Adjust expectations--not gonna be your father's defense!

[BruisedOrange]

I assume (and this is an invitation to anyone who actually knows, to correct me) that the way a turnover-producing defense will work is that rather than looking for tendencies (percentages) from an opposing offense that maximize opportinities for the offense to make mistakes or penalties, it will look for automatics, predictables, and situations in which the D can "force" the offense into doing something we can anticipate. Compare it to a battlefield where the defensive positions channel the attackers into favorable fields of fire.

When we find/create those game situations, a defensive player will have to deviate from his proper, safe, normal coverage or rushing lane to jump that route or gap in order to create a turnover or a 3rd down yardage loss. Of course, that leaves an opportunity for a big offensive play if they zig when we anticipate zag. It'll be a level of risk/reward more likely to be embraced by General Patton than General Neyland.

Given the gambling nature of that approach, we should probably expect safeties to lead our team in tackles. A smart, fast, LB-sized safety might be our initial recruiting priority. Open field tackles will become as important a stat as tackles for loss.

A turnover producing defense is going to place an even higher than normal premium on film breakdown and charting, to determine every offensive read, hot route, check-off, etc. So that video staff position will be even more important. If it's still typically assigned to a graduate assistant, ours will require a very special GA (but also present a great opportunity for a special GA to shine).

Succeeding with that defensive philosophy requires a rare combination of creativity, dogged research, and intuition. The door to the DC's office should have 4 symbols on it: a spreadsheet, a lightbulb, an Ananse ntontan, and a 25-hour clock.

The new DC and his staff will earn their salaries, for sure. And it'll help if they're single!

 

[Tursiops]

Huh?

 

[Cathead Biscuits]

Huh?

HE SAID:
I assume (and this is an invitation to anyone who actually knows, to correct me) that the way a turnover-producing defense will work is that rather than looking for tendencies (percentages) from an opposing offense that maximize opportinities for the offense to make mistakes or penalties, it will look for automatics, predictables, and situations in which the D can "force" the offense into doing something we can anticipate. Compare it to a battlefield where the defensive positions channel the attackers into favorable fields of fire.

When we find/create those game situations, a defensive player will have to deviate from his proper, safe, normal coverage or rushing lane to jump that route or gap in order to create a turnover or a 3rd down yardage loss. Of course, that leaves an opportunity for a big offensive play if they zig when we anticipate zag. It'll be a level of risk/reward more likely to be embraced by General Patton than General Neyland.

Given the gambling nature of that approach, we should probably expect safeties to lead our team in tackles. A smart, fast, LB-sized safety might be our initial recruiting priority. Open field tackles will become as important a stat as tackles for loss.

A turnover producing defense is going to place an even higher than normal premium on film breakdown and charting, to determine every offensive read, hot route, check-off, etc. So that video staff position will be even more important. If it's still typically assigned to a graduate assistant, ours will require a very special GA (but also present a great opportunity for a special GA to shine).

Succeeding with that defensive philosophy requires a rare combination of creativity, dogged research, and intuition. The door to the DC's office should have 4 symbols on it: a spreadsheet, a lightbulb, an Ananse ntontan, and a 25-hour clock.

The new DC and his staff will earn their salaries, for sure. And it'll help if they're single!

 

[Cathead Biscuits]

I assume (and this is an invitation to anyone who actually knows, to correct me) that the way a turnover-producing defense will work is that rather than looking for tendencies (percentages) from an opposing offense that maximize opportinities for the offense to make mistakes or penalties, it will look for automatics, predictables, and situations in which the D can "force" the offense into doing something we can anticipate. Compare it to a battlefield where the defensive positions channel the attackers into favorable fields of fire.

When we find/create those game situations, a defensive player will have to deviate from his proper, safe, normal coverage or rushing lane to jump that route or gap in order to create a turnover or a 3rd down yardage loss. Of course, that leaves an opportunity for a big offensive play if they zig when we anticipate zag. It'll be a level of risk/reward more likely to be embraced by General Patton than General Neyland.

Given the gambling nature of that approach, we should probably expect safeties to lead our team in tackles. A smart, fast, LB-sized safety might be our initial recruiting priority. Open field tackles will become as important a stat as tackles for loss.

A turnover producing defense is going to place an even higher than normal premium on film breakdown and charting, to determine every offensive read, hot route, check-off, etc. So that video staff position will be even more important. If it's still typically assigned to a graduate assistant, ours will require a very special GA (but also present a great opportunity for a special GA to shine).

Succeeding with that defensive philosophy requires a rare combination of creativity, dogged research, and intuition. The door to the DC's office should have 4 symbols on it: a spreadsheet, a lightbulb, an Ananse ntontan, and a 25-hour clock.

The new DC and his staff will earn their salaries, for sure. And it'll help if they're single!

I think a TL;DR of this would be, they are most likely going to score, so we are going to do everything we can to maximize the chances for them to make a mistake so we can take advantage of it and either recover the ball from them or score off of them.

 

[dduncan4163]

Yup it's gonna be high risk high reward. We gonna give up a lot of points but we gonna score plenty too. Got to force field goals and turnovers. Tennessee may not win a bunch this season but it will be entertaining for sure. I love a good shootout. First to 50 wins

 

[vol4him]

You know what happens when you assume.

 

[Border Vol]

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

It just means they will be aggressive and hope for some luck. They know they'll give up points, they just gamble their offense can keep pace and hope to give the offense a few extra possessions.

 

[titansvolsfaninga]

It just means they will be aggressive and hope for some luck. They know they'll give up points, they just gamble their offense can keep pace and hope to give the offense a few extra possessions.

so every game will be like Ole Miss - Bama game

 

[ru4real-really?]

so every game will be like Ole Miss - Bama game

we would hope so. If we can score!

