In the first place, Mike Shanahan never should have been fired. He’s a Hall of Fame coach and an offensive genius. Besides from winning two Super Bowls, he revolutionized the game with his use of zone blocking with an undersized offensive line. It was so effective, that for a long time it seemed like any running back could be put in the backfield and he was guaranteed at least a 1,000-yard season.

In Shanahan's last year in Denver, he put together an offense that was ranked second in the league and poised to take the next step to elite status. Had he stayed, the Broncos might have had the number one offense in the league this year.

It is true that he made some mistakes over the past few years. The worst sin he committed in Denver, was firing Larry Coyer, who is quietly working miracles in Indy this year, just like he did in Denver.

However, those aren’t the kind of mistakes that you fire a Hall of Fame coach for is it?

My take has always been that Mr. Bowlen should have taken the general manager duties away from Shanahan and kept him as head coach. Instead, the Broncos' shocked the world when they fired Shanahan and took a huge risk hiring another one of Belichick’s coordinators.

If you stop and think about it, every coordinator that has worked for the Patriots has been successful, that is until they went to another team.

In fact, name one coordinator that has gone from the Patriots to be the head coach of another franchise, or college team, and been successful? That’s right you can’t, because there haven’t been any. Everyone of them has been unsuccessful and been fired.

Maybe Mr. Bowlen should have paused and thought about the success rates of ex-Patriots coordinators before he capriciously fired Shanahan and hired McDaniels.

From the minute McDaniels arrived in Denver, there has been nothing but drama from the Mile High City. From the way the Jay Cutler incident was handled, to Tony Scheffler, and now Brandon Marshall just to name a few, it has felt like the Three Stooges were running the show.

There is more to coaching a team then practicing, game planning, and being an “offensive genius."  Part of being a successful coach, is getting the team to believe in you and your vision. It doesn’t matter what style you use to achieve it, it must happen, or all of the other stuff is for not.

This quality is something Bill Belichick has and it’s been a big contributor to him being one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. It’s also the one quality that seems to be lacking in his underlings when they leave the roost.

Tony Scheffler, after the Broncos loss to the Eagles, expresses his frustration about his reduced role this season and then a few days later, without notice from the coach, without a man-to-man talk, the guy is sent to the practice squad?

Brandon Marshall is accused of exaggerating his injury and so he gets benched? This is the same Brandon Marshall that is going to the Pro-Bowl, is only the fifth wide receiver with 100 catch seasons, and who set a record in Indy with 21 catches in the game against the Colts.

This is also the same wide receiver who played all of last year with a tear in his hip and still put up 1,265 yards and six touchdowns. This year his stats are almost the same except that he has scored 10 touchdowns.

Now, all of a sudden, Brandon Marshall is not a team player? After all that happened in the offseason, all that unnecessary drama. All that belongs squarely at the feet of management because of the way they handled the Jay Cutler situation. This guy has done nothing but go out there and produce for his team.

Coach, Brandon Marshall is right when he says don’t blame me because of the way the season is unfolding.

The Broncos are heading into a game that they need to win to have a shot at making the playoffs. They are going into that game without Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler because the coach of the Denver Broncos doesn’t know how to deal with people.

McDaniels has created a working environment based on fear. Don’t think for a minute that doesn’t effect how the players perform on Sunday.

It is very likely that the Broncos will end up 8-8 again this season, not for a lack of talent mind you, but for a lack of a coach that knows how to treat players. Daniels doesn’t understand that to lead men into battle, they have to believe in you. They have to know when things get tough,their coach has their backs.

Nobody wants to fight for a guy that doesn’t take personal responsibility for his actions and his part in things. Who wants to put their life on the line (and in football that is not hyperbole), for a guy who isn’t man enough to even come talk to them when there is a problem.

Coach, if you want to turn this franchise around, then you better learn to be a man, like your mentor Bill Belichick, or guys like Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, or Jim Caldwell.

There is a reason certain teams are successful year in and year out; it has a lot to do with how they treat their players.

If you want to return the Broncos to their glory days, you better learn that soon, otherwise you’re just going to be another failed Belichick protégé.

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In typical Colts fashion, little was released about the severity of Harrison’s injury or when he would return. One week after another the fans were told it would be soon, that he’s coming along, we expect him to start practicing any day, then it was we’ll see how many days of practice he can get through, then it was we think he's going to play, and finally, we decided to hold him out.

In other words, the typical stuff Colts fans hear every time a player is hurt.

I remember during this time talking to Pat Kirwan on N.F.L. radio about Harrison, with Pat reassuring me that Marv, as the guys in the locker room liked to call him, would be ready come playoff time.

 Pat tried to allay my concerns about Harrisons lack of playing time heading into the playoffs. I said to him, “Wouldn’t it be better if he could get out and play the last game of the season to get some of the rust off before the playoffs?” He retorted back that Marv wasn’t going to forget how to play football.

 To his credit Pat was right: Harrison didn’t forget how to play football, he just forgot how to hold onto the ball.

