i already approve his methods.

i'd rather get gauges, whatever those are.

i'd be fine with that but i don't think the maras like him anymore. The offenses I respect are: San Diego Green Bay Dallas Minnesota Indy I wouldn't argue with someone on the rise from any of those teams.

tough one- i think they're more dangerous than the Jets. if i was a coach i would prefer to game plan against the Jets. The Jets could change my opinion of them by winning in Cincy. Till then, they were the 'chosen' team

you can never have too much Rice!

i think he was talking about Sidney Rice but I agree with you that Ray Rice is something special

i would guess he took a flight to bolivian

lovie's staying put.

well maybe they wouldn't face the steelers but they'd have faced someone stronger than the Jets. The Jets were the weakest option, that's why they were allowed in by the Colts and Bengals. if the jets can make them regret it remains to be seen.

we would need several is my point.- and one of those guys would be expendable in a 3-4. ryans looks pretty good though. i haven't seen him much

you really think so? i think the marvin lewis hand picked his first round opponent last week. why win and have to face the steelers? i think the bengals smoke the jets.

coordinators get so much credit and so much blame around here. someone mentioned fassell, he's the guy that brought offense to the giants. before him, it was kind of a foreign concept. and coughlin is another offensive mind and also the head coach. most of the offense is straight out of the coughlin philosophy. watch the mid 90's jaguars.

the subject was building a 3-4 defense. besides, i really don't trust free agent LB's anymore. it seems like teams unload their huddled masses on us. dallas grab a guy like brookings while the giants are futzin around with overpaid lazybums, something's not right.

i have a feeling that andy reid was playing possum yesterday (once he knew they weren't going to win) and you will see a whole new game plan next week. wade may have that wtf look on his face yet again.

that's a pretty sad couple of sentences right there.

i think a good DefCo will assess the talent (or lack thereof) and decide what's right. he makes a 1 year plan and a 2 year plan. i was never much for these guys who bring in their own system at all costs- so I guess if a DC said 'we have to go with a 3-4 right away, he wouldn't be my 1st choice. But I wouldn't rule out an open minded 3-4 coach. i don't think we'd have to sacrifice a year to make that switch. and didn't tuck first get noticed playing on the inside?

instead of replace 3, we replace 4. perhaos we can trade osi or Kiwi for a stud LB or a high draft pick. it's not like we have much legacy left on Defense.

let me give you a lesson on recruiting, my friend. You want someone who is excelling at what they do, not someone on the hot seat. we have a good story to sell: Storied Franchise Great Fan Base New Stadium Aging Head Coach Lowered Expectations (considering what happened this year, it's easier to improve the D then say last year when the bar was set higher)

