Can We Expect A Different Approach To DB Pass Coverage?

[TheRealPokeChop]

Not sure if I should link it here or not but coach wommack was on Christian millers radio show (the millers edge) talking about his coverage scheme and what they will run at bama.

I've expected that nick Saban was still going to have some influence here and that appears to be the case per the interview.

The gist was more cover 3 vs pattern match....im more partial to pattern match I think cover 3 is a bit outdated, but I'm bias to Saban, and his coverage will be more based on focusing on reacting to the qb and breaking on the ball vs reacting to the receiver

Fwiw lack of takeaways have been an issue for a few years now and we will be changing up to increase that but we may get beat more on the back end if we can't keep our pass rush strong. And fwiw wommack seems very confident that our pass rush will be dominate.

Coach did add that he's currently working with coach Saban on figuring some of that out and that we will still run some pattern match. We won't really know til the season gets going but my takeaway is the Saban playbook isn't as out the window as it may appear.

Check out the interview if you get a chance its on YouTube.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Amen. Easily one of the best DB coaches of all time. He happened to be too good to only be a “position coach” but that never made him any less of an absolutely top shelf DB coach. We consistently had excellent DB play. The defense is a unit and they succeed and fail as a unit. It ain’t always the DBs fault when a deep pass is completed.

But Saban was essentially the DC as well.

Once can say he's great, possibly the best defensive coach in CFB history, and still note inconsistencies or down years. It's not a black-and-white issue. Bama had amazing pass defenses for many years under CNS - and also had some very mediocre pass defenses under Saban.

Admitting that fact doesn't lessen his greatness, it's simply admitting he wasn't perfect.

 

[Ledsteplin]

But Saban was essentially the DC as well.

Once can say he's great, possibly the best defensive coach in CFB history, and still note inconsistencies or down years. It's not a black-and-white issue. Bama had amazing pass defenses for many years under CNS - and also had some very mediocre pass defenses under Saban.

Admitting that fact doesn't lessen his greatness, it's simply admitting he wasn't perfect.

I hope it's more the Smart/Pruitt type Saban defense flavor. 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[gtgilbert]

Not sure if I should link it here or not but coach wommack was on Christian millers radio show (the millers edge) talking about his coverage scheme and what they will run at bama.

I've expected that nick Saban was still going to have some influence here and that appears to be the case per the interview.

The gist was more cover 3 vs pattern match....im more partial to pattern match I think cover 3 is a bit outdated, but I'm bias to Saban, and his coverage will be more based on focusing on reacting to the qb and breaking on the ball vs reacting to the receiver

Fwiw lack of takeaways have been an issue for a few years now and we will be changing up to increase that but we may get beat more on the back end if we can't keep our pass rush strong. And fwiw wommack seems very confident that our pass rush will be dominate.

Coach did add that he's currently working with coach Saban on figuring some of that out and that we will still run some pattern match. We won't really know til the season gets going but my takeaway is the Saban playbook isn't as out the window as it may appear.

Check out the interview if you get a chance its on YouTube.

I'm interested to see how that could possibly play out. Cover 3 with a single high safety typically means we're relying on the CBs to start shallow and drop deep, which means they still have to flip their hips and run with a WR pretty often and that's where the whole in/out of phase technique comes into play. The only way around that is to have the CB's play more off coverage, and WRs/QBs in the SEC will literally eat that alive with shorter passes that would be left open.

 

[64 Grad]

New coaching staff should hire Bill Oliver and Mike Dubose as consultants if they want a good defense. Are those guys still around?

 

[AlexanderFan]

I understand that, but it was when we had one of those lineman getting pressure that it seemed the 3-4 defense helped the back 5 the most. It may be true the OLB was a 4th rusher, but the other 3 could get home some too.

It was when it took 4, or even 5, to block the 3 that the defense was the most dominant.

 

[mlh]

New coaching staff should hire Bill Oliver and Mike Dubose as consultants if they want a good defense. Are those guys still around?

Brother Bill is 85 years old. I doubt he'd be interested.

Mike DuBose retired from coaching a couple of years ago "to spend more time with his family." Probably not interested, either, at this point.

I think we'll be fine with our current staff. I'm anxious to see what they put on the field.

 

[BamaSully]

But Saban was essentially the DC as well.

Once can say he's great, possibly the best defensive coach in CFB history, and still note inconsistencies or down years. It's not a black-and-white issue. Bama had amazing pass defenses for many years under CNS - and also had some very mediocre pass defenses under Saban.

Admitting that fact doesn't lessen his greatness, it's simply admitting he wasn't perfect.

Yeah I get that and I believe your post is 100% correct, however, it is also true that a tendency that many people have unfortunately is to overlook large positives to focus on small negatives.

 

[Windsortide]

Keeping it simple less bump and run on the outside and more zone.

 

[rtr90]

Keeping it simple less bump and run on the outside and more zone.

That would mean not getting beat by mediocre qbs which occurred a few times under CNS

Downside could be struggles against really good qbs

 

[Windsortide]

That would mean not getting beat by mediocre qbs which occurred a few times under CNS

Downside could be struggles against really good qbs

Just hope whatever they do it works.

 

[bamaslammer]

I'm convinced that a simpler system run to perfection is going to have better results than a more complex system run imperfectly. In the past more complex systems were possible but in todays college football you probably have a player 2 years on average in your system. Gone are the days where a guy scouts for 2 years, starts playing as a redshirt sophomore, starts as a junior and becomes an all American as a Senior. You got 12 months to start them or they are gone.

 

[davefrat]

New coaching staff should hire Bill Oliver and Mike Dubose as consultants if they want a good defense. Are those guys still around?

Hard pass.

 

[davefrat]

That would mean not getting beat by mediocre qbs which occurred a few times under CNS

Downside could be struggles against really good qbs

Aside from the first season under Saban, how many mediocre QBs did we lose to under him?

 

[gtgilbert]

I'm convinced that a simpler system run to perfection is going to have better results than a more complex system run imperfectly. In the past more complex systems were possible but in todays college football you probably have a player 2 years on average in your system. Gone are the days where a guy scouts for 2 years, starts playing as a redshirt sophomore, starts as a junior and becomes an all American as a Senior. You got 12 months to start them or they are gone.

I'm not sure that's really been the path at alabama for a long, long time. We've had a ton of guys play very early in their careers in the backfield - just from quick memory, guys like Baron, Kirkpatrick, Ha-Ha, Fitz, Moore, Kool-Aid, Surtain, Jackson, Milliner all found starts in year one. Arnold, Diggs, Branch, Humphrey and Jobe were starting games in their second year.