In that playoff game, Marv caught a pass from Manning, took a hit, fumbled the ball, and the Chargers recovered it. The Colts looked like they were about to go up 14-0, and put the Chargers in a real hole when it happened. Instead, it can be argued that playing Harrison that day cost the Colts the game.

In this age of parity, I feel confident making that statement. The new reality in the N.F.L. is that often games just come down to one play now: just go ask Bill Belichick.

The Colts seemed to have learned a lesson from how they handled the Marvin Harrison situation. Mind you the lesson learned wasn’t, “Let’s tell the fans what’s really going on with injured players.”

 The subterfuge about injuries continues to this day, with most Colts fans having to check Adam Schefter’s Twitter updates to find out the truth about the status of players.

No, the lesson learned here is it was better to put Anthony Gonzalez on injured reserve than what the Colts did with Marvin Harrison two years ago.
It was clear from watching that playoff game in 2008 that Marvin Harrison shouldn’t have been within 50 miles of a football field. However, the Colts played him anyway, even though he hadn’t played in a single game since the end of September and clearly was not 100% healthy.

Bill Polian learned from that disaster. This year, instead of trying to force it, the Colts organization did the right thing. It must have been obvious to Bill Polian that when Gonzalez practiced on Monday, that there was no way they were going to be able to get him on the field in the next two weeks.

The Colts understood that without Gonzalez getting significant playing time in actual games in the regular season that he was going to be useless in the playoffs. The Marvin Harrison incident proved that all the practice in the world doesn’t make up for playing in a real game, not even for a 12 year vet.

The reality is that, even if a player is let’s say 90% healthy, to be a contributor to the Manning offense you need to be out there on Sundays, in game conditions, scrapping the rust off, running perfect routes, and rebuilding the timing and trust that Manning demands from his wide receivers.

I have no doubt that “Gonzo” could play come playoff time, but the Colts wisely knew that for the team, and the player it was better to put him on injured reserve then have a repeat of 2008.

I.R. is a good thing for Anthony Gonzalez. It will really give him time to heal from his injury. He’s going to need it too, because he is going to have one hell of a battle in training camp next year winning back the number two receiver position from Garcon.  The sad reality for Gonzalez is it’s unlikely to happen

Garcon is putting up numbers in his first season as a starter that are better than Reggie Waynes numbers in his first full season starting; he has also shown that he is a much better as the flanker than Gonzalez ever was.

He has better speed, size, strength, and blocking ability than Gonzalez, on top of that he doesn’t appear to be made of glass like “Gonzo.”

In reality, Gonzalez will be cheap to keep around. His projected salary for next year is $1,396,250.

For a team that has implemented the spread offense more this year than any other season that I can remember, Gonzalez has a place with the Colts. Unfortunately, for him, it’s probably as the fourth receiver. 

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For the most part, that team has been the San Diego Chargers.

Compelling arguments abound, with greater alacrity then Washington’s deficit spending, why the Colts should be afraid of the Chargers, how the Chargers are the last team that the Colts want to see in the playoffs, etc.

But the facts belie the rhetoric.

So let’s lay waste to all this hot air, by looking at who the Chargers have played in this winning streak of theirs, that the Vic Caruccis of the world seem to think is the most astounding thing to happen since the first time he tasted Cheese Whiz.

Over the last nine games, the Chargers have played five teams with winning records. Of those teams with a winning record, they dominated only one of them: the Denver Broncos.

This is in no way a knock against the Chargers. They are one of the premier teams in the NFL, talented on both sides of the ball, and a win is a win. Nor would it be a shocker if they went to the Super Bowl this year; once the playoffs start, anything can happen.

No, the point of bringing up whom they have played, and the lack of dominance in their wins, is to counter the absurdity that the Chargers are to be feared because they are some uber- juggernaut of a team that beats their opponents into the ground until the players on the other team run off the field crying, “No coach I’m not going back out there. I’m scared!”

What is even more comical about this whole storyline about the Chargers, and how they are to be “feared”, is that the first thing cited is that they are on a nine game winning streak.

But there is no talk of the Colts in this whole conversation, or their 14-game winning streak, all while having to overcome tremendous adversity.

Sure the Chargers have injuries, but nowhere near what the Colts have gone through this season and overcome.

There seems to be this weird disconnect this year between what the Colts have accomplished and how the media perceives them.

There doesn’t seem to be the profound recognition of the phenomenon of going 14-0, with what little the Colts have had to play with this year.

It’s rather perplexing and the only analysis of why this is occurring is that everyone has become spoiled by the Colts being so good for so long, that this season is being taken for granted.

In a way, it’s understandable. The Colts haven’t had a down year since 2001, which is the only year since 1999 that they haven’t made the playoffs.

Since 2002, the fewest games they’ve won in the regular season is ten. As a franchise, in the era of free agency, the extraordinary Colts have become the ordinary for too many people.

Yet the reality is the 2009 Indianapolis Colts have a new coach and all the change that comes along with that, have been decimated with injuries that have taken some of their star players at key positions off the field for the entire season. They have been replaced with guys that are either rookies or haven’t played much in their time in the NFL.

