When is a 4-3 defense not really a 4-3?
When it’s the Broncos’ 4-3 defense of 2007-08.
“The 4-3 really wasn’t here,” said Josh McDaniels, who was hired in January to become the Broncos’ coach of 2009. “The way they played, the style, we just felt like it wasn’t like we had a solid 4-3 defensive scheme in terms of our personnel to fit that scheme. So, why take a year and do that when it really wasn’t in place to begin with?”
Some coaches who inherit a roster of 4-3 personnel and want to convert to a 3-4 make the transition gradual. Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan used both the 3-4 and 4-3 when he was the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach from 2005-08. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt still hasn’t made the full conversion to the 3-4 since he was hired away from the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 2006 season.
McDaniels didn’t see a need to wait. He took a thorough look at all of Denver’s smallish defensive linemen and linebackers and didn’t see a perfect fit for the 4-3 or 3-4.
“So we just said, just make the change,” McDaniels said. “Just go.”
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan did experiment with the 3-4 last season starting with the third game, against New Orleans. But after giving up 32 points while beating the Saints, losing 33-19 the next week to the 0-3 Kansas City Chiefs and getting demolished 41-7 to New England in Week 7, the 3-4 was filed away to further review.
“The 3-4 they played last year was more of a hybrid, gimmicky type of deal,” McDaniels said. “I don’t really think that it created much success when they played it anyway.”
Winds of trouble?
Not all went well for the Broncos in their 27-6 win Sunday against Cleveland. Place-kicker Matt Prater was 2-of-4 on field goals from inside the 40, missing from 39 and 37 yards.
On each miss, Prater’s boots sailed well above the goalposts. Perhaps, he kicked them too high for the stiff crosswind.
“Sometimes it’s hard to feel good about starting it way outside the post and hoping that the wind is going to bring it back in,” McDaniels said. “We did once or twice there, and we happened to miss a couple left when we started it too far to the middle.”
Ayers update.
Robert Ayers, the No. 18 overall draft pick and rookie defensive end/outside linebacker, hasn’t sacked the quarterback yet, but he’s getting closer.
“I’ll say this, he had a lot to do with a couple of Elvis’ (Dumervil’s four) sacks because the quarterback didn’t have anywhere else to escape because of what Robert was doing on the other side,” Nolan said. “Although he didn’t get the numbers, he still was very helpful on what Elvis did.”
Pryce says thanks.
Former Broncos defensive lineman Trevor Pryce, who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, took out an advertisement in Monday’s Denver Post to thank fans for voting him to the “All 50th Anniversary Team.”
“You cheered for me, and now I cheer for you,” Pryce wrote. “Thank you so much for this prestigious honor of naming me to the 50th anniversary team, one that I am humbled by and will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Pryce played for the Broncos from 1997-2005. Denver reached the playoffs in six of his nine seasons. Mike Klis, The Denver Post
