Depth Chart: DEFENSE

[Einstein McFly]

This can/will change.
Mostly, it could change at safety.
But as of right now:

Base/First down
LDE Datone
NT Raji
RDE Peppers

LOLB Perry
LILB B Jones
RILB Hawk
ROLB Matthews

LCB Tramon
RCB Shields
S1 Burnett
S2 Hyde or Richardson (I predict Hyde)

Passing downs/Second & Long
Datone
Daniels
Peppers
Neal
Matthews
Perry

Shields
Tramon
Hayward
Burnett
Hyde

Here's the thing about that: 6 guys as pass-rushers.... they can rotate to keep fresh. Perry or Neal or Matthews, they only need 2 of them, but can use 3 if Dom gets cute.
Matthews, even Peppers, are both capable and athletic as hell to drop off to take away the swing pass or short one, trick up the QB and bring the heat from elsewhere.

Hayward will come in. So can House if they need an additional cover guy.
Hopefully no Jarrett Bush. And there will probably be a talented rookie like hopefully Calvin Pryor or Hasean Clinton-Dix.

Short Yardage
Raji
Pickett? (yes I see him back cheap, hometime discount....he does the dirty work in the trenches.)
Boyd
Jolly? (I worry about his neck as we have had worse neck luck than any other team.

If we lose Pickett and/or Jolly, we only have 2 Bigs left in Raji and Boyd (who is only 310.)
We will have to bring in another Big or two (guys 325+).
Raji and Pickett are each about 338 (listed). Jolly is 325.

We need some more beef so teams can't just run it down our throat.

Just coming out of the league Peppers might have been a Watt-like 3-4 end, but now I can't see him putting a ton of effort in to taking up blockers to keep linebackers clean. It's be great if Jones could be a three down player here too, but last year he was pretty lousy against the run and ended up losing snaps to Boyd. So I see it as Raji at the nose and then Worthy/Guion/Jolly and or some draft pick at the base ends until Jones shows he can make it work. I think Peppers/Jones/Daniels are going to be rotating in passing downs to keep them all fresh and maybe Worthy/Boyd depending on what they show in camp/practice. I doubt we'll ever see Peppers in as a 3-4 DE.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

It's always the responsibility of the DC, if the players aren't executing, or can't execute the play call; mental mistakes as opposed to getting beat physcially - that always come down to the DC.

Sun Tzu, "... the buck stops here", etc. Getting beat physically is one thing, players making mental mistakes, blowing assignments, losing contain, etc, those things come down to coaching. If it happens once in a while, you expect that, but when it happens over and over again?? That's the responsibility of the coaching staff to get that corrected immediately.

Taking on the wrong shoulder?? Bad angles?? Those things come down to coaching. If players are mentally prepared, the game slows down, and they recognize what is coming, where the play is going, and get themselves in position to make the play. Raji getting blown off the line by a double team is one thing, but players taking on the wrong shoulder, and not knowing their responsibility - that is coaching.

Ok, I get it. Capers is responsible for everything going wrong. Apparently Capers didn't emphasize to Raji enough that he wasn't supposed to get shoved around like a pre-schooler on defense. He also should have told Erik Walden that you're supposed to chase after the guy with the ball, not let the guy with the ball sneak up behind and yell 'boo!' while you're looking at the really cool fanny pack that running back is wearing. Perhaps a better defensive coordinator would have brought a dictionary to the sideline to let Burnett know what the word 'contain' means, because apparently a good coach has to literally teach NFL players everything they should have learned from middle school onwards.

Fast forwarding to this year, he should have had Matthews working his hands out more often so he wouldn't break his thumb (or potentially taught him a better tackling technique that didn't involved thumbs?). Capers certainly should never have had Shields on the field for the play where he hurt his knee in the playoff loss (I mean, it's Capers job to make sure nothing goes wrong, right? He should have known that play would injure Shields). Capers should have taught Hawyard how to run without using his hamstrings, thereby allowing him to stay on the field more often.

Sarcasm aside, I'm not trying to convince anyone that Capers is a terrific defensive coordinator, just that the major problems on this defense are personnel related, not coaching. The defensive side of the ball has, unfortunately, been supplied with innefective players (whether through injury or lack of skill). The whole point of this write-up on the Niners playoff loss from Football Outsiders was merely to illustrate that Capers actually did HIS job correctly. He put guys in position to make plays. The defensive coordinator's job isn't to micromanage and give personal coaching to every defensive player on the team, there simply isn't enough time in the day to accomplish that.

 

[easyk83]

I'm looking for proof of where his sacks came from. Not just putting the onus on your, I legitimately want to know. I've been looking for a simple chart that show number of sacks by alignment and if a stunt/twist was used.



He did a little bit, but again, I'm looking for numbers. But also "why." Is it to get the pass rushers on the field? To take advantage of a particular weakness or alignment or tendency in the offense?

If you move Matthews around too much, he'll rush less. If he's not at OLB/nickel end, he'll have more coverage responsibilities. Remember, Capers rushes 5 or more only about 33% of the time.

