Should the Vikings switch to 3-4?

[PurpleKoolaid]

You can't just change your defense mid-season.

We don't have the personnel for it either.

Like the personnel we have now is working in this outdated cover 2 prevent that doesn't prevent. I hope we eventually switch to the 3-4, and now is as good as time as any. We should be looking for a 3-4 DC anyways.

[VikeMike]

Well, if you make the switch, where do you find the LBs? So far, we can't field three decent linebackers. Even Greenway has looked way below par for most of the three games.

Of course, in 2014, we may only have three DLs on the entire roster by draft day.

[radar55]

I don't see why we need to change?

Jim Johnson ran a high pressure defense in Philly during his tenure there (RIP) and he ran it out of a 4-3 base. Our current coaching doesn't like blitzing and wants to get it's pressure from the front 4. We also seem to want to play a ton of zone instead of man coverage.

IMO this is a philosophy issue more than anything else.

Not to pick on your post but our current coaching staff are a bunch of morons if they continue to run this pathetic group without making a change in their philosophy. I understand what your saying about how the coaches WANT the pressure to come from the front 4......that's the way this defense has been run for years but when that philosophy is NO LONGER EFFECTIVE then they have to try something to change it up. Lord knows, what ever changes they might make cant be any worse.

[King James]

We don't have enough good Linebackers for a 3-4. And I think the front 3 would consist of Allen, Guion, and Robison, which means Kevin Williams probably wouldn't even see the field. Maybe once we get the right personnel we could move to 3-4, but our team now is built for 4-3 right now. Moving to a 3-4 would be chaotic.

[Reignman]

I'm all for any change that gets us out of this cover 0 nightmare. This current scheme is a disaster, especially considering the QB's we have to face in our own division 6 times a season. But yeah, lets just keep letting opposing QB's play catch with their receivers.

Jefferson sprained his ankle. That's why he was benched.

Haha, that was just more coach speak. It's easier to use an injury excuse than to say a guy is struggling. Although the way he bit on the double move on the Gordon TD, I'm surprised he didn't bust an ankle. But when did he sprain the ankle? On the sideline? Because he was running fine chasing Gordon and that was his last play. Either way, it's the best coaching decision Frazier has made because Sherels played AW like.

Maybe Ponder will be on the bench soon too because he has a "sprained shoulder".

[Laserman]

All in all I actually really like our defense, we've been forcing a good amount of turn overs and that's huge. At the same time of course we're under performing because we don't have the personnel to be better. Robinson has given up 23 passes on 24 targets, sanford isn't a good player, and we have no line backers so obviously it's going to be pretty shaky there. I think it's pretty clear though that our d-line is decent and built for the 4-3, harrison smith is making a ton of plays as a 4-3 cover 2 safety. We just need some better LB's and some picks to pan out like xhavier rhodes and I think this defense as a scheme / whole is fine.

How can you really believe this when our defense gives up 30 plus points a game and we give up a game winning TD drive two weeks in a row? I hate the cover 2 scheme. Bend but don't break, play not to lose always breaks and loses. Goes hand in hand with our wimpy west coast 5 yard slant offense. The Scheme IS the problem. It's wimp football

[mondry]

How can you really believe this when our defense gives up 30 plus points a game and we give up a game winning TD drive two weeks in a row? I hate the cover 2 scheme. Bend but don't break, play not to lose always breaks and loses. Goes hand in hand with our wimpy west coast 5 yard slant offense. The Scheme IS the problem. It's wimp football

You're right, if we ran a 3-4 we'd be 3-0 right now.

[Demi]

The two reasons I brought this up were because a lot of teams like half (?), have made the switch in recent years, so teams are doing it without requiring 5 years to ascend to the level of "average". The other reason I brought this up was because most of the big stars from our defense of the past 5+ years are gone, or will be gone next season (Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Antoine Winfield, etc.) so there is room to start a new "era" so to speak.

Which is a reason for...and against. If teams are switching to it, that means less oppurtunities to get the players you need to run it, rather from draft or free agency. We can afford to make the change if Zygi decides to blow things up. But if he keeps the coaches we have, won't happen. Hopefully they go into this offseason with an open mind.

[PacificNorseWest]

We have NO linebackers let alone pass rushing LB's. No way.

[MrPurplenGold]

We have NO linebackers let alone pass rushing LB's. No way.

I agree. We don't have 3 good LB's for the 4-3 why would we switch to a 3-4

[Eli]

The Vikings have so many problems on defense right now, and they're going to only get worse after so many of their linemen enter free agency following this season. There's not going to be much to salvage after this year. They need to do something drastically different, but a 3-4 might not be the answer.

Everson Griffen would make a great pass rushing 3-4 OLB. It was his misfortune to be drafted by a team running a 1980s version of a 4-3 defense. I think the Vikings will try hard to resign him following this year, but if he's smart, he'll be moving on to a new team. He should get some very good offers.

Desmond Bishop is a no-brainer for a 3-4, but he's a free agent following the season. If he doesn't get more playing time, he'll be moving on to someone who needs a pretty good LB.

Chad Greenway could easily adapt to being an ILB in a 3-4, but his career isn't going to last much longer in any case.

As for the rest of the LBs, they'd be no better or worse off in one system than the other. They're all glorified ST kick and punt coverage guys.

They'll lose Jared Allen or Brian Robison after this year as well. Possibly both of them. Kevin Williams might play another year, but on a part time basis. Fred Evans is probably the remaining best DL that the Vikings have and could easily play DE in a 3-4, but he's also a free agent following the 2013 season.

I don't see any real arguments for or against against switching. There are going to be some major personnel changes on defense, so they could go either way.