On top of that they have had a very tough schedule in terms of the teams they have had to play (only three teams have records under .500), and the fact that they had five road games in a row after week one.

Yet here the Colts are at 14-0, a franchise record, and now a member of a small, elite group of teams to accomplish this feat.

The magnitude of what the Colts have accomplished this season is beyond the amount of superlatives in the English language to do them justice. The best to be said is that there are few teams that could have gone through what the Colts did this season and have that kind of record.  

Here is what truly makes this team scary, and it’s not the fact that the team or their quarterback seem to be tying or breaking some record every week.

No, it’s this  slight modification of a line from the move Gladiator, “a team should know when they are conquered.” But that’s the problem for other teams facing the Colts: they don’t know when they’ve been conquered. It’s not part of their vocabulary.

Half of the Colts’ wins this season have been fourth quarter comebacks. That's because there is no quit in this team. They’re like the serial killer in the horror movies who keeps getting back up no matter how many times you’ve killed him.

The Colts refuse to lose, regardless of what obstacles they have to overcome to win. Now that’s something to be feared.

Here is the problem every team facing the Colts in the playoffs is going to have to contend with: to beat the Colts you have to play a perfect game for 60 minutes, nothing less; not even 59 minutes and 59 seconds. That’s not good enough; you must play a perfect game, a game where you do not make a single mistake for the 60 minutes.

On top of that, you’re playing a team that can survive making multiple mistakes.

They can sit on the bench for 46 minutes of the game, Peyton Manning can throw three interceptions, the defense can give up big plays, or let the other team run all over them, and yet it doesn’t affect the outcome, because when it matters the most, somebody steps up for the Colts and makes a big time play.

It may be a superstar like Reggie Wayne, or it could be some guy that you never heard of before, but there will be somebody and they will make a play. Then the other team's 17-point lead just vanishes within a couple of minutes.

Name a team going into the playoffs that can play a mistake free game for sixty minutes.

If you're a fan of the NFL instead a fan of your own team, you can’t name one with a straight face.

That is the fact that all the pundits are missing. That is why the Colts are the scariest team in the playoffs right now.

Does all this guarantee that they’re headed to the Super Bowl? No, of course not, but it is why the media should be talking about the Colts as the last team that anyone wants to face in the playoffs.

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On one play, the defense played fantastic, and the next they'd look like they couldn’t stop an 80-year-old man in a wheelchair.

The offense fared no better. Manning and company came out on fire, and then looked like the St. Louis Rams for the majority of the game. However, when it looked like they might lose, the switch went on for Manning and the offense, and they won the game.

Colts fans have undergone an excruciating experience this year. Every game has been like this. Each contest has been has been a heart-stopping mixture of mediocrity and brilliance, all jam-packed into 60 minutes.

The Colts are nowhere near a dominant team, and the stats back it up.

Other than a passing game that ranks second in the league, there’s nothing special about this team. Just looking at the stats, you might think them a .500 club; definitely not a team that is 13-0, the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and the holders of an NFL-record 22nd regular season wins in a row.
 
Yet each week the Colts show us they’ve got the proverbial “will to win”. Week in and week out, no matter how dire the situation, guys come up with big plays when it matters most.

If Manning throws three interceptions in one game, it doesn’t matter because he’ll put together enough 75-yard drives to win the game. The defense will do their part, and get the big stops, the big interceptions, the big sacks, and the big fumbles that the team needs to win.

Colts’ fans have learned to expect the unexpected, maybe to even embrace it. Or maybe they have just resigned themselves to it. They don’t know when the big plays are coming, they just know they will; and somehow the team will just keep winning.

The question is, can this injury-riddled team, made up of a hodgepodge of vets and rookies who seem to revel in winning by the seat of their pants, make it to the Super Bowl and win?

Oddly enough and against all logic, the answer is a resounding yes.

The Colts have something special going on this year, more so than any other year in the Manning Era (including the year they won the Super Bowl). From Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell to the coaching staff to the guys throwing blocks on kickoffs, this is the most unified team in football this season.

The Colts are made up of 53 guys, and while each individual may not be the greatest at his position, when they come together they play as one. They exemplify what it truly means to be a “team”.

As a team, they have three goals each and every week: play for 60 minutes, play hard, and win.

The rest doesn’t matter: if a guy misses a tackle or if Peyton throws three interceptions, all are superfluous. As long as the team has won the game, the stats, the analysis, and all the rest are meaningless.

You never hear players bitching and moaning on this team. You never see guys with big egos making silly touchdown celebrations. You just see a team.

When you face guys like this, that have no quit and don’t even know the meaning of the word, guys that know they will win every game they play...how do you defeat them?

Well there is one way, and one way alone. It’s not by having more talent than they do, or having a better game plan than they do. Or any other conventional answer to the question.

The answer to beating the Colts is simple: you must have the same psychology that they do. "We are a team, we believe in each other, and we believe that we will find a way to win".

Well that, and a future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.

Looking over the NFL landscape this season, there is no team like the Colts. There are plenty of other teams that look better on paper than they do. But that’s why you can’t use conventional thinking when analyzing them.