Its alright, I don't have the source but I do recall a table shown during game three which broke down his sacks. 2 came from the defensive left, 2 from the middle and 2 from the right. I think this video shows all of his sacks,

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Notice that against the Eagles and Bills there is an even distribution of sacks from the left right and middle. Also curiously enough one of his sacks came when Matthews launched a delayed blitz when he was lined up like an in the box safety. Also if you'll accept a personal anecdote I recall a couple free runs manufactured for Packer blitzers against Philly because the Eagles were shifting so much protection towards Matthews.

Finally I'd offer two plays to support my contention that he should be moved around. Consider his forced fumble against Pit in the Super Bowl and Sam Shields pick against the girls, the later of which came after Matthews read pass on a designed run and forced an early throw. Both plays were tremendous reads made by a tremendous athlete, I think you get the most out of Matthews by maximizing his ability and freedom to attack an offense. Leave stacking up the edge to physical talents like Peppers Jones, Perry and Neal. Let Clay make plays, he's the best in the business when he's allowed to roam free.

 

[mradtke66]

Finally I'd offer two plays to support my contention that he should be moved around. Consider his forced fumble against Pit in the Super Bowl and Sam Shields pick against the girls, the later of which came after Matthews read pass on a designed run and forced an early throw.

At least the forced fumble, he wasn't roaming. That year, he was the LOLB. He wasn't roaming, he was playing his position.

I don't mind him strategically moved around. Him getting sacks up the middle are almost certainly a result of Coordinator chess matches. Moving him too much lessens that impact.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

At least the forced fumble, he wasn't roaming. That year, he was the LOLB. He wasn't roaming, he was playing his position.

On that play the Packers lined up Pickett at LOLB though.

 

[easyk83]

At least the forced fumble, he wasn't roaming. That year, he was the LOLB. He wasn't roaming, he was playing his position.

I don't mind him strategically moved around. Him getting sacks up the middle are almost certainly a result of Coordinator chess matches. Moving him too much lessens that impact.

In both plays he wasn't roaming, but the plays happened because Matthews went outside of the gameplan and made something happen. Capers likes having a guy who can roam free and attack, Matthews is that guy for us.

 

[mradtke66]

On that play the Packers lined up Pickett at LOLB though.

No, Pickett was the left end, because that was his primary position that year. I don't think Pickett ever lined up for us in a two point stance. That'd be funny.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

No, Pickett was the left end, because that was his primary position that year. I don't think Pickett ever lined up for us in a two point stance. That'd be funny.

Take a look at the play.

 

[TJV]

I expect they’ll have Matthews moving around more this season but the fumble he forced in Super Bowl XLV wasn’t outside the gameplan – it was a line call. Matthews yelled “Spill it Pickett, spill it, spill it!” telling Pickett to go inside and he would go outside because from film study he recognized the formation and because ‘they keep looking this way’. Pickett was in a three point stance:

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The reason to move Matthews around is to take advantage of matchups and to be less predictable and I expect we’ll see much more of that this season than in the last couple.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I expect they’ll have Matthews moving around more this season but the fumble he forced in Super Bowl XLV wasn’t outside the gameplan – it was a line call. Matthews yelled “Spill it Pickett, spill it, spill it!” telling Pickett to go inside and he would go outside because from film study he recognized the formation and because ‘they keep looking this way’. Pickett was in a three point stance:

Well, then I stand corrected. I somehow remembered Pickett in a two point stance during the play.

It was an odd formation though as there were 4 DLs, 4 LBs, 2 safeties and only one CB on the field.

 

[TJV]

It was an odd formation though as there were 4 DLs, 4 LBs, 2 safeties and only one CB on the field.

You're right: It really looks like the Packers did their homework on that play. Second and two and Pittsburgh was in an offset I with only one WR split out.

 

[easyk83]

At least the forced fumble, he wasn't roaming. That year, he was the LOLB. He wasn't roaming, he was playing his position.

I don't mind him strategically moved around. Him getting sacks up the middle are almost certainly a result of Coordinator chess matches. Moving him too much lessens that impact.

To me the alignment of the Defense looked like a 43 flex with Clay lined up 3 yards behind the line in the position of a traditional SAM backer.

EDIT: Correction 44, looked like Big Okie with Pick lined up as a DE.

 

[easyk83]

I expect they’ll have Matthews moving around more this season but the fumble he forced in Super Bowl XLV wasn’t outside the gameplan – it was a line call. Matthews yelled “Spill it Pickett, spill it, spill it!” telling Pickett to go inside and he would go outside because from film study he recognized the formation and because ‘they keep looking this way’. Pickett was in a three point stance:

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The reason to move Matthews around is to take advantage of matchups and to be less predictable and I expect we’ll see much more of that this season than in the last couple.

You're correct Jack, though my point remains the same. It's another instance of Clay making a great read and a great adjustment. The best Capers defenses always have a roaming x-factor player, I think Clay is that guy.