It's obvious the the Giants are going to want an experienced DefCo after the Sheridan experiment. Here's the top 20 DC's rated before the season started. A lot of them are 3-4 coaches (not to be ruled out as far as I'm concerned) . I've always liked Ron Rivera but I think he's interviewing for HC. 1. Dick LeBeau, Steelers. LeBeau perfected the zone blitz, and you'll see Pittsburgh continue to run this defense as long as he's the coordinator. He likes to mix looks and bring pressure from different points on the field. He doesn't have a great matchup secondary, so he attacks offenses with all-out pressure. 2. Jim Johnson, Eagles. Another disciple of the zone blitz, Johnson likes to bring pressure from up and down the line and he asks his defensive backs to jam receivers and play physical. Typically, he prefers quicker one gap-shooting linemen and active linebackers. This is probably the most athletic front seven the Eagles have had in a while, but they still like to bring the blitz. After taking a leave of absence to undergo chemotherapy, here's hoping Johnson is healthy enough to be on the sidelines in '09. 3. Leslie Frazier, Vikings. He has the horses up front to send a nice pressure package at quarterbacks, and he likes to play some mixed zones behind it with cornerback Antoine Winfield more often in press coverage. With DE Jared Allen joining the team last year, the blitz package is a thing of the past, though it could return if the Williams Wall misses significant time. 4. Jim Bates, Bucs. Tampa Bay's new defensive leader plays an aggressive scheme that calls for playmakers to make big plays. Look for the Bucs to move away from the traditional Tampa-2 zone scheme and have defensive backs making more plays on the ball, while the defensive front will be less about stunts and twists and more about getting pressure off the edges. 5. Dom Capers, Packers. He is a diehard believer in the 3-4 defense. We wonder whether Green Bay has the pieces to make the change in '09. Capers knows the scheme inside and out and has been through the transition before. He can guide players like Aaron Kampman, A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett through struggles. 6. Greg Blache, Redskins. He runs an aggressive scheme that relies on pressure at every level. He likes to get a big push inside from his tackles, explaining the Albert Haynesworth signing. Blache also likes linebackers who run to the ball and corners and safeties who press and play close to the line of scrimmage. With more pieces in place, expect Washington to harass the quarterback consistently in '09. 7. Mike Nolan, Broncos. He will have a challenge this season, but if anyone can turn around a moribund defense it's Nolan. An ardent 3-4 man, Nolan must employ a hybrid in '09. His priority is shoring up the run defense, a benefit of playing the 3-4 front. He must rely on a strong secondary to play well in coverage while he figures out how to generate pressure on the quarterback. 8. Dean Pees, Patriots. Pees is learning from the master, Bill Belichick. No team does a better job of adapting personnel and playing the matchup game. With upgrades in the secondary, Pees will have more options in the pass rush. He will bring a fourth rusher out of the 3-4, but that player always will come from a different spot on the field. Pees is a name to watch. 9. Mike Zimmer, Bengals. The Bengals likely will continue to employ a 4-3 scheme as it has throughout Marvin Lewis' tenure. Cincinnati has a lot of linebackers and converted college ends, so Zimmer could tinker with some 3-4 alignments. Zimmer has extensive experience mixing formations and will introduce some new wrinkles to confuse opponents. 10. Paul Pasqualoni, Dolphins. Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano love him, and after watching that turnaround last year who are we to argue? Pasqualoni has the knowledge and adaptability skills to be an asset within any scheme, but he is an old-time coach who can teach technique on a one-on-one level. Joey Porter's career was over until Pasqualoni arrived in Miami. 11. Clancy Pendergast, Chiefs. Pendergrast is unpredictable -- at times unorthodox -- and is tough to game plan against. The Chiefs will use a 3-4 scheme as their base defense, but liberal usage of the 4-3 in nickel sets keeps opponents guessing. 12. John Marshall, Raiders. Marshall, who comes to Oakland after a six-year stint as Mike Holmgren's defensive coordinator in Seattle, is all about pressure. The Seahawks were among the most prolific pass-rush teams in recent seasons, thanks to a strong outside rush and quick, gap-shooting tackles. He likes to mix coverages and formations, so versatility in the front seven is critical. There is talent on the Raiders' roster, so don't be surprised to see more success in '09. 13. Gregg Williams, Saints. He uses a lot of stunts and twists with his linemen. Speed at defensive end is important. In the secondary, New Orleans will utilize a mixture of zone and man-to-man schemes with a lot of cornerback man-to-man coverages with safety help over the top in combination schemes. 14. Ron Rivera, Chargers. He has experience coaching the 4-3, the Tampa-2 and now the 3-4 scheme. Although the Chargers will remain a 3-4 front, Rivera incorporates aspects of the other schemes. That means more aggressive play-calling in terms of blitzes and letting Shawne Merriman loose behind a more talented defensive front. 15. Gunther Cunningham, Lions. Big and physical is the way Cunningham and new coach Jim Schwartz like their defensive players. The first priority will be stopping the run and solidifying the front seven. Look for plenty of aggressive calls and blitz schemes early. 16. Perry Fewell, Bills. Fewell runs a conservative version of the 4-3 scheme. The Bills blitz sparingly, preferring to generate a push with linemen. He likes to utilize a lot of cover-2 zone schemes. Fewell uses some pre-snap movement to confuse opponents, but after the snap he keeps it pretty basic. 17. Larry Coyer, Colts. A former defensive line coach, he will emphasize the importance of line play -- in pressuring the quarterback and defending the run. Coyer has been around a long time and is a 4-3 disciple, but he is sure to address the Colts' weakness in defending the run. 18. Rob Ryan, Browns. He uses a fair amount of formations to keep opponents guessing. Look for a lot of different formations and movement within the Browns' 3-4 scheme, which will look a lot like brother Rex's hybrid scheme made famous in Baltimore. We will see a lot of press coverage by the cornerbacks and be aggressive, mostly using man-to-man. It is a fairly simple defense that relies on the guys up front to apply pressure while the back seven concentrates on coverage. 19. Greg Manusky, 49ers. He emphasizes a 3-4 press-type style with lots of different looks and frequent shifting of personnel. The key element for opponents is trying to figure out where the fourth pass rusher is going to line up. Frequent blitzing by cornerbacks and safeties is a staple -- as well as lots of man-to-man coverage -- but the main pass rush must come from the outside linebackers. He also will show a 4-3 nickel front in passing situations. This defense will resemble the Steelers at times, and don't be surprised to see Patrick Willis unleashed as a blitzer. 20. Ron Meeks, Panthers. He likes to play zone schemes behind a stunting defensive line. He likes to have constant movement that really confuses blocking schemes. The back seven play it sound and simple; they try to keep everything in front of them and prevent big plays. You are not going to beat his defense by dictating matchups on offense. They don't like to blitz much and shouldn't have to if Julius Peppers return

wait. you thought i was serious?

Chase in the new DefCo

that's what practice is for. it would be hard to beleive that this coach was burning the midnite oil much.

are we supposed to do an analysis on people's character before we judge their posts? pretty self important, if you ask me.

Joe Namath drunk- barfed on my sister.

Newsflash: i will not need surgery on my middle finger that I strained from thrusting it repeatedly at the TV on most Sundays.