There are plenty of teams with better stats, ones that you could argue are superior to the Colts. There’s only one problem with that: the Colts are undefeated, and are setting records every week.

Even though the Saints haven’t lost a game, they have not had to overcome the adversity that the Colts have.

So as you listen in the coming weeks to former players and the professional media, regarding all of the Colts’ flaws, and why such and such a team is going to beat them in the playoffs, just ask yourself this one simple question:

Can Indy’s opponents play the perfect game?

If you’re honest with yourself you already know the answer to that question.

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There are plenty of accolades to go around amongst this group, but there is one player in particular who doesn’t get spoken of a lot but who, in my opinion, is a rising star for the Colts.

Jerraud Powers.

Powers decided to take a risk by leaving Auburn a year early and entering the 2009 draft.

Most projections had him being drafted late in the fourth or fifth round and playing in the nickelback/dimeback role and on special teams.

The general draft analysis of Powers that was reported in many publications was the following: "Does not have the ideal height or bulk that you look for...Isn't very strong...Not a great tackler...Struggles to get off blocks...Won't offer much in run support...Takes too many chances...Durability concerns."

The above analysis is the perfect reason that there are sports commentators and then there's Bill Polian. As is usual, more often than not, Bill sees what the rest of us do not.

He is an excellent judge of talent, and not only has Powers proved the commentators wrong, he has also broken Bill's third round curse: namely, that a lot of his third round picks have been busts.

It's funny how much circumstance and luck can give a young rookie an opportunity in the NFL; it's a shame that so many squander that opportunity. Instead, consciously or unconsciously, Powers has used his chance to prove the critics wrong.

Jerraud Powers has been a starter since Week One and has only missed one game. So how has he done? Let’s look first at his individual stats and where they rank him statistically with the rest of the Colts defense:

In the 11 games that Powers has played, he has recorded 54 solo tackles and 8 assists. He has ten passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Not too shabby for a guy who "can't get off his blocks" and was considered a poor tackler.

So where does he rank when compared with the rest of the Colts defense? Oh, nothing special. He just comes in at fifth.

The players who are ahead of him, well there's really no one special on that list either:

1. Clint Session

2. Antione Bethea

3. Gary Brackett

4. Melvin Bullitt

One of those players just happens to be a Pro-Bowler, and one should be (Gary Brackett).

Let's look at something else: How does Powers' first season as a starter compare to the Colts' two starting corners (though after this season I doubt that Marlin Jackson will win his job back from Powers) first seasons as starters?

Kelvin Hayden averaged 5.18 total tackles per game, had 10 passes defended, and three interceptions.

Marlin Jackson averaged 5.43 total tackles per game, had four passes defended, and one interception.

Currently, Powers is averaging 5.63 total tackles per game, and as stated earlier, has 10 passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

At 5.63 tackles per game, Powers is on pace to have roughly 84 tackles by the end of the season.

Powers' numbers are remarkable when you consider that both Hayden and Jackson, at that point in their careers, were two-year vets and had played in a Super Bowl.

Most coaches around the league agree that Powers plays beyond his years. This young man, who had a lot of knocks going against him coming into the draft, has become a very important part of why the Colts are 12-0.

It's about time that people in the mainstream media start taking notice of him. When it playoff time comes and Kelvin Hayden is completely healthy, teams are going to be facing, in my humble opinion, one of the best cornerback tandems the Colts have ever had.

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Obviously, Jason didn’t read the Mike Chappell piece from the INDYSTAR written on the same day. Had he read that piece, he might not have been so quick to do any reporting that day.

Here is what “Gonzo” had to say about his status: "I felt like I was close the last time," Gonzalez said. "So in that sense, it's a little hard to say. I do feel the 'scope I had helped a lot. Now it's just a matter of getting a little flexibility back and all my strength back. But I think I'm close."

Jim Caldwell, on the Sirius Blitz this morning, further backed up what Chappell reported. When asked about “Gonzalez,” he said the same thing he’s been saying for weeks. Caldwell is seeing improvement and thinks he’s “close” to returning, but he can’t give a date.

Before we go any further, let’s pause, and reflect on what “close” means. Close doesn’t mean in game shape and ready to play.

Once “Gonzo” gets his strength back, he’s going to have to go out, make it through a week of practice, and practice well to even be considered close to playing in an actual game.

“Close” right now means close to returning to practice. Then, when he does return to practice, he’s going to have to develop timing and rhythm with Peyton all over again.

Ten weeks without playing is like years in pro-football. If Peyton doesn’t think Anthony is ready for gameday, then Anthony isn’t playing come gameday.

Another thing to factor into this whole discussion: Peyton only has so much time to devote each week to the wide receivers. How much time is Peyton going to spend with “Gonzo” when he knows that, even if he does play, it’s going to be very limited?

Don’t think for a minute that the majority of the time Peyton allocates to his receivers is going to go to the Colts’ two new emerging stars: Garcon and Collie. Sorry “Gonzo,” that’s just how it goes.

