Been touting this for years. A NG that commands a double team every play in invaluable. Get one that commands a double team and can play 2 gaps?? Top 10 draft pick and makes a LOT of money.
A 3/4 defense is truly superior even though I never ran it. Never truly had the personnel despite coaching some really good defenses, including one that pitched a shut out in a state title game. JV kids gave up a td with 20 seconds to go and I was the only guy pissed. But I digress.
A 3/4 gives you numbers advantage inside the box while having 1 less player in the box. Picture 3 DL and 2 LB and to keep it simply, those 5 are lined up hat on hat with the OL.
Check this.
Because that NG gets a double every play, you now have a numbers advantage no matter which side they run the ball because you have one guy eliminating 2 blockers. If you split the O down the middle with the Center, the NG will get doubled no matter which way the O runs, which leaves 1 blocker to block 2 defenders.
Spread Os will pull the backside guard to block the playside LB (the #1 LB). So hat on a hat right? Yes, but the RB has NO WHERE TO RUN. Every gap has a mash of people in it. Playside A gap has THREE bodies clogging it up. The NG, Center, and OG. Playside B gap has the backside G and the playside LB mauling each other, the C gap (outside the tackle) has the DE and the OT mashed up. Now if the DE gets stupid and run up the field, there is a big hole in the B gap, but the playside OLB on that side can cover the gap that is created. If you have a badass NG who gets push on the double team, the pulling guard has to loop around the Center on the pull which allows the playside LB to fill the hole much quicker just creating a mess in the backfield.
Well, what about fake the power and run the QB backside?? You forgot about the backside LB and backside DE didn’t you? You have numbers backside as well. If the backside G pulls playside and the QB pulls it and runs backside, the backside DE and LB are being blocked by ONE guy, the backside T. Oh, and your playside Guard and Center are double teaming the NG and pushing him backside, where the QB is running.
BUT, it takes a bad ass NG and a bad ass LB to run it, which is why teams who are successful at the 3/4 have both and 2 gap NGs who can get push on the OL make a LOT of money in the NFL.
On pass coverage, the other 2 OLBs can hedge between run support and pass pro giving you 7 covering 4 or 5 including the RB. The OLBs are already lined up covering the hook, curl, hitch while looking at the QB to read run or pass.
In short, a typical spread O with 4 WRs will have the O playing with 7 in the box versus 5 on D, but with a 2 gap NG, you have a numbers advantage no matter which way the O decides to run.