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Can anyone please explain to me what the heck a "Prevent Defense" does? It seems like it never prevents anything, what it does in my eyes is lets the team drive the ball down the field.

I really hope Zimmer learned never to run this idiotic defense again.

Running a normal defense, maybe even a blitz in that situation would have been so much better IMO, not putting any pressure on Stafford and letting him throw at will was the main cause for the loss yesterday.

Norv Zimmer wrote:Can anyone please explain to me what the heck a "Prevent Defense" does? It seems like it never prevents anything, what it does in my eyes is lets the team drive the ball down the field.

I really hope Zimmer learned never to run this idiotic defense again.

Running a normal defense, maybe even a blitz in that situation would have been so much better IMO, not putting any pressure on Stafford and letting him throw at will was the main cause for the loss yesterday.

A prevent defense is a coverage defense, designed to maximize the number of defenders in coverage and prevent big gains or scoring plays down the field. It's intended to force shorter throws underneath the coverage and make the offense use up time late in games when they have little time remaining. The strategy obviously didn't work yesterday.

Norv Zimmer wrote:Can anyone please explain to me what the heck a "Prevent Defense" does? It seems like it never prevents anything, what it does in my eyes is lets the team drive the ball down the field.

I really hope Zimmer learned never to run this idiotic defense again.

Running a normal defense, maybe even a blitz in that situation would have been so much better IMO, not putting any pressure on Stafford and letting him throw at will was the main cause for the loss yesterday.

I agree prevent usually bites you in the a$$. I am actually upset that we left 27 seconds on the clock when we scored the TD. I knew right then with the time they had left and a REAL kicker we were screwed. I left my house right away and went to the bar. And of course I had to punish myself and listen to it on the radio driving to the bar.

I'd add one thing to Jim's explanation ... from my experience, it's used to prevent a team from scoring, typically from scoring a touchdown. We'll give you yards, but you're not scoring.

Yesterday was a terrible example of how to use it (not that there are a ton of good examples, but I digress). Vikings defenders were so deep that the 27-yard completion to set up the field goal was, in effect, an "underneath" throw. They completely neglected the obvious -- that Detroit only needed about 20 yards to get in field goal range (after the first completion).

To my mind, if they would have played it like it was 3rd-and-20, rather than "don't let anybody behind you," we'd all be talking about Sam Bradford's 4th-quarter comeback for the win.

All I have ever seen a prevent defense do is prevent you from winning the game. Might as well sit the whole defense down on the knees. Stupidest defensive scheme I have ever seen. It has NEVER worked

J. Kapp 11 wrote:I'd add one thing to Jim's explanation ... from my experience, it's used to prevent a team from scoring, typically from scoring a touchdown. We'll give you yards, but you're not scoring.

Yesterday was a terrible example of how to use it (not that there are a ton of good examples, but I digress). Vikings defenders were so deep that the 27-yard completion to set up the field goal was, in effect, an "underneath" throw. They completely neglected the obvious -- that Detroit only needed about 20 yards to get in field goal range (after the first completion).

To my mind, if they would have played it like it was 3rd-and-20, rather than "don't let anybody behind you," we'd all be talking about Sam Bradford's 4th-quarter comeback for the win.

I agree, maybe use this defense if you are up by 4. NOT 3 especially when they have proved they have a strong legged kicker.

Laserman wrote:All I have ever seen a prevent defense do is prevent you from winning the game. Might as well sit the whole defense down on the knees. Stupidest defensive scheme I have ever seen. It has NEVER worked

yeah, basically

Laserman wrote:All I have ever seen a prevent defense do is prevent you from winning the game. Might as well sit the whole defense down on the knees. Stupidest defensive scheme I have ever seen. It has NEVER worked

I wouldn't say it has never worked. There are situations where it is useful, like where time is running out and your team is up by more than 8 points - you just don't want the other team to score a td quickly. But I would never use it if the other team was within 8 or less points.

Using it in that situation was stupid. Stafford had no pressure in his face and all they needed was a fg. I would only use a prevent in a hail mary type situation where the offense needs a TD and has time for one or two more plays.