I will be creating a page specifically for the Vikings Defensive Scheme, but until we know for sure what that is, I'm going to surmise in a blog post.
The Vikings have and will continue to run a base 4-3 defense. In it's very basic that means there are four down lineman (down meaning they have their hands on the ground) and three linebackers. See the image below.
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| from: bleacherreport.com |
For many years the Vikings had run a cover two 4-3 defense, which meant that the four down lineman were relied upon to provide the pass rush while the linebackers were in pass coverage and run support. On a run play, each player of the defensive line and each linebacker would be in charge of a specific gap, such as between the guard and center or between the tackle and tight end (the image above examples this very nicely. For more information, you'll have to go to bleacherreport.com). We fared well with that when we had Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. With the loss of Pat Williams, though, we didn't have the big run stuffing nose tackle to go along with the 3 technique pass rushing defensive tackle of Kevin Williams. Now, before the 2014 season, the cover two is gone, replaced by Mike Zimmer's more aggressive, bringing-pressure-from-other-positions 4-3. Finally. We need this.
While I am not completely sure what Zimmer is going to do with our defense, I can surmise based on personnel, what he's said, and what he's done in the past. Defensive Coordinator George Edwards should help a bunch as well, as he has extensive experience on the defensive side of the ball.
Based on personnel, we will be putting Linval Joseph at the nose guard position. He will line up between the center and guard most often and be expected to take on double teams. He'll shift from side to side based on where the tight end lines up if there's a tight end. Shariff Floyd will play the 3-technique, lined up opposite Joseph but between the guard and tackle for most base sets. He'll be leaned upon for interior pass rush and run support. Then we have Everson Griffin and Brian Robison. Plan for Griffin to play the right defensive end spot to replace Jared Allen. In his first full season as a starter, Griffin will be relied upon to bring a lot of pressure from the typical pass-rushing end spot (I hope to be seeing a lot of the below image from Griffin). Brian Robison will play the left end spot, where he's been solid ever since we chose not to resign Ray Edwards in 2011. Robison doesn't usually put up flashy numbers, but he's always been solid against the pass and the run.
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| from: bleacherreport.com |
The linebackers are much more of a mystery. Chad Greenway will definitely be starting at one position, but whether that's on the left side or the right side remains to be seen. Anthony Barr, the Vikings first, first round draft pick will most likely get the start on the other side. However, I can see him and Greenway being shifted around based on the opposing personnel and situation. Don't expect Barr to be in pass coverage very often, though with his athletic ability, I hope that gets better quickly (see my breakdown on his skillset: http://theinconsistentviking.blogspot.com/2014/05/first-round-analysis-anthony-barr.html). He was drafted for his athletic ability and potential, but the best way he can contribute immediately is with his pass rushing skills. The middle linebacker is more of a mystery. Typically in a cover two the linebackers would be smaller and quicker, able to get to a running back but also to cover a specific zone on the field. Expect that to change a bunch in Zimmer's scheme. In the past Zimmer has run more man coverage. With our corners being put into man coverage more often, our linebackers will be free to blitz. Expect Anthony Barr to be blitzing at least sixty percent of the time during his rookie season. Greenway could see some blitzing as well, as will our middle linebacker, but the pass rush from the linebacker position should focus on Barr.
If we're comparing what to expect to what was in the past, Barr would play a similar position to what James Harrison played for the Bengals. Harrison, however, was a situational pass rusher and didn't play often. The Vikings want Barr to play much more than that. Zimmer has already said he envisions Barr in a similar role to the one Von Miller plays for the Broncos. Miller is a superstar, rushing the passer from the linebacker position in some sets and from the defensive end position in other sets. One thing we could see coming is shifting Barr down to the right defensive end spot, taking Linval Joseph off the field, and sliding Everson Griffin into the defensive tackle spot. That gets four great pass rushers on the field at once. I'm seeing the Giants NASCAR set, where they would have their four best pass rushers down on the line, oftentimes that being four defensive ends. It's a thought that gives me chills. And the air conditioning isn't even running. They could also play only three down lineman and play Barr as a linebacker up against the line of scrimmage, like James Harrison is doing in the image below.
