D200: Single High Safety

[billick]

  Ed was more valueable than Ray. He played two spots at once.

 

  Ed Reed played center field, or single high safety. However, because he was the only safety, he was also the defacto Right and Left fielder. He played the whole outfield. No assignment, a free safety.  The result of this was that we had 10 players to defend every thing else. This season, we will have 9.

 

  In the olde days, the QB was like a pitcher, in baseball. They put the ball in play. They scrambled, but for time, not yards. Hence, free safety was the defensive result of this decision. The QB was not guarded. That has changed.

 

  The result of Reed leaving has restacked the deck. I now  believe we now will play the Tampa Two. Two free safeties, if you will. Covering half of the field, each.

 

  It may be we will play a two gap defense. The defensive lineman will attempt to pancake to OL

lined up across from him. Our huge investment in LB's may be a precursor to his. I don't believe

that Ngata and Suggs can be doubled teamed each play.  If our three DL can occupy four OL on each play, somebody getting some sacks. I feel our LB's will be loaded with stats, if we can control the line of scrimmage on first down.

 

 Second and long, we can turn the dogs loose.

 

  We shall what Dean Pees can come up with. It will not be 2012 Reprise.

[bMore Heathen]

The Tampa 2 is more of a zone based defense with 2 high safeties and an athletic LB covering the deep middle. We won't be playing a lot of that. We will be playing more of a man scheme with 2 high safeties though. We don't have the players to play a Tampa 2. We are a man to man team.

Ed Reed playing the deep middle was good and bad. For one, he couldn't tackle. So they didn't want him 1 on 1 with anybody. He was much better, as you said with playing center field. It also had a lot to do with Pollard not being very good in coverage. So we were trying to play to our strengths.

I prefer to have 2 complete safties. Elam and Huff and cover and tackle. It allows your defense to hide coverage a lot more and keeps QBs guessing. I'll take Elam and Huff over Reed and Pollard. But there is no replacing Reeds knowledge of the game. He was basically a coach on the field, but that often would lead him into guessing. He wasn't always right, and that puts a lot of pressure on your CBs. That is why everyone though Cary Williams was trash, even though he was playing his assignment correctly.

[5aiah]

Actually we play with so many different looks and coverage shells. Quarters was a major base coverage for us last year more so than single high. We will never play one thing, its not the Raven way. Quarters,Cover 2, single high zone and man, cover 1 lurk, we can do it all. 

[billick]

Last season, I believe our base D was the nickle. I think we used it more than any other D.

[5aiah]

Last season, I believe our base D was the nickle. I think we used it more than any other D.

That's the formation not the base coverage shell. You can play man or zone(all of them) in nickel. We used Quarters a ton last season especially during the run.