[stupac2]

I dunno, I think people are giving the rush 3/drop 8 approach way too much guff. As I've noted, we used it basically the whole game and if you liked the defense most of the game you also liked ... rushing 3 and dropping 8. Sorry.

The reasons for that defense are perfectly sensible:

a) if N.D. is going to spread you out with four or five receivers you need to spread out with them, which takes potential rushers out of the equation.
b) Other problem is a safety (or two) deep -- if you want that (and you do!), then this, too, takes away rushers.
c) Since Golson is mobile, you also don't want to over-rush him and leave him free for a draw/escape/whatever. A robber looks pretty sensible... in which case he's not rushing.

So pretty soon you're left with a situation in which rushing 3 and dropping 8 looks like a reasonable choice. If you'd like to rush, you need to either: cover a receiver with a linebacker, have fewer deep safeties than you'd like, or risk Golson escaping. It's not as simple as you guys are portraying it.

I disagree. I think on 4th and long you blitz. If you give a QB a ton of time in that situation then you're just asking to get burned. The situation is different from 1st and 10 in the second quarter, playing the game in front of you makes sense then, it just doesn't when any completion is a terrible result.

[stupac2]

I dunno, I think people are giving the rush 3/drop 8 approach way too much guff. As I've noted, we used it basically the whole game and if you liked the defense most of the game you also liked ... rushing 3 and dropping 8. Sorry.

The reasons for that defense are perfectly sensible:

a) if N.D. is going to spread you out with four or five receivers you need to spread out with them, which takes potential rushers out of the equation.
b) Other problem is a safety (or two) deep -- if you want that (and you do!), then this, too, takes away rushers.
c) Since Golson is mobile, you also don't want to over-rush him and leave him free for a draw/escape/whatever. A robber looks pretty sensible... in which case he's not rushing.

So pretty soon you're left with a situation in which rushing 3 and dropping 8 looks like a reasonable choice. If you'd like to rush, you need to either: cover a receiver with a linebacker, have fewer deep safeties than you'd like, or risk Golson escaping. It's not as simple as you guys are portraying it.

I disagree. I think on 4th and long you blitz. If you give a QB a ton of time in that situation then you're just asking to get burned. The situation is different from 1st and 10 in the second quarter, playing the game in front of you makes sense then, it just doesn't when any completion is a terrible result.