View Poll Results: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3

Voters
22. You may not vote on this poll
  • 3-4 forever! Don't mess with what works!

    10 45.45%
  • Switch to 4-3 right now!

    0 0%
  • Switch to 4-3 as soon as LeBeau retires

    1 4.55%
  • Gradually make the switch; use both bases until you phase out the 3-4

    3 13.64%
  • whatever works at the time <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

    8 36.36%
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Thread: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

  1. #1
    Acero
    Guest

    Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    There's a lot of talk lately in this board and elsewhere of the Steelers switching from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3. With a growing number of teams switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 (imitation is the best form of flattery), some think the availability of 3-4 OLB's, DE's and NT's will dramatically decrease. Add to this all the speculation about LeBeau's imminent retirement and Tomlin's 4-3 background in Tampa D, and one could certainly imagine the Steelers switching schemes.

    Will it happen? Should it happen? Please vote.

  2. #2
    Legend

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    No reason to change now but also it would be stupid to rule out a change if the team thinks it could make things better.

    As I have repeatedly posted the defense doesn't need to change now but I won't rule out that it may eventually have to. Primary reason is getting the right players.

    It is very hard to find the right DL for a 3-4 as we have seen ourselves over the last 4-5 years. More teams are going after the same resources and the 3-4 essentially means you have to disgard considering about 50% of the yearly available DL talent pool.

    Good thing is I think we have done a great job finding players that fit in both defenses. As the players became familiar with the nuances of a 4-3 there probably would be a step backwards which is why right now isn't the right answer.
    "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

  3. #3
    Legend

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Back in the early 90s a lot of teams switched to the 3-4 because they saw the success the Steelers had with it. We kept finding players in the draft and other teams couldn't. Most of those teams ended up going back to the 4-3 while we stayed the 3-4 course and continued to excel. Even from 1997-2003 when we didn't have LeBeau. That's right, there were SIX seasons where our defense excelled despite not having LeBeau as DC. Even if LeBeau retired tomorrow it wouldn't be a reason to switch.

    The Steelers don't react to the market, the market reacts to them.

    There is no reason to switch to the 4-3 just because other teams are switching to the 3-4.

  4. #4
    Rookie

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Quote Originally Posted by stlrz d
    Back in the early 90s a lot of teams switched to the 3-4 because they saw the success the Steelers had with it. We kept finding players in the draft and other teams couldn't. Most of those teams ended up going back to the 4-3 while we stayed the 3-4 course and continued to excel. Even from 1997-2003 when we didn't have LeBeau. That's right, there were SIX seasons where our defense excelled despite not having LeBeau as DC. Even if LeBeau retired tomorrow it wouldn't be a reason to switch.

    The Steelers don't react to the market, the market reacts to them.

    There is no reason to switch to the 4-3 just because other teams are switching to the 3-4.
    But, the Steelers weren't as successful without LeBeau during that time...Bill Cowher missed the playoffs in five out of his fifteen seasons as HC of the Steelers...in only one of those seasons, 2006, was LeBeau the DC...four out of five years the Steelers missed the playoffs, you had Tim Lewis or Jim Haslett running the D...

    Also, in both Super Bowl appearances during Cowher's tenure, LeBeau was calling the shots on defense...Tomlin retained LeBeau and look what happened?

    I don't think that's all coincidental...
    Actually, my post was NOT about you...but, if the shoe fits, feel free to lace that &!+€# up and wear it.

  5. #5
    Starter

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Run Coach Lebeau's 3-4 until there is no such thing as the NFL,.......
    http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/...lCzar76Sig.jpg

    "We’ll have a mix-and-match concept that hopefully will see us through.” ~Tomlin

  6. #6
    Pro Bowler

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    The one response missing was:
    Whatever works at the time. New rules may come in place at some point that may make it more useful to become a 4-3 again. Who knows? I think Tomlin on up to Rooney will make a rational decision based on the future personnel and how the game will be played.

  7. #7
    Acero
    Guest

    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    oops! I went to add the suggested option and it erased all previous votes! Sorry, didn't know it would do that!

  8. #8
    Pro Bowler

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Biased poll; one option for 3-4 and the rest are pro-4-3


    Oh, and I vote for the 3-4

  9. #9
    Legend

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    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Imagine such a poll 30 years ago in the heyday of the Steel Curtain defense, with the dominant front 4 and Lambert as the MLB behind them. Could you have even imagined suggesting going to a 3-4 at that point? Blasphemy!

    Change is inevitable. If you don't adapt, you die. The Steeler front office is smart enough to go with what works as opposed to following what other teams are doing. It certainly could happen that there is a 4-3 in our future, but I don't foresee it happening now or immediately when LeBeau retires. It ain't broke, so there is no need to fix it at this time.

    I think Bad Word has several more years in those 70+ year old bones, so that by the time Coach Dad ultimately decides to hang 'em up, Tomlin will have likely worked as many years in Pittsburgh with a 3-4 as he did in Tampa with a 4-3.
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  10. #10
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Poll: 3-4 or 4-3?

    Quote Originally Posted by Slapstick
    Quote Originally Posted by stlrz d
    Back in the early 90s a lot of teams switched to the 3-4 because they saw the success the Steelers had with it. We kept finding players in the draft and other teams couldn't. Most of those teams ended up going back to the 4-3 while we stayed the 3-4 course and continued to excel. Even from 1997-2003 when we didn't have LeBeau. That's right, there were SIX seasons where our defense excelled despite not having LeBeau as DC. Even if LeBeau retired tomorrow it wouldn't be a reason to switch.

    The Steelers don't react to the market, the market reacts to them.

    There is no reason to switch to the 4-3 just because other teams are switching to the 3-4.
    But, the Steelers weren't as successful without LeBeau during that time...Bill Cowher missed the playoffs in five out of his fifteen seasons as HC of the Steelers...in only one of those seasons, 2006, was LeBeau the DC...four out of five years the Steelers missed the playoffs, you had Tim Lewis or Jim Haslett running the D...

    Also, in both Super Bowl appearances during Cowher's tenure, LeBeau was calling the shots on defense...Tomlin retained LeBeau and look what happened?

    I don't think that's all coincidental...
    I didn't say losing LeBeau was no big deal. Just that it's not impossible to be successful without him. I was no fan of Lewis or Haslett for sure, but they still managed to make the playoffs in 97, 01 and 02. 3 out of 7 years isn't bad. And who's to say LeBeau's eventual successor will be as bad as Lewis or Haslett?

    I'm just making the point that if LeBeau moves on that's not automatically a reason to scrap the 3-4 in favor of the 4-3.

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