The reality is it’s going to take weeks once “Gonzo” returns to the practice field for him and Peyton to get on the same page again. It’s not like they have been playing together for years, like Reggie and Peyton have, and even between Reggie and Peyton, it still would take some hard work to re-establish the chemistry that they share.

The sad truth for Anthony Gonzalez is he got hurt in what was supposed to be his breakout year and got replaced by a guy who, frankly, is better.

If “Gonzo” can return this season, he’ll be backing up Garcon at best.

Garcon is bigger, stronger, and faster than Gonzalez. Going into the playoffs, teams may find themselves facing a receiving corps as deep as the 2008 New England Patriots, and Gonzo might find himself on the outside looking in.

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This numbering system is referred to as “defensive line techniques.” In a sense, the name is a little bit misleading because the numbering system instructs a defensive lineman where he is to line up in relation to the opposing offensive lineman. It is not a step-by-step procedure on the type of blocks to use or what he should “key” off of in different downs and distances.

So why should you, the average fan, learn this system? Well once you understand it, you can learn a lot about how the offensive and defensive linemen are going to attack each other. 

                  O       O        O        C       O         O        O

       8    9 - 6 - 7 5 - 4    3 - 2 1 - 0 -1 2 - 3    4 - 5 7 - 6 - 9    8

Above is the infamous numbering system that I have referred to in so many of my articles. The numbering technique tells the defensive lineman, and the linebackers, where they are to line up in relation to the opposing team's offensive linemen. This is a bare-bones system I'm presenting here. Though it may form the basis for all teams’ defensive alignments, it's not the gospel. As with anything, teams add their own variations or tweaks.

Now let's go over a few examples. The most basic technique is the zero technique, where the defensive tackle, or in some cases, the Mike Linebacker, lines up right over the center. Now let’s say the defensive tackle is using a one technique. Then he is lined up over either the left or right shoulder of the center. If the defensive tackle is in a two technique, rushing the right guard, then he is lined up over the guard’s left shoulder, covering the "A" gap.

What the numbering system really does is tell you if a player on the defensive front is lining up over the left shoulder, directly in front of the offensive lineman, or his right shoulder. It also tells you what gap he is covering and what his reads are (which is way beyond the scope of this article).

So if you read that the defensive end is playing a seven technique on the weakside of the line, you would be incorrect if you said he was lined up to the outside of the offensive lineman’s right shoulder. The correct answer is he is lined up on the outside of his left shoulder.

The easiest way to remember all of this is to take the technique of the defensive lineman, and if that number is to the right of the offensive lineman, then switch your read to the opposite side. So you would say the defensive lineman is lined up to the offensive lineman’s left shoulder, and covering the "C" gap.

Also, don’t get confused if you see an offensive formation that doesn’t have a tight end lined up on the outside. You still use the same system.

The numbering system also tells a player how far off the line of scrimmage he is to line up. Typically, this applies more to the defensive end and outside linebackers.  

For example, if a defensive end is in an eight technique, he is really playing to the outside of the offensive tackle or tight end.

In closing, remember the above isn't gospel. Ninety percent of the time, this is the system used.  But you will, on occasion, see others. The important thing is, now you know how to read them and understand what they mean.

Just remember, where the number is located in relation to the offensive lineman tells you the alignment of the defensive player. It also tells you what gap he is covering and how the offensive lineman is going to try and block the defensive lineman. It also gives you a clue as to how the defensive lineman is going to try and attack the offensive front.

One last thing that is really important: Don’t get this confused with a player's stance. There is a big difference between a three-point stance and a three technique.

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Here is a bit of trivia before we get into how the 46 defense worked, and why we don’t see it much anymore: The name 46 defense didn’t come from the alignment of the players on defense;  it came from free safety Doug Plank, who wore jersey number 46, and was a hybrid free safety slash linebacker in Buddy Ryan’s system.

The basic idea of the 46 defense is that the defensive tackle lines up over the center, the other defensive tackle lines up over the right guard, and a defensive end lines up over the left guard.  No defenders are placed over the offensive tackles, instead a defensive end is placed to the outside shoulder of the left tackle  and old number “46”, who is a cross between a linebacker and a free safety, is placed to the outside shoulder of the right tackle.

Lined up on the outside of the defensive end and the 46, you have two outside linebackers, giving you a seven man front, with the  middle linebacker lined up right behind the defensive tackle, who is lined up over the center.

In the secondary, you have two corners lined up on the outside receivers, and a free safety playing the deep middle.

This defense was so successful because of their ability to collapse the line, shutting down the run, and sacking the quarterback before he could get a pass off.

In 1984 this system produced 72 quarterback sacks, and in 1985, when they made their Super Bowl run, the defense had a six game streak, where, on average they only gave up 4.5 points per game, and during the playoffs only allowed 10 points over three games. This defense paved the way to their winning Super Bowl XX.

Buddy Ryan had great success with this system not only in Chicago, but also in Philadelphia. In Chicago he had Dan Hampton lined up over center, and in Philadelphia, the defensive tackle over the center was the late, great, Reggie White.

