Panthers played more zone defense than any NFL team last year

[Manther]

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2018/06/20/panthers-played-more-zone-defense-than-any-nfl-team-last-year/

...There are a lot of reasons why a team might prefer playing more zone. In Carolina’s case, the major one may be about hiding its holes in the secondary.

The Panthers have the top linebacker corps in the league and all three starters have no problem covering receivers one on one. The problem is their defensive backs get burned for big gains far too much when playing man. That’s also a reason why they blitzed more than most teams in the NFL, too.

 

With Worely gone, and the new additions, we should have smaller/fewer holes.  I too believe we blitzed more to compensate for our weak secondary.

[CarolinaNCSU]

I understand some zone, especially to hide corners and it fits the system at times.  But my biggest issue with zone...

It's not like we're playing the worst QBs in the league.  In division, you get Brees and Ryan twice. Last year, we also played Brady, Stafford, Wentz, Rodgers, and even a guy like McCown in NY is smart enough to pick his spots against a zone.  Like it or not, you HAVE to play more man now to not allow QBs the luxury of having their receivers sit alone 8 yards down field with nobody within 5 yards of them.  

[Mr. Scot]

Base defense under Rivera has always been a Jim Johnson zone blitz, so this shouldn't necessarily be surprising.

[Manther]

23 minutes ago, CarolinaNCSU said:

I understand some zone, especially to hide corners and it fits the system at times.  But my biggest issue with zone...

It's not like we're playing the worst QBs in the league.  In division, you get Brees and Ryan twice. Last year, we also played Brady, Stafford, Wentz, Rodgers, and even a guy like McCown in NY is smart enough to pick his spots against a zone.  Like it or not, you HAVE to play more man now to not allow QBs the luxury of having their receivers sit alone 8 yards down field with nobody within 5 yards of them.  

Yes.  Strategy for zone is different for man to man.  You flood zones and work the seams.  In man to man you exploit mismatches.  You have to keep the offense guessing.

[RumHam]

1 hour ago, Manther said:

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2018/06/20/panthers-played-more-zone-defense-than-any-nfl-team-last-year/

...There are a lot of reasons why a team might prefer playing more zone. In Carolina’s case, the major one may be about hiding its holes in the secondary.

The Panthers have the top linebacker corps in the league and all three starters have no problem covering receivers one on one. The problem is their defensive backs get burned for big gains far too much when playing man. That’s also a reason why they blitzed more than most teams in the NFL, too.

 

With Worely gone, and the new additions, we should have smaller/fewer holes.  I too believe we blitzed more to compensate for our weak secondary.

You're fuging dreaming. It's the same if not worse than last year. 

[panthers55]

The reality is our defense blitzed too often with poor coverage behind it particularly our safety play. We were also too predictable in our blitzes and rarely disguised them. We didn't have the players to play a lot of man but this year will be different.  We are still going to use a lot of zone but should be less predictable and use more variety in our coverage.  Add we have more athletic and fast corners and the result will be much better than last year. 

[Manther]

Just now, panthers55 said:

The reality is our defense blitzed too often with poor coverage behind it particularly our safety play. We were also too predictable in our blitzes and rarely disguised them. We didn't have the players to play a lot of man but this year will be different.  We are still going to use a lot of zone but should be less predictable and use more variety in our coverage.  Add we have more athletic and fast corners and the result will be much better than last year. 

This is right.

 

2 minutes ago, RumHam said:

You're fuging dreaming. It's the same if not worse than last year. 

This is wrong.

[panthers55]

2 minutes ago, RumHam said:

You're fuging dreaming. It's the same if not worse than last year. 

And you have no clue what you are talking about.  But if you keep saying negative things about the team you might finally be right about something.  But not about this.

[RumHam]

1 minute ago, panthers55 said:

And you have no clue what you are talking about.  But if you keep saying negative things about the team you might finally be right about something.  But not about this.

you've seen the future? on paper, we have two rookies who are considered potential secondary starters. We have one "veteran" starting corner with Bradberry. Adams is 37 and if you think Kurt fell off, very good chance Adams will too. We already have a practice squad player potentially beating out the free agent corner we signed. I'm sorry, but hopefully i'm wrong, but i would not go into a season with this secondary. We started two rookie corners two years ago and we finished badly. The article even says we had to blitz to hide our bad secondary last year. If they ball out, great, but this will be our achilles heel, if anything this season.

[panthers55]

15 minutes ago, RumHam said:

you've seen the future? on paper, we have two rookies who are considered potential secondary starters. We have one "veteran" starting corner with Bradberry. Adams is 37 and if you think Kurt fell off, very good chance Adams will too. We already have a practice squad player potentially beating out the free agent corner we signed. I'm sorry, but hopefully i'm wrong, but i would not go into a season with this secondary. We started two rookie corners two years ago and we finished badly. The article even says we had to blitz to hide our bad secondary last year. If they ball out, great, but this will be our achilles heel, if anything this season.

