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Good article on Gus Bradley the D.C. in the Washington Post: Gus Bradley is the defensive coordinator the Redskins need
On the surface, everything Bradley wants to do, everything Seattle still does, is simple. The unit plays a lot of cover-three, meaning the two outside cornerbacks and free safety play zone by splitting the field into thirds and four other defenders cover everything underneath.
There’s little deception to this defense. The cover-three is so basic that many high school teams teach it. Bradley would be the first to admit that he’s not going to fool you with schemes. What’s innovative is the way the personnel is used to tweak a rudimentary defense to the special skills of the athletes. Some critics say that the defense only works with extraordinary talent. But if you consider how few players have succeeded after leaving Seattle, you can counter that talent looks extraordinary in the system because the coaches spend so much time melding it to the athletes’ specifications.
When the Seahawks won the Super Bowl three years ago, they dismantled Peyton Manning’s record-setting Denver offense, 43-8. And they did it with only two defensive starters who were first-round draft picks. They had three undrafted starters and five others who were taken in rounds four through seven. They’re appreciated now as one of the league’s most talented defenses, but they consider themselves a bunch of misfits who stumbled into the ideal situation.
When Bradley was running the defense, the Seahawks had much success with cornerbacks Richard Sherman, a fifth-round pick, and Brandon Browner, a Canadian Football League castoff. They were taught the step-kick technique, which involves disciplined and patient footwork, to cover receivers and limit big plays. But for as much as secondary play — the vaunted “Legion of Boom” — defines the Seahawks, it’s what they do up front that deserves more appreciation.
When Carroll was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco in 1995-96, he learned from well-regarded guru Bill McPherson about mixing one-gap and two-gap football. That’s a reference to the defensive line’s philosophies. Historically, 3-4 defenses use a significant amount of two-gapping, meaning linemen have to make a read and defend space on either side of the man blocking them. And in 4-3 defenses, linemen are responsible for only one gap. When he got with Carroll, Bradley learned how to blend the two.
Usually, that would mean having the nose tackle and a big, run-stopping defensive end responsible for two gaps while the other tackle and a pass-rushing end focused on penetrating one gap and getting up the field. But on any given play, the responsibilities can change. That’s where the deception in a simple defense comes into play.
Bradley isn’t the super-aggressive, blitzing, gambling coordinator that some fans want. He provides something better: a principled, detailed system that helps players compete freely in a defense that can be adjusted for them.
If (GM Scot) McCloughan aims to build a defense mostly through the draft and with underrated veterans, Bradley is the coordinator best suited to translate that vision.
On the surface, everything Bradley wants to do, everything Seattle still does, is simple. The unit plays a lot of cover-three, meaning the two outside cornerbacks and free safety play zone by splitting the field into thirds and four other defenders cover everything underneath.
There’s little deception to this defense. The cover-three is so basic that many high school teams teach it. Bradley would be the first to admit that he’s not going to fool you with schemes. What’s innovative is the way the personnel is used to tweak a rudimentary defense to the special skills of the athletes. Some critics say that the defense only works with extraordinary talent. But if you consider how few players have succeeded after leaving Seattle, you can counter that talent looks extraordinary in the system because the coaches spend so much time melding it to the athletes’ specifications.
When the Seahawks won the Super Bowl three years ago, they dismantled Peyton Manning’s record-setting Denver offense, 43-8. And they did it with only two defensive starters who were first-round draft picks. They had three undrafted starters and five others who were taken in rounds four through seven. They’re appreciated now as one of the league’s most talented defenses, but they consider themselves a bunch of misfits who stumbled into the ideal situation.
When Bradley was running the defense, the Seahawks had much success with cornerbacks Richard Sherman, a fifth-round pick, and Brandon Browner, a Canadian Football League castoff. They were taught the step-kick technique, which involves disciplined and patient footwork, to cover receivers and limit big plays. But for as much as secondary play — the vaunted “Legion of Boom” — defines the Seahawks, it’s what they do up front that deserves more appreciation.
When Carroll was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco in 1995-96, he learned from well-regarded guru Bill McPherson about mixing one-gap and two-gap football. That’s a reference to the defensive line’s philosophies. Historically, 3-4 defenses use a significant amount of two-gapping, meaning linemen have to make a read and defend space on either side of the man blocking them. And in 4-3 defenses, linemen are responsible for only one gap. When he got with Carroll, Bradley learned how to blend the two.
Usually, that would mean having the nose tackle and a big, run-stopping defensive end responsible for two gaps while the other tackle and a pass-rushing end focused on penetrating one gap and getting up the field. But on any given play, the responsibilities can change. That’s where the deception in a simple defense comes into play.
Bradley isn’t the super-aggressive, blitzing, gambling coordinator that some fans want. He provides something better: a principled, detailed system that helps players compete freely in a defense that can be adjusted for them.
If (GM Scot) McCloughan aims to build a defense mostly through the draft and with underrated veterans, Bradley is the coordinator best suited to translate that vision.
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