Both of these men were so strong, and such excellent pass rushers, that they could collapse the offensive pocket by themselves, even when they were taking on two blockers. This allowed the rest of the defense to come crashing in on the the QB so quickly that he had no time to get the ball off.

Interestingly, Jeff Fisher, who played for Buddy Ryan, adopted the 46 defense for a while, as head coach of the Tennessee Oilers, who are now known as the Tennessee Titans.

The reason the 46 defense fell out of favor is that when it came to pass coverage, you only had three defensive backs to protect the whole field. It was designed to leave the cornerbacks in man coverage 90 percent of the time, while the FS was left on an island playing a deep zone. Not only did he have to protect the middle of the field against the deep pass, he also had to assist the two corner backs in pass coverage.

Sure you can drop one or two linebackers into zone coverage but this usually led to mismatches when teams spread the defense out with more than two wide receivers, or matched up a tight end against a linebacker.

The bottom line is, you’re trying to defend the pass with only three defensive backs. As the league became more and more pass happy, and the rules were changed to favor offense and the passing game, this system became less and less effective.

On top of that, for the 46 defense to really be successful, you need a Dan Hampton or Reggie White type lined up over the center. Those kinds of guys are hard to come by. If you don’t have someone like that on your team, then your ability to collapse the pocket, before the quarterback can get the pass off, is greatly diminished.

The 46 defense has its place in today’s game. It’s very effective when teams use compressed sets, where they line up with two or more backs in the backfield. The reason being, is that the 46 defense was designed to work against teams who use a lot of I formations and other sets where the defense is condensed.  It’s just not meant to be a base defense in today’s game, where more and more teams use some version of the spread offense.

The 46 defense has not been lost, nor forgotten, just modified, and used more judiciously now, than it was 23 years ago.

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What is it about the 3-4 that makes it so hard for the Colts offense, and in particular Manning and the offensive line, to be successful against it? To be fair, most quarterbacks struggle against the 3-4, it’s just a matter of degrees. Manning seems to struggle more than most.

Understanding the 3-4 and how it differs From the 4-3:

As the name implies, the 3-4 defense is comprised of three defensive lineman and four linebackers.

The Linemen:

The front three linemen are comprised of a nose guard and two defensive tackles. The nose guard is a huge player, weighing roughly 350 pounds. Not only does he have to be big, he has to be strong. His job is to take on the center and one or two of the guards simultaneously on every single play. Typically, a good nose guard is very hard to find. How many guys do you know that can take on three 300-plus pound guys in a fight?

Since talented nose guards are a rare breed when a team gets one, they pay him, and they pay him well. He is the anchor for the whole line. If he can’t control the center of the line, the whole system falls apart. Look no further then the San Diego Chargers to see what happens to a defense when a top-notch nose guard gets injured.

Depending on the scheme, the nose guard is responsible for controlling two gaps or one. The Patriots’ guard is a two-gapper, while the Chargers’ guard is a one-gapper.

The nose guard must be able to plug up the middle and make sure no running backs can make it through the A-gaps. His alignment is right in front of the center (which means he is playing a zero technique). When the ball is snapped, he must control both gaps, plus he must maintain his blocks. His job is to block the center and at least one of the guards; he must make sure that if the running back comes through one of the holes, he makes the tackle. 

Also, he must make sure neither the center nor the guard gets through those gaps to the linebackers. Just like on a running play, he must sustain his blocks on the center and the guard on passing plays. His job is not to rush the passer, that’s what the linebackers are for. Instead, his job is to stand his ground, occupy the center and the guard, and not get pushed back into the linebackers.

The 3-4 also consists of two defensive ends whose jobs are similar to those of the nose guard. The ends are much bigger than the ends in the 4-3 defense; they typically weigh around 300 pounds. Their alignment is directly in front of the offensive tackles (in this case both defensive tackles are playing a six technique.) Their job, like the nose guard, is to cover two gaps.

In this case they are responsible for the B and C-gaps. If there is no tight end lined up next to the defensive tackle, he is responsible for blocking the outside edge. Again, they must hold their blocks; typically their responsibility is to keep the offensive linemen occupied and make sure no running backs get through the gaps they’re responsible for so the outside linebackers can rush the passer.

Before we move onto the linebackers, understand that in the 3-4 scheme all three DTs are responsible for every single gap on the line. Being a DT in a 3-4 system is a thankless job. When something goes wrong they get all the blame, but when they do something right nobody cares. They rarely get the big sack on the quarterback or any of the glory. These are really blue collar guys who don’t get the credit they deserve.

Linebackers:

The 3-4 defense has four linebackers: Two outside linebackers and two inside linebackers.

The two inside linebackers typically weigh around 240 pounds and must be very athletic. The two outside linebackers weigh somewhere between a linebacker and a defensive end. Because their weight is in between the two, you will sometimes hear them referred to as “tweeners.”

The inside linebackers are called upon to help in run support, as well as pass coverage and blitzing.

Even though the outside linebackers are bigger than the linebackers you will find in the 4-3 defense, they are still expected to be very athletic and very fast. The speed and athleticism of the outside linebackers makes it very difficult for quarterbacks to roll out of the pocket, or running backs to run to the outside.

