This is the kind of stuff I'm into. A shift is underway and it's going to be very interesting to see how it shakes out. Player talent is still the most important factor, and always will be, but as far as scheme goes, there is an adapting process taking place as offenses adjust to the defensive shift in philosophy in forcing offenses to dink and dunk.
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https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/6/5/23744080/five-games-2022-season-nfl-scheme-wars
If defenses are going to keep pace, they'll have to get more creative. Simply lining up in static two-high coverages isn't as effective a solution as it may have been a year ago. Quarterbacks are already learning how to pick those defenses apart, and the dual-threat QBs don't even need to put the ball in the air to do it. The 2022 season showed us that the only way to keep pace with the league's increasingly creative offensive strategies is with equally creative defensive answers. This means more shrewdly designed coverage disguises, more simulated pressures, and even more game plans specifically tailored to stopping individual offenses. In that way, the NFL's scheme war is becoming an arms race in which quantity is just as vital as quality.
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Too long not reading that article (too bad, you are missing out):
- Defenses saw LAR and KC shredding pass defenses (2018-2021). In comes Fangio's scheme (2 high coverages) to combat that. Sacrifices run defense, forces passing game to take shorter completions.
- Breaks down five matchups in the 2022 season that showed what is happening with regards to offense versus defense. Includes breakdown of SF versus DEN 2022.
- Defenses will need to lean on disguise to make QBs and OLs think. Simply playing two deep safeties is no longer enough.