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(No Longer) Joe Woods’ Defense

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Interesting video. Says Vic Fangio is what Woods' based his defense on. Fangio is the DC Payton has recruited.


Video argues it's what ruined defense in the NFL and every coordinator that has adopted it has been a disaster.

Edit: holy %##!, this video is THE TRUTH. It's the misapplication of scheme gents.
This is a fantastic video btw. It doesn't break down the granular problems with the way Woods run this scheme, but it generalizes the issues quite well.

Worth a watch for anyone trying to understand the issues we have on defense and why Woods's inflexibility is causing problems. We assume on 3rd and long we'll prevent the big play but the counter is that teams KNOW what we're doing and have plays designed to take advantage of it.

If run properly the scheme is sound... but the running properly part is our issue.
 
This is a fantastic video btw. It doesn't break down the granular problems with the way Woods run this scheme, but it generalizes the issues quite well.

Worth a watch for anyone trying to understand the issues we have on defense and why Woods's inflexibility is causing problems. We assume on 3rd and long we'll prevent the big play but the counter is that teams KNOW what we're doing and have plays designed to take advantage of it.

If run properly the scheme is sound... but the running properly part is our issue.

While it is a nice video for understanding basics of the cover 4, don't skip the important reveal at 16:30. It's mentioned multiple times Woods isn't from the Fangio tree and never worked with Fangio. Woods runs a system more aligned with the Niners and Jets because of his own coaching tree. The Browns line coach Chris Kiffin worked under Saleh.

The Browns up front run a scheme that the film maker suggests is ideal for cover 4, but they don't have the talent in the defensive interior.
 
While it is a nice video for understanding basics of the cover 4, don't skip the important reveal at 16:30. It's mentioned multiple times Woods isn't from the Fangio tree and never worked with Fangio. Woods runs a system more aligned with the Niners and Jets because of his own coaching tree. The Browns line coach Chris Kiffin worked under Saleh.

The Browns up front run a scheme that the film maker suggests is ideal for cover 4, but they don't have the talent in the defensive interior.
The tree is kind of irrelevant - Woods runs a similar Cover-4 system to those from the Fangio tree, which is why he was included in this video. There are some differences for sure (particularly with the DB coverages... Woods coverages are a lot more vanilla), but the nature of the system is to take away the TD on every play. Bend but don't break, and hope the opposing QB makes a mistake. While the filmmaker acknowledges that the Browns interior defense is lacking in talent, it doesn't mean there aren't other problems present:

1. Soft coverage allowing everything underneath - this was great against Mahomes and Allen a couple years ago but they've since adjusted. It causes problems for guys like Kyler Murray, but is an easy defense for mid and bottom-tier QBs to pick apart. Guys who are incapable of making homerun plays all the time welcome soft enough coverage that lets them make the 8 yard completion almost every down. The filmmaker specifically mentions this.

2. Inability to communicate scheme to players will have the disastrous effect of allowing the one thing the entire scheme is meant to prevent - homerun plays. As we saw with Woods defense in the 1st half of the year, miscommunication issues and breakdowns allowed subpar/trash QBs to break the backend of our defense.

3. Lack of disguises and creativity on the defensive front - hardly any stunts and creative blitz packages gives the offense the easiest time of their lives. He specifically mentions how Brandon Staley adjusted his cover-4 scheme and was able to completely fluster Tua and the Mike McDaniel offense through a variety of stuns and off-script blitzes. He also mentions how teams like Baltimore are top 10 in cover-4 but they're unpredictable with how they use it - often switching between aggressive, press coverage and single-high along with situational blitzing.

4. Not adjusting to the opponent - the filmmaker stresses how important it is to recognize the opposing QB and know when giving them easier completions is helping their offense vs hurting it. You do this against prolific QBs (which might be why we do so well against Burrow generally, and last year caused problems for Aaron Rodgers) who can beat you quickly... you don't do it against the Flaccos, Bakers, Mariotas, Trubiskys, Zappes of the world. But Woods has shown to be inflexible not only during the game, but with his weekly gameplan.

5. Non-commitment to base defense and/or more players in the box will result in getting gashed in the run game. The NFL is averaging the most yards per run in the HISTORY of the game this year. This scheme relies on the two interior linemen to maintain multiple gaps, and then asks the LBs to shed upfield blocks and make critical one-on-one tackles. It's compounded even more with our terrible interior but schematically Woods hasn't shown any ability to adjust or try to compensate for it.

It's a great video... and I don't think it should be downplayed just because it makes Woods look terrible (not that we shouldn't already feel this way).
 
1. Soft coverage allowing everything underneath - this was great against Mahomes and Allen a couple years ago but they've since adjusted. It causes problems for guys like Kyler Murray, but is an easy defense for mid and bottom-tier QBs to pick apart. Guys who are incapable of making homerun plays all the time welcome soft enough coverage that lets them make the 8 yard completion almost every down. The filmmaker specifically mentions this.

No argument from me. Diversification from play to play is the answer, we agree here.


2. Inability to communicate scheme to players will have the disastrous effect of allowing the one thing the entire scheme is meant to prevent - homerun plays. As we saw with Woods defense in the 1st half of the year, miscommunication issues and breakdowns allowed subpar/trash QBs to break the backend of our defense.

The miscommunication was the #1 problem for the defense in 2022. Even the Jets game nobody will soon forget was a good defensive performance until the last 2 1/2 minutes of the game, at which time miscommunication played out exactly the way the filmmaker outlines. According to the filmmaker: this is an experience issue and player processing issue, which he covers again late in the video. If the DBs are in the scheme together, the communication improves.


3. Lack of disguises and creativity on the defensive front - hardly any stunts and creative blitz packages gives the offense the easiest time of their lives. He specifically mentions how Brandon Staley adjusted his cover-4 scheme and was able to completely fluster Tua and the Mike McDaniel offense through a variety of stuns and off-script blitzes. He also mentions how teams like Baltimore are top 10 in cover-4 but they're unpredictable with how they use it - often switching between aggressive, press coverage and single-high along with situational blitzing.

Again we agree. When I see Woods relieved of his duties, this should be the bold print reason for his dismissal. His only chance of returning is showing increased creativity every year in December. It just takes too long and isn't exactly inspiring odes when it does happen.


4. Not adjusting to the opponent - the filmmaker stresses how important it is to recognize the opposing QB and know when giving them easier completions is helping their offense vs hurting it. You do this against prolific QBs (which might be why we do so well against Burrow generally, and last year caused problems for Aaron Rodgers) who can beat you quickly... you don't do it against the Flaccos, Bakers, Mariotas, Trubiskys, Zappes of the world. But Woods has shown to be inflexible not only during the game, but with his weekly gameplan.

I have not seen this as black and white. He saves his best work for the best opponents. He has been guilty of running vanilla base cover 4 against the least impressive quarterbacks as a teaching tool for his defense, which unfortunately makes their job as replacement level QBs easier. Fans who want a blowout win against a backup won't like this, but Woods holds cards to his chest until the Lamar Jacksons and Joe Burrows arrive. Fans want constant creativity, but who knows if that guy is out there and willing to take this job.


5. Non-commitment to base defense and/or more players in the box will result in getting gashed in the run game. The NFL is averaging the most yards per run in the HISTORY of the game this year. This scheme relies on the two interior linemen to maintain multiple gaps, and then asks the LBs to shed upfield blocks and make critical one-on-one tackles. It's compounded even more with our terrible interior but schematically Woods hasn't shown any ability to adjust or try to compensate for it.

Here I feel that the filmmaker was going against teams who stand their ends up and run a 2-5 scheme, not specifically what the Browns run. The Browns had a lack of development in defensive interior players and are down to third stringers at linebacker. We can talk about how scheme changes should fix this. Signing Ragland, a true Mike backer, helped against the Saints. But personnel limitations at key positions can't be schemed away.

It's a great video... and I don't think it should be downplayed just because it makes Woods look terrible (not that we shouldn't already feel this way).

Really don't think that I did. I felt like I had a neutral response in my first post then pointed out the Filmmaker's own caveat in my second post. Whatever though. Glad I watched it and suggest it for others. I'll also say that the Cover 4 isn't going away, it just needs to adapt.
 

Anyone have opinions on these guys? Interesting they're all from the defensive back space. I don't know enough about their individual philosophies to have a real opinion/preference, but I suppose my order of *these* guys would be:
1-Dennard Wilson (could maybe bring some Eagles with him?)
2-Karl Scott (Seahawk DBs have great lineage)
3-Jim Leonard (former Brown, midwestern guy)
4-Jerry Gray (age and poorly performing defense)
 

A couple interesting points:
  • Newsome not cracking down to set the edge against the wildcat
  • Story about Gregggg Williams where he explains in 2017 how to easily defeat the wildcat, something Woods wasn't doing/adjusting to
 
They sacked us 4 times in our first 12 passing plays.

What changed?
 
They sacked us 4 times in our first 12 passing plays.

What changed?

Nothing. Our pass protection was just better in the second half.

Also, maybe I'm crazy but we ran the exact same play for Harrison Bryant in the first half and the first drive of the second half.

I don't think KS had two different game plans or called a different game in the second half. The O-Line was just better at executing and it allowed DW4 to be himself.
 

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