The original reason the 3-4 was created was it was hard to find two athletic defensive ends and two large defensive tackles in the draft. The other reason was the development of running backs. As they became faster and shiftier, it made it much harder for the heavier defensive ends to chase them down.The answer to all of this was the 3-4.

Great, now a defense that can stop the run has been created. There is only one problem. The 3-4, as it was originally run, had a hard time in pass coverage. It was very hard for the three defensive tackles to collapse the five-man offensive line. So what was the answer to this problem? Dick LeBeau and the Zone Blitz.

Unfortunately for Peyton Manning, the answer to the problem became the problem that he, Tom Moore, and Howard Mudd have struggled to find an answer to.

Why Peyton and the Offensive Line Struggle Against the Modern Version of the 3-4:

One of the reasons Manning—and a lot of other quarterbacks—struggle against the 3-4 is they don’t see it as often as they do the 4-3. This is a huge factor, because the more you play against a certain type of defense, the better you get at it.

However, the biggest reason is you can do so much with the 3-4 to disguise coverages, and confuse the quarterback and the offensive line. It is much more versatile than the 4-3 in this area.

The first problem the offensive line faces when playing the 3-4 is they don’t know which outside linebacker is rushing the passer. Compare this with the 4-3 defense; the majority of the time the four down-linemen are lined up in a certain technique, and the offensive lineman are told by Jeff Saturday what their blocking assignment is.

In Sunday’s game, not only did the 49ers confuse Manning and the line—which linebackers were rushing the passer—but they also shifted their defensive tackles around. On one play, the nose guard was playing a zero technique (lined up directly over the center), while the other two defensive tackles were lined up directly in front of the strong-side guard and tackle. This left the weak side completely uncovered.

When you see the defense line up like this, how do you, as an offensive lineman, figure out your protection schemes? Who is coming on the weak side? Is it going to be one linebacker, two linebackers? Are they coming off the edge? Is one coming off the edge and the other attacking the A or the B-gap? Are they bringing an extra inside linebacker or maybe a safety on the weak side, creating an overload blitz? Hopefully, you are starting to see why this scheme is so difficult to defend.

On another down in Sunday’s game, the 49ers stood all of their defensive lineman up in two point stances, and had them just walk around the line. This creates complete confusion on the offensive line. Now you have no clue who is coming from where, so again, your protection schemes are much harder to set up.

Furthermore, the amount of blitz packages that can be run out of this defense are endless. Again, the reason they are so successful is you don’t know where the pass rush is coming from. On top of that, when you start bringing safeties and defensive backs on blitzes, or showing blitz and then having them drop back into coverage, you start to confuse the hell out of the offense. Instead of the offense attacking the defense, they’re put in the odd position of trying to protect themselves from it.

Like any defense, the 3-4 has its disadvantages. It can be beat by going to a spread formation. Since the base 3-4 formation has four linebackers, the best way to attack it is to go four or five-wide. Inevitably, this creates a mismatch between a speedy wide receiver and a slower linebacker.

Another problem is once you go to a spread formation, you have to drop your linebackers into coverage. This can open up the inside running game. If the defensive coordinator decides to start zone-blitzing to stop the pass, you risk giving up the big play. So, like any defense, it can be beaten.

In general, the 3-4 is much better against the run, and the 4-3 is much better against the pass.

As far as Sunday’s game goes, even though Manning had a bad game, when he got into a little bit of a groove in the second half, he was able to pick apart the 49ers' zone defense. However, because the 49ers were able to get pressure with their front seven and not have to blitz much, they were able to play a lot of cover-3, which kept Manning out of the end zone.

Here is the million-dollar question: Why does a quarterback as cerebral and talented as Manning play so inconsistently against the 3-4?

There are times, like last year against the Steelers, where he played brilliantly. Then there are other occasions, like last Sunday, when he has an awful game against a 49’ers team who is good on defense, but are nowhere near the level of the Steelers in terms of the complexity of their scheme.

Even more frustrating than the questions posed above are the lack of explanations as to why. Sure, we can all break down film and show examples of where things went wrong, but I have yet to hear anyone come up with a sound explanation as to what the mental block Manning and the coaching staff have when it comes to playing more consistently against this defensive scheme.

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Do they leave Garcon on the outside as the No. 2, and put Anthony in the slot, sharing time with Austin Collie, or should “Gonzo” get his old job back, and Garcon be his backup?

Garcon has done an admirable job replacing Anthony. He has scored two touchdowns so far, and put up 240 yards. If he were to remain the starter, then he is on pace to put up five touchdowns and 640 yards for the season.

In comparison, last year as a backup, “Gonzo” put up 664 yards and four touchdowns. Since we’re comparing apples to oranges here, let’s throw the stats out the window, and look at this a different way.

How has Garcon progressed as a receiver while replacing Gonzalez? To answer this question, I went back and watched some game film on him.

When evaluating a wide receiver there are four things that I look four: 1) Release 2) Glide 3) Sprint 4) Burst 5) Blocking ability

I used these five criteria to come up with the answer to the question of whether or not “Gonzo” should return as the No. 2 when he is healthy.

Release

Garcon needs work in this area. He is inconsistent in his release. He tends to stutter step too much with his back foot, or do odd things like hop of the line.

Now don’t misunderstand me, all receivers tend to stutter a little when they release; it’s the degree to which they do it that is important.

If you watch Reggie Wayne, he does a slight stutter step with his back leg, but it’s minor, and is used to put a slight fake on the defender. However, at no point does it slow down he’s release off the line.

On the other hand Garcon's is noticeable and it slows him down a bit.

Other times Garcon will spend too much time trying to fake the player with a move, instead of just getting off the line, and into his pattern.

On the plus side, when Pierre does it right he looks like he has been playing the position for years.

His release is smooth, and if there is a defender in front of him he angles his back foot slightly away from the defender; he uses the arm closest to the defender to rip away, or in other words knock the defender’s arm away from him, and go right into his route without any loss of speed. It all looks very effortless and natural.

So yes, he does need work in this area, but that will come with time. In a sense he really is a rookie, and these are rookie mistakes he is making.

Advantage: Gonzo

Glide

There are two fundamental rules that a receiver needs to know about the glide portion of his route:

1)      If the defender is in front, or to the side opposite of where the receiver is going to make his cut, then the receiver should either run straight at the defender, or move slightly further to the inside, and then head straight up the field before making his break.

The reason the receiver does this is he wants the defender to believe that he is running straight up the field on a go route, and try to move the defensive back farther away from where he intends to make his cut.

2)      If the defender is to the inside of where the receiver wants to go, then again he is going to move his route ever so slightly to the outside, again trying to get the defensive back to move off his spot believing the receiver is running straight up the field.

The rules for the glide route are slightly different when the receiver is running a streak, or fade route, but not by much.

Garcon at times makes his glide move to soon. On one play, the defensive back was not fooled, stayed in position, and actually pushed Garcon off his route, and into the sideline.

At other times he ran the glide portion of his route perfectly, fooled the defenders, and made great receptions or at least got open.

Advantage: Gonzo

Sprint

From what I could see on tape, Garcon did not have any problems with the sprint portion of his route. He seemed to be able to get the defender to believe that he was running straight up the field...as much as possible nowadays, given how smart defenders have become.

 Now remember, I’m watching the game from the TV broadcast, not the game film that the coaches get, so there are portions of the routes that I don’t always get to see.

Still, from what I saw, this does not seem to be a big problem area for Garcon.

Advantage: Tie

Burst

Out of all the areas of Garcon’s play that were most impressive his burst, and his blocking abilities stood out.

Garcon, never slowed down when making his cuts, his foot work was correct, and he never tried to make his breaks at 90 degree angles (which do nothing but slow down the receiver). This is definitely one of his strong points.

Now don’t take the praise the wrong way. He still has a lot of practicing to do. Just compare Reggie Wayne’s blurts to Garcons, and you will see the difference is night and day.

When Reggie makes his cuts he just sort of glides into them as if he were a bird making a turn in mid-air.

However, it’s unfair to compare Garcon to Wayne, but this is one area, and a very important area, that Garcon seems to have a natural ability (or Manning yelled at him a lot.)

Advantage: Slight advantage to “Gonzo” due to experience, not ability

Blocking

Garcon is an excellent blocker on running plays. He wins this category hands down. He is bigger and stronger than Gonzalez, and is a great asset to the Colts on the strong side where they have difficulty running the ball.

Garcon is also a great blocker on pass plays when the reception is caught in his area of the field.

Advantage: Big Advantage to Garcon

Miscellaneous Observations

There is one thing that Garcon does that he needs to work on. He takes to many plays off when he knows the pass isn’t coming his way.

Before someone says, “All receivers do that!” I understand that. It’s too exhausting of a sport to run full throttle on every down; however, in Pierre's case, it’s excessive.

The problem with running you’re route half speed on a pass play, or a running play, is that you’re signaling to the defense that either, “The ball isn’t coming my way so don’t waste your time over here,” or your signaling to them, “Hey, it’s a running play so don’t worry about the pass guys.”

This is either an attitude issue or a conditioning issue, regardless of which it needs to be corrected.

After hearing several positive interviews with Garcon, and knowing the Colts organization, there is no doubt in my mind that this will get straightened out.

Advantage: “Gonzo”

In Conclusion

When I first set out to write this piece I thought the direction it would take was that “Gonzo” was going to lose his job as the No. 2, and he would be used more as the starting slot receiver.

After watching film on Garcon, it is quite clear that Garcon is still a rookie, he is still making rookie mistakes, and once “Gonzo” is 100 percent healthy, Garcon will be the backup.

That’s for this year, though. I see a bright future for Garcon; all of the mistakes he is making right now are issues of lack of experience instead of lack of ability.

I can’t wait for training camp next year because I think there is going to be quite a battle for the outside receiver spot opposite of Wayne. Don’t be surprised if Garcon wins it!

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