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| from: cincyjungle.com |
Greenway could play a spot more similar to Vontaze Burfict of the Bengals. Granted, their skillsets are much different. Greenway is no longer the athlete he used to be, but he is still the Vikings smartest defender by a long shot. He should still break triple digits in tackles, meaning he may often be playing mop up duty. I'm very comfortable with that role for him. As to the middle linebacker, that's harder to predict. For the Bengals, Rey Maualuga was the starter for the last few years. He's big, able to dish out huge hits, but slow. They also had Emmanuel Lamur, who played a lot on passing downs as he was smaller and much faster than Maualuga. Who could play those roles for the Vikings. Well, returning from a year stint with the Cardinals is Jasper Brinkley. He's good in run defense but that's it. He's not fast and he's terrible in pass coverage. Then we have Audie Cole, seen below, who could be very solid, though he's not nearly the athlete that Lamur is. Cole has very little experience, yet what he does have has been very promising. We also have Michael Mauti, and Gerald Hodges will need to find a position somewhere. I really have no idea what could happen (though honestly, I'd prefer if Jasper Brinkley was our third or fourth option).
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| from: thevikingage.com |
Obviously, a major part of this defense working is our secondary's ability to switch to man coverage. One thing we have going for us is that Xavier Rhodes should actually be more comfortable in man than in zone. The Vikings are relying heavily on the second year corner to guard the likes of Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Jordy Nelson. Captain Munnerlyn is a good addition in this aspect. He and Josh Robinson should compete for covering the slot corner. From what I've seen (and I will be shocked if I'm actually right), Josh Robinson has been better on the outside even with his blazing speed. That will allow Munnerlyn to play in the slot, where he should be very good. With Harrison Smith playing amazing-typical-we do still need a little help from the other side. Jamarca Sanford has not been great-about average at best, which is better than not even close to average-and his time may be coming to a close. Antone Exum may be a long shot for the other safety spot-he's only a year removed from a severe lower body injury-but his experience working out of the corner could translate nicely to what the Vikings may be doing. Give him a year or two to bounce back from the injury and learn the defense, then plug him beside Harrison Smith. Giving him some reps this year, even three or four snaps a game, could go a long way towards his development.
Just as our offense will benefit from a complete overhaul, our defense is going to benefit from the shift from the traditional cover two to a more aggressive, more man coverage dominated 4-3. Expectations are always high this time of year. I know the Jaguars and Raiders are super psyched about their rosters and their chances. They should be. No one has played a game yet. But the Vikings were long overdue for this change. With most defenses today throwing in exotic sets and blitz packages, and seeing the success that many of them have had (see Jets, Patriots, Bengals, Broncos, Seahawks), it was time the Vikings start doing something more unpredictable. What? You mean all three of our linebackers are going to drop into zone coverage again? I really didn't expect that. How shall they ever combat the four down lineman blitzing straight ahead like they have for the last eight games of the season? I'm very excited to see how our new defense fairs. Even if we aren't great this year, I see great things for the future. But we will be great. I mean, come one. We're undefeated so far this season. We're practically the best team in the league.
For the third year in a row, the Vikings have at least two first round picks. That's pretty great, considering the talent we've gotten. In 2012 we got Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith, both who should be starting and performing at a very high level for us for years to come. Last year we got Xavier Rhodes, Shariff Floyd, and Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson burst onto the scene in all three aspects of the offensive game-passing, running, and returning kickoffs-and Norv Turner's offense is going to feature him a lot more this year. Floyd and Rhodes are both going to be assuming starting roles and look to be in good shape to do so. After trading down one spot with the Browns and getting an additional 5th round pick, the Vikings drafted Anthony Barr.
