Big Power in the Trenches: Grading San Diego Chargers’ Defensive Linemen

July 19, 2010   ·   Jeremy Beckett   ·   Jump to comments

The 3-4 defense is a very tough one to play. To get to fully understand it, and its effectiveness, you have to examine its objective.
The objective of a 3-4 defense is to clog the middle of the field, and control the inside running game. Defensive linemen in a 3-4 aren't expected to have huge sack stats. The philosophy is to let your linebackers make the plays on the quarterback without worrying primarily about the run.
While putting three down lineman as a primary defense, it gives the seconday a huge advantage on playing the perimeter. A linebacker or safety can decide to pick up the tight end, or fill the A,B or C gap on the run, or their favorite, blitz the quarterback.
When an opposing offensive lineman picks up coverage on a 3-4 defense, a lot of the time it is in double teaming a pass rusher. Coming off the block to pick up a blitzing fast linebacker is not an easy task.
This strategy is often refered to as a "bend but dont break  defense" because i...

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