Facing Rex Ryans 46 defense

[MURP]

it might be an ugly day for the Eagles if the Ravens use the 46 a lot with multiple blitzes.  Hope the young Olineman are up for the task. 

Posted on Fri, Aug. 19, 2005


In his daddy's defense

WESTMINSTER, Md. — Rex Ryan received two terrific pieces of news from Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick in mid-January.

The first was that he would be replacing new 49ers coach Mike Nolan as Ravens defensive coordinator.

The second was that he had the green light to deep-six the 3-4 scheme Nolan had used the last 3 years and replace it with the aggressive "46" defense his old man, Buddy Ryan, had made famous in Chicago and with the Eagles.

"When Brian told me I was going to get the job, he said, 'Listen, there's no handcuffs on you. You just run your defense,'" says Ryan, who was promoted from defensive line coach. "We sat down and went over every bit of the ['46'] defense. Brian's the one who's feeding it. Brian loves it. He loves our team being aggressive. And we have players who have the right disposition to play this."

You usually don't fix what isn't broken, and there wasn't a whole lot wrong with the Ravens' defense last season. It finished sixth in the NFL in points and yards allowed. Was seventh in takeaways and 12th in sacks.

But considering the wealth of talent, Billick felt the defense was capable of more. He agreed with the popular notion that the Ravens' 3-4 scheme had managed to turn All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis into a mere mortal by leaving him exposed to too many blockers. And, as an offensive coach, he was intrigued by the prospect of the havoc Lewis and Co. could create in an attack-mode defense like the "46."

"It's going to be an interesting marriage with what