Anthony Barr, OLB UCLA:
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| from: nfl.si.com |
There were rumors floating around about the Vikings being interested in Barr, but I honestly didn't think it would happen. At nearly 6'5" and 255 lbs, he's a bit big for the prototypical 4-3 linebacker size, and he's a bit small for a 4-3 defensive end. He'd been repeatedly mocked to the Titans, who will be running a 3-4 this year, as he is seen as a pass rushing outside linebacker.
But Barr has all the athletic tools to succeed in any system. While he's only played on the defensive side of the ball for two years, his production during those two years is a good indicator that Barr can grasp a defensive scheme and handle his assignments well. If we're just looking at projection, who knows how high his ceiling could be? He hasn't been playing defense for long. He ran a 4.66 forty yard dash at the combine, which is good, but then he ran a 4.45 at his pro day, which is astounding. He has the sideline to sideline speed that you always hear about that teams covet.
I'm going to analyze Barr in relation to the different assignments he'll be asked to play. I'm getting most of this information from the scouting report posted on bleacherreport.com. I'm going to start with a graph rating different aspects of Barr's game.
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| from:bleacherreport.com |
Pass Rushing: This is the skill that made him stand out and pushed him into the conversation for a top first round pick. He has a very quick first step (what everyone says about why Jadeveon Clowney will be so good), and then he follows that with tremendous speed. Hence the 8 he scores for initial quickness. He also has a great counter, as in when he gets the tackle to commit to the outside speed rush he cuts underneath to the inside. His crazy agility allows him to pull off those stunts. Yet according to the graph, Barr only registers a 7 overall for pass rushing. That's because he still has plenty to work on. His power moves need the most work. But that can be taught, and I don't have any doubts that we have the right coaches to help with that. A little more strength will help as well (he didn't put up awesome bench numbers), and that's a weight room assignment that he will have many chances to rectify.
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| from: all22breakdown.com |
Run Support: This needs some work. At a 5, the only ranking lower is his strength, which would help immensely in run support. He doesn't shed blocks well, and once a lineman has engaged him he's pretty much out of the play. Most of his power comes from his legs, so once he gets his upper body stronger he should be able to push off easier. He has the awareness-he knows where he needs to be-he just needs more practice and experience. Working against someone like Matt Kalil and learning from Everson Griffin and Brian Robison will benefit him tremendously. Chad Greenway will also be great at showing him the ropes, as Barr will most likely play the opposite linebacker spot. One thing Barr does extremely well in run support is chase the ball carrier from behind, especially when the play is going away from him. It's all about speed and athleticism in those situations, and Barr already has that.
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| from: nfl.com |
Pass Coverage: A prospect scouted as a pass rushing 3-4 outside linebacker probably isn't good in coverage, right? Most of the time, yeah, but that's not the case with Barr. He doesn't have the awareness and experience yet, but he has the speed and agility necessary to play well in space, especially in the zone that I think the Vikings will be running with their linebackers most of the time. At the point he's at now, he gets a rating of 7 for zone coverage, and 6 for man coverage. That's good for a linebacker who will probably be used to rush the passer on most downs. He picked up his role on defense quickly at UCLA, so I don't expect him to struggle for long when learning what his role in Zimmer's 4-3 defense will be.
I personally do not know what Zimmer's defense is going to look like. The question right now, when discussing Barr, is how often are they going to blitz more than four players. In the past, the Vikings have been all about rushing only their four down lineman. With Barr though, you have to think Zimmer will be sending him at the passer, at least on obvious passing downs. Xavier Rhodes should take a step forward in his ability to cover, and Munnerlyn will help a lot on the back end. The Vikings will still draft a safety yet to hopefully start next to Harrison Smith or to provide valuable rotation minutes, and I still think they take another linebacker who excels in coverage, like Telvin Smith from Florida State or Christian Kirksey from Iowa. Better coverage means we can afford to send another guy to harass the quarterback. I'm exited to see what Barr can do when combined with Robison, Griffin, and Floyd against the NFC North's quarterbacks. A few more plays with Aaron Rodgers on his backside, or watching Cutler and Stafford try to scramble away from pressure, will always be welcome.