We dont talk about Pepper's age or Thomas Davis as a big deal.  Brady is 41.  Age is surely a factor but it isnt the most important one.  Adams was an all pro in 2015 at 34.  He still a good player.  While he likely has lost a step, he makes up for it based on experience and leadership and being in the right place at the right time. 

We have 4 corners with starting experience, Munnerlyn, Bradberry, Cockrell, and Doss. And the article said we blitzed last year to cover up a poor secondary it didn't say we hadn't made improvements. Or if it did it is uninformed much like you. So if you want any credibility at all how about stating facts to support your position instead of making things up and taking a sky is falling approach.  

And anyone who has been here for years and pays attention also would admit that when I predict things I am right much more than wrong.  I observe what is going on, listen to the experts, pay attention to how things are evolving. Then I make educated inferences based on patterns and history and make my predictions.  Instead of deciding what I think ahead of time and only pay attention to those things that fit my preconceived notion like you are doing.  

[Manther]

Just now, RumHam said:

you've seen the future? on paper, we have two rookies who are considered potential secondary starters. We have one "veteran" starting corner with Bradberry. Adams is 37 and if you think Kurt fell off, very good chance Adams will too. We already have a practice squad player potentially beating out the free agent corner we signed. I'm sorry, but hopefully i'm wrong, but i would not go into a season with this secondary. We started two rookie corners two years ago and we finished badly. The article even says we had to blitz to hide our bad secondary last year. If they ball out, great, but this will be our achilles heel, if anything this season.

Cockrell || practice squad player>>>Worely.  Worely was one of the worst corners in the league.  Cockrell is average.  We had to to make changes to compensate.  I don't think that will be the case anymore.

 

[RumHam]

6 minutes ago, panthers55 said:

We dont talk about Pepper's age or Thomas Davis as a big deal.  Brady is 41.  Age is surely a factor but it isnt the most important one.  Adams was an all pro in 2015 at 34.  He still a good player.  While he likely has lost a step, he makes up for it based on experience and leadership and being in the right place at the right time. 

We have 4 corners with starting experience, Munnerlyn, Bradberry, Cockrell, and Doss. And the article said we blitzed last year to cover up a poor secondary it didn't say we hadn't made improvements. Or if it did it is uninformed much like you. So if you want any credibility at all how about stating facts to support your position instead of making things up and taking a sky is falling approach.  

And anyone who has been here for years and pays attention also would admit that when I predict things I am right much more than wrong.  I observe what is going on, listen to the experts, pay attention to how things are evolving. Then I make educated inferences based on patterns and history and make my predictions.  Instead of deciding what I think ahead of time and only pay attention to those things that fit my preconceived notion like you are doing.  

"And anyone who has been here for years and pays attention also would admit that when I predict things I am right much more than wrong."

I'm guessing that's the point of the huddle. those four corners are menacing, aren't they. Captain won't see the field and may not make the team. Saying i'm uninformed it's fuging stupid when we have differing opinions. We both know what we have on the lineup, you're just wearing rose colored glasses to make yourself feel better. I'm excited about our offense and our front 7. No one will run on us. When teams realize they don't have to run on us, that's going to be the problem. We should stomp Dallas in the first week, but taking on our rivals this year is what I fear the most. There's also the part that some of us have been here so long that we've fallen for these lies and stuck up for players being brought in. Many people here loved Godfrey and he ended up being poo. IF you just want to be told youre right, then so be it. And watching ESPN doesn't make you an expert. Let me know when you watch film on these guys.

[LinvilleGorge]

1 hour ago, CarolinaNCSU said:

I understand some zone, especially to hide corners and it fits the system at times.  But my biggest issue with zone...

It's not like we're playing the worst QBs in the league.  In division, you get Brees and Ryan twice. Last year, we also played Brady, Stafford, Wentz, Rodgers, and even a guy like McCown in NY is smart enough to pick his spots against a zone.  Like it or not, you HAVE to play more man now to not allow QBs the luxury of having their receivers sit alone 8 yards down field with nobody within 5 yards of them.  

The likes of Julio Jones and Mike Evans being covered one on one with our secondary last year? Yikes. Yeah, the secondary sucked, but we were running all of that zone and doing all of that blitzing in an effort to mask that known weakness. Yeah, we probably over-did it with the blitzing, but like Shula, Wilks' biggest weakness as a play caller is that if something isn't working he doesn't change his strategy, he just doubles down on what wasn't working to begin with.

[pantherclaw]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

Base defense under Rivera has always been a Jim Johnson zone blitz, so this shouldn't necessarily be surprising.

And, the best defenses in the history of the game, are more zone based than any other.