(Many, many thanks to Ted Bartlett for putting in the time to put together the diagrams to illustrate an example Ted Block play.  He was able to knock out the diagrams in less than a day!  My attempts at diagrams take much longer and don't look nearly as good.  Please join me in appreciating his hard work). 

In the last MHR University, we took a broad look at the Ted Block scheme.  The concept (used in San Francisco under new Broncos DC Mike Nolan) is very likely going to be seen in Denver's 3-4 this year.  The scheme calls for the LILB to block the way to the QB for the ROLB.

Andra Davis may be the right guy (not very fast, but very physical) to line up at LILB.  Spencer Larsen, who has played at LB but has also played run-blocking duties as a FB is another terrific candidate to clear the way to the QB.

Join Ted and I, as we take a closer look at the Ted Block, including a look at how the different D-Linemen and LBs affect the scheme in a hypothetical play.

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A little over a year ago, "Fooch" (Editor of Niners Nation) interviewed me about the Ted position and a nifty scheme that the 49ers run on defense (linked further down).  After the 2008 season, former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan came to Denver and brought his (and head coach Josh McDaniels) 3-4 to town.

Flash forward...

Some months ago (Feb 08), I commented under a post that D.J. Williams should move to RILB, and a month later (Mar) I wrote in a story that Williams was better suited for RILB.   "Move him AGAIN?"

Flash forward again...

Wednesday, May 27th I read the Associated Press wire that defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is now going to play D.J. Williams at RILB.

Rock Me Amadeus!  (Some of you old timers will get the inside joke).

No, my real name is not Coach Nolan.  But more of the pieces of the defense are coming together.  Could it be that we can have a "penetrating" defense (as stated recently by McDaniels), but might I still be correct in thinking that we will be a 2-gap defense?  How can that be?  A one-gap defense (such as the "Phillips") is the "penetrating" defense that we might expect.  On the other hand, a "Fairbanks-Bullough" defense can be penetrating too, if you use the TED Blocking scheme, and guys are bulking up to play the line.   Hmmmmmm.

Read on.....

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If you ever get out to Indiana and decide you want to try your hand at coaching 7th-grade football, be careful.  Just north of Indianapolis lies Westfield Middle School (home of the Shamrocks).  I've seen the facilities on the east side of 31 driving to Indy, and they are very, very impressive.  There, Coach Todd Hagemeier runs a 3-4 defense.  Not a lot of middle schools can go that route, and he even tells me they also use a scheme that transposes from a 3-4 into a 46.  Wow!

Todd writes this e-mail to MHR University:

...I started doing some digging on the 3-4 and your site came up.  You do a great job and I plan on using your info for my 7th grade team this fall.  I am also living in Indiana AND a Purdue fan.  So getting to my questions.  Have you considered writing about the aspects of the 3-4 in the red zone, how a coach should call the defense, and maybe even more importantly what NOT to do in the red zone?...

This is a wonderful question, and well worth the time for all of us to look at in some depth.  Let's take a look at implications...

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So you want to be a sportswriter?  Perhaps you just want to be noticed more at MHR.  Maybe you want to write some of the articles that get linked at Sports Illustrated, or to interview your favorite player, or get invited to the draft?

It's all possible.  At MHR, your dreams can come true.  We at MHR pride ourselves on providing a service that everyone can jump on.

• For the fan - a place to come and read, write, discuss, debate, ponder, predict, analyze, learn, and teach about the Denver Broncos and football.
• To rise above the nasty message boards of mainline media publications, where folks insult and degrade each other.
• To create an atmosphere that is family friendly, appealing to young and old alike.
• To create a "family" atmosphere, where friendships blossom, and members take a genuine interest in each other.
• To provide the most up-to-date, accurate, and best-analyzed news and reports on the Denver Broncos.
• To provide multiple, daily stories for the membership; ensuring that there is never a day without several articles to read.
• For the Broncos organization, we provide an unofficial outreach to fans beyond just the borders of Colorado.  Our membership is global, with fans from around the world.