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

so every game will be like Ole Miss - Bama game

That's the goal, except hopefully we get enough turnovers/stops to win.

 

[clarencepeabody]

I assume (and this is an invitation to anyone who actually knows, to correct me) that the way a turnover-producing defense will work is that rather than looking for tendencies (percentages) from an opposing offense that maximize opportinities for the offense to make mistakes or penalties, it will look for automatics, predictables, and situations in which the D can "force" the offense into doing something we can anticipate. Compare it to a battlefield where the defensive positions channel the attackers into favorable fields of fire.

When we find/create those game situations, a defensive player will have to deviate from his proper, safe, normal coverage or rushing lane to jump that route or gap in order to create a turnover or a 3rd down yardage loss. Of course, that leaves an opportunity for a big offensive play if they zig when we anticipate zag. It'll be a level of risk/reward more likely to be embraced by General Patton than General Neyland.

Given the gambling nature of that approach, we should probably expect safeties to lead our team in tackles. A smart, fast, LB-sized safety might be our initial recruiting priority. Open field tackles will become as important a stat as tackles for loss.

A turnover producing defense is going to place an even higher than normal premium on film breakdown and charting, to determine every offensive read, hot route, check-off, etc. So that video staff position will be even more important. If it's still typically assigned to a graduate assistant, ours will require a very special GA (but also present a great opportunity for a special GA to shine).

Succeeding with that defensive philosophy requires a rare combination of creativity, dogged research, and intuition. The door to the DC's office should have 4 symbols on it: a spreadsheet, a lightbulb, an Ananse ntontan, and a 25-hour clock.

The new DC and his staff will earn their salaries, for sure. And it'll help if they're single!

Insightful and thoughtful analysis, as usual. But that’s what I’d expect from someone with “bruised orange” as their username!

 

[tnutater]

You know what happens when you assume.

I assume anyone who claims to know what the Vol defensive philosophy will be under new coach is wrong.
New coach has not yet coached a game, held a practice or hired a complete staff.

 

[Cathead Biscuits]

You know what happens when you assume.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Three ways to win football games:

(1) prevent the other team from getting within field goal range more often than he prevents you from the same;
(2) score touchdowns while forcing the other guy to score field goals;
(3) steal possessions through turnovers.

With all the advantages conferred on offenses in the modern game, (1) and (2) have become supremely difficult to do against good teams. Even the best at it lately aren't doing so well.

So it makes sense to shift our defense to a focus on (3). As @dduncan4163 said, high risk, high reward. So we'll lose games when it's not working.

Here's hoping you're right, @BruisedOrange , and we get the kinds of coaches and support staff, and players, who can make it work more often than not.

Go Vols!

 

[BruisedOrange]

I assume anyone who claims to know what the Vol defensive philosophy will be under new coach is wrong.
New coach has not yet coached a game, held a practice or hired a complete staff.

Trust me. We know what our offensive philosophy will be, and in this case, that alone determines what the defensive philosophy must be.

 

[Border Vol]

Yup it's gonna be high risk high reward. We gonna give up a lot of points but we vgonna score plenty too. Got to force field goals and turnovers. Tennessee may not win a bunch this season but it will be entertaining for sure. I love a good shootout. First to 50 wins

Sounds like Mumme Ball at Kentucky

 

[TnVolz]

I assume (and this is an invitation to anyone who actually knows, to correct me) that the way a turnover-producing defense will work is that rather than looking for tendencies (percentages) from an opposing offense that maximize opportinities for the offense to make mistakes or penalties, it will look for automatics, predictables, and situations in which the D can "force" the offense into doing something we can anticipate. Compare it to a battlefield where the defensive positions channel the attackers into favorable fields of fire.

When we find/create those game situations, a defensive player will have to deviate from his proper, safe, normal coverage or rushing lane to jump that route or gap in order to create a turnover or a 3rd down yardage loss. Of course, that leaves an opportunity for a big offensive play if they zig when we anticipate zag. It'll be a level of risk/reward more likely to be embraced by General Patton than General Neyland.

Given the gambling nature of that approach, we should probably expect safeties to lead our team in tackles. A smart, fast, LB-sized safety might be our initial recruiting priority. Open field tackles will become as important a stat as tackles for loss.

A turnover producing defense is going to place an even higher than normal premium on film breakdown and charting, to determine every offensive read, hot route, check-off, etc. So that video staff position will be even more important. If it's still typically assigned to a graduate assistant, ours will require a very special GA (but also present a great opportunity for a special GA to shine).

Succeeding with that defensive philosophy requires a rare combination of creativity, dogged research, and intuition. The door to the DC's office should have 4 symbols on it: a spreadsheet, a lightbulb, an Ananse ntontan, and a 25-hour clock.

The new DC and his staff will earn their salaries, for sure. And it'll help if they're single!

 

[BruisedOrange]

Insightful and thoughtful analysis, as usual. But that’s what I’d expect from someone with “bruised orange” as their username!

I (and probably everyone else) only wish I could say as much in as few words as the late, great John Prine.

 

[tnutater]

Trust me. We know what our offensive philosophy will be, and in this case, that alone determines what the defensive philosophy must be.

We shall see.
New coach will become old coach quickly if he can't adapt his game plans to the SEC level of talent. What might have worked at Mickey Mouse U probably won't work long in the SEC.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

Sounds like Mumme Ball at Kentucky

Pretty much.

 

[vol66]

So... I ain’t gotta run something to stop the single wing?

 

[Special Ed]

You know what happens when you assume.

 

[Hbg]

Giving up big plays, sounds like our defense for the last 3 years. Corners couldn’t cover their shadow

 

[IndianaVol]

It will be a system where you hope you are trading FGs for Touchdowns and you just pray you are the one getting the touchdowns.