"There are a few caveats to that," he said. "Each team who use the 3-4 runs it with a little bit of a different style, and the personnel each system requires is different from team to team."
In Kansas City, the switch to the 3-4 comes largely at the behest of new general manager Scott Pioli. Pioli comes from the Bill Belichick school of thought after working with him in Cleveland, New York and New England, most recently as the Patriots' director of player personnel. Adam Best, the senior editor of the Fansided blog network and the co-founder and senior editor of the Chiefs' blog Arrowhead Addict, said Pioli seems to be trying to build the Chiefs' defence in the model Belichick used so successfully in New England.
"I think it is very similar to what they did in New England, down to Pioli drafting Tyson Jackson to be his Richard Seymour, and bringing in Mike Vrabel to be his, well, Mike Vrabel," Best said. "I think the defence will be very linebacker-centric. You have two vets that are all-time greats - Zach Thomas and Vrabel - paired with two great, young athletes - Demorrio Williams, presumably, and Derrick Johnson. That's very reminiscent of what the Patriots have done, as they always seem to mix crafty veterans with young, athletic studs. At the same time, (new defensive coordinator) Clancy Pendergast seemed to focus more on his defensive line and secondary while in Arizona, but that could just be because that's where his defence had most of its talent."
Best said we may see a full-blown 3-4 in Kansas City sooner than many think.
"It's a big part of the Patriot Way, so it has to happen," he said. "My biggest worry is that we wasted the No. 5 pick on Glenn Dorsey, because I don't see him as a natural fit in the scheme. Most people seem to think they'll run a 4-3/3-4 hybrid this year and ease into the 3-4 scheme over the course of the next several years. I think they'll make a quicker transition. The Chiefs' young secondary is very talented, and both the pass rush and run defence can't get much worse. I think the young bucks back in the defensive backfield can hang in there while we get everything sorted out up front. I also think having Mike Vrabel and Zach Thomas on the field will expedite the process."
Best said just a basic 3-4 is no longer good enough, though.
"The game of football is always changing, always evolving," he said. "Coaches like Belichick and Mike Tomlin don't get paid what they do because they can figure things out and adapt. The best coaches think ahead of the curve, and are always one step ahead of the competition. Thing is, the 3-4 isn't exactly new. At worst, I think it can be part of an effective mix. That's the future, I believe -- hybrid defences. And what better way to keep the offence honest? Guys in the defensive backfield are stronger than ever before, and the big boys up front can move like never before. That means parts that can be shifted around, camouflaged and used in a lot of ways. Three techniques dropping back into pass coverage, corners blitzing, linebackers playing as glorified linemen, safeties playing as glorified linebackers, etc. So, I think you are going to see more of the 3-4 in the immediate future, but in the long run, I think you are going to see hybrid defences with a lot of versatile pieces."
Best said thinking outside of the box can be the great equalizer if teams lack the talent to win in more conventional fashion.
"I think it's very important," he said. "Not necessarily just for the direct results, although both unconventional personnel moves and plays can net results: the main focus here is to always keep your opponents guessing, both during the preparation stage and during the game. Additionally, if one team has inferior talent, reaching deep into your top hat and pulling out all the magic tricks can equalize things. For example, last year the 2-14 Chiefs damn near beat the 9-7 Bucs, in large part to a trick play. Running back Jamaal Charles was in the Wildcat, he took the snap, ran the option and pitched a reverse to receiver Mark Bradley. Bradley hit (quarterback) Tyler Thigpen, who was spread out as a receiver, with a bomb for a touchdown. Also, if you're a contending team and can save those trick plays for the right moments, that can pay off, too. Just look at Bill Cowher's final Super Bowl."
Unconventional thinking can be quite powerful, as the success of teams like the Dolphins, Steelers and Patriots demonstrates. Their schemes may or may not translate to success for other teams, but that doesn't diminish their accomplishments. Perhaps even more interesting to contemplate is what will come next, though. A harebrained scheme in the mind of a coach one day may well become the next Wildcat or 3-4 the next day, and copied by the rest of the league the day after that. The NFL is an ongoing struggle to out-think and out-scheme everyone else, and it will be fascinating to see what the next great innovation will be.
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