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Wide nine defense

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Don't remember the last time I've seen a TRUE wide 9 alignment. A 7-technique means you're outside the TE if he's on the LOS, so wide 9 would be outside an unbalanced double TE set. That's a ridiculous split.
 
The wide-9 is better suited for smaller, speed rushers. It allows them to run the arc to the QB without having to fight through the body/arms of the tackle. If the tackle oversets, they have a ton of space to cut inside. If you are a stronger DE with good hands and nice bend, there's no reason to ever be wider than a true 7-tech.

I'm a fan to utilize on 3rd and long, but not on early downs. It opens huge running lanes and doesn't set the edge. Also, if you're not a fast twitch DE, it's just that much farther you have to run to get to the QB. Against spread teams with a quick passing game, it's too long of a run and opens clear passing lanes to the slot guys.
 
The "wide nine" puts more stress on your Linebackers IMO, not your DT's.

Regardless of whether your DE's are lined up in 9's or lined up in standard 5's, they still have the same gap responsibilities. (C-gap)
You'll have a DT in an A-gap and another DT in the opposite B-gap. Gap responsibilities are no different than the standard "even front" alignment.

The problem lies within the wide alignment of the DE's and how big of a vertical seam (or gap) it creates between the Guards and Tackles. A standard 5-technique alignment allows your DE's to condense the B-gap while protecting the C. Between pressure from the DE and pressure from the DT, the B-gap can be condensed into a tight window. Well when your DE's are lined up in "wide 9's" and they're shooting up-field then the B-gap becomes a lot bigger. This opens up vertical seams and requires your LB to cover a lot more ground.
 
Cribby said:
Jim Johnson was more of a blitz guy, dude was blitzing off the bus. I saw him blitz three players one time . Which means there's four guys covering five legal receivers. The fullback was wide open but Romo didn't never see him. Trotter was on dat ***. If bringing six is a casino blitz then what is seven ? It's insanity.

I can't remember the exact stat but one season he blitzed 15-20 percent more than the number two team. Which means bringing five or more rushers. He loved big middle Lb's that would shoot the A gap and implode either the ol, rb or qb. The Mike was a glorified DT. Hence why Trotter struggled when he left philly.

He was a river boat gambler on steroids, absolutely crazy. Loved his years in philly.
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RIP Jim Johnson. Johnson was one of my all time favorite DC's. His years in Philly were special. Jim had wide 9 fronts in the playbook but he most certainly didn't base his defense in it. Yes he was a blitzing maniac but his blitzes were extremely well designed and much of the time very well disguised. I think there is a huge misconception about Johnson being a riverboat gambler on steroids and so forth. This is because those types of characterizations imply recklessness and can paint a picture of a one dimensional blitz crazy madman with an unsound defense. The truth is that Jim Johnson's defenses were aggressive yet they were very fundamentally and structurally sound.

Johnson was a film junkie and a master of scheming. He was excellent at designing specific game plans to stymie different types of offenses. His blitzes were most always well timed and tailored made for each team he faced. You could say he was the anti Golden/Donofrio. In my opinion Jim Johnson doesn't get nearly the credit and respect he earned. Very underrated IMO.
 
Dolphins defense is one of the worst I have ever seen. Linebackers are trash so the wide nine is getting gashed by the run.
 
NY Shyne said:
Dolphins defense is one of the worst I have ever seen. Linebackers are trash so the wide nine is getting gashed by the run.
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See that's the problem unless you have very good run-stuffing DTs and good LBs, it certainly won't work. Just remembering it as a Titans fan from 2008 with Jim Schwartz as DC and Jim Washburn as DL coach. Washburn was one of the best DL coaches in the league and taught the wide-9 to perfection to his DEs. Titans front 7 consisted of Kyle Vanden Bosch - Tony Brown - Albert Haynesworth - Jevon Kearse. The LBs were Keith Bulluck at WLB, Stephen Tulluch at MLB, and David Thornton at SLB. The only truly great to very good players were KVB, Haynesworth, and Bulluck. Kearse at that point was near the end of his career, Thornton was pretty solid, and Tulloch was a young player who had yet really broken out. Titans had one of the best defenses in the league that year including in the run and a lot of that had to do with gap penetration from who should have been the defensive player of year in Haynesworth. No one could stop him except himself with little nagging injuries. Everybody in that front 7 knew their role though and played it extremely well. It definitely takes time and without the right personnel, it certainly won't work.
 
Coach Macho said:
The "wide nine" puts more stress on your Linebackers IMO, not your DT's.

Regardless of whether your DE's are lined up in 9's or lined up in standard 5's, they still have the same gap responsibilities. (C-gap)
You'll have a DT in an A-gap and another DT in the opposite B-gap. Gap responsibilities are no different than the standard "even front" alignment.

The problem lies within the wide alignment of the DE's and how big of a vertical seam (or gap) it creates between the Guards and Tackles. A standard 5-technique alignment allows your DE's to condense the B-gap while protecting the C. Between pressure from the DE and pressure from the DT, the B-gap can be condensed into a tight window. Well when your DE's are lined up in "wide 9's" and they're shooting up-field then the B-gap becomes a lot bigger. This opens up vertical seams and requires your LB to cover a lot more ground.
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This is definitely true but without some dominant DTs who can control the interior gaps, you'll get run on all day long. I do agree about the LBs as well. The Will and Sam definitely have to be all-around good players in pass-pro and Run-D. The MLB can certainly get by on just being a thumper who can play the run though if you have those rangy OLBs.
 
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smack99 said:
Coach Macho said:
The "wide nine" puts more stress on your Linebackers IMO, not your DT's.

Regardless of whether your DE's are lined up in 9's or lined up in standard 5's, they still have the same gap responsibilities. (C-gap)
You'll have a DT in an A-gap and another DT in the opposite B-gap. Gap responsibilities are no different than the standard "even front" alignment.

The problem lies within the wide alignment of the DE's and how big of a vertical seam (or gap) it creates between the Guards and Tackles. A standard 5-technique alignment allows your DE's to condense the B-gap while protecting the C. Between pressure from the DE and pressure from the DT, the B-gap can be condensed into a tight window. Well when your DE's are lined up in "wide 9's" and they're shooting up-field then the B-gap becomes a lot bigger. This opens up vertical seams and requires your LB to cover a lot more ground.
Click to expand...

This is definitely true but without some dominant DTs who can control the interior gaps, you'll get run on all day long. I do agree about the LBs as well. The Will and Sam definitely have to be all-around good players in pass-pro and Run-D. The MLB can certainly get by on just being a thumper who can play the run though if you have those rangy OLBs.
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That's any defense though, not just the wide 9.
 
Defense dont suit the dolphins as you need athletic d ends and linebackers that can stop the run my dolphins have neither..
 
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