And how do we do this?  The secret ingredients come from our Chief Editor and leader, Guru.  Here is his special approach:

1. The site is always for and about the members, not the staff.  The staff keeps things moving along, and serves the membership.  But the members will always be the true, driving force.  Front page stories are nice, but the conversations they generate are the heart and soul of the site.  FanPosts and FanShots are where the majority of MHR's expression come from, and a recommended FanPost gets longer exposure than even the front page.
2. Respect is key.  Newcomers (many from the hate boards of other media), learn quickly that we don't tolerate personal attacks.  We all enjoy a good debate, but we don't allow full-blown arguing.
3. Accessibility is a priority.  At MHR, if you like what you read (or even if you don't), you have a direct line to the writer.  More importantly, he or she will respond to you.  Try that with a mainstream-media sports-site, magazine, or radio show!

Currently, the Denver Broncos are having a crisis between the new coach and the franchise QB.  This has brought in a lot of folks to check out MHR.  Awesome!  But some of the strong feelings about the team's situation have started to spill over to the site.  No problem.  We're going to weather that, and here's how...

Below the fold, we're going to explore several ideas.  We're going to show how YOU can be a better sportswriter, a better commentator, and a better member.  If we each follow the guidelines below on how to "fit in" at MHR, we can each bring our respective talents and gifts to the table and make the experience a better one for everyone.

Read on...

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Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts.

The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't.

The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet.

Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back.  That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".

-From the movie "The Prestige"-

Denver scored on this draft in so many ways it would be difficult to make a credible case against it.  Denver brought in solid players (indeed, players considered the best at what they do), and brought in youth where Denver is thin (where Denver has aging players).  While homemade draft boards are based entirely on who folks want at a given position, Denver followed the successful Patriots strategy of going for best available, a concept that always confounds mock drafts.

Denver not only caused confusion amongst the "my player or it must be a bust" crowd, but doubled down on the type of draft they had last year (where Denver also confused the "need-based" crowd, but scored with solid picks).  If Denver had used the drafting style favored by the Patriots like they did this year and last, Denver would be further along by now.

Read further to see the point illuminated. 

In fact, midway through this epic, long article I promise to share the "meaning of life" I discovered for this team, and I'll do it in giant, bold, easy-to-find print. 

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I get a lot of e-mails, and here's one that really caught my attention:

I'm trying to understand the connection and the differences between "press coverage" and "B&R". 

Much of the material I have read doesn't necessarily distinguish between the two.  In fact, much says that B&R starts out as press coverage, so clearly they're different concepts.

Also, if you're up to it, what does the DB do after he jams the receiver?  What does the "run" part of B&R consist of?  I read an article by Bob Stoops and he talked about using a trail technique which transitions to what he called a cut-off technique.   Tom Bass at NFL.com, however, says that you never trail a receiver.  Rather, you run even with him, staying on his inside shoulder.  Apparently there's two ways to play B&R.  Is this the case?  Is it what the coach prefers?

The other thing that confuses me is what dictates where a DB aligns pre-snap?  Inside shoulder?  Outside? Or head-up?  For this question I went to Coach Huey's X's and O's website and discovered that there's two situations that determine where the DB aligns: one, the type of coverage being played behind him or, two, the WR's distance from the formation.  Apparently this too is a coach's preference in how he schemes his coverage.

I guess what I'm asking is what is press coverage and what is B&R?  If you have the time and the inclination, I'd appreciate your insight.

Thanks to John Garner for the excellent questions!  Let's take a look at 'em.

More below the fold...

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In the earliest days of football, football was not a passing game.  The passes that were made were closer to rugby passes (two handed, lateral, underhanded throws with some spiral).  The game was also brutal, and dictated much more by toughness and strength than finesse or speed.

Flash forward to the present, where the NFL is a wealth of different approaches.  Is there room for the "old ways"?

via www.comictreadmill.com

More below the fold...

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Let me start off by sharing a bias I have.  My favorite NFL player through history (who was not a Denver Bronco) has always been Brian Dawkins.  That he is now a Bronco seems almost like something out of an old "Twilight Zone" episode.  My favorite all-time player now a Bronco?  I wish it had happened years ago when Dawkins was in his prime.  But I won't complain.  Those of you that have known me for awhile also know that the safety position (free safety in particular) has always been my favorite.

Here's my CliffsNotes opinion on the signing:

1. Dawkins is not only the best safety to have ever played the position, he was so superhuman that he caused a major shift in how the position has been viewed by coaches.
2. At the same time, Dawkins is not the player he used to be.
3. However, like Lynch before him, his abilities even after age is factored in are well beyond what most teams could ever hope for in the position.

For the Xs and Os on what Dawkins has done for the safety position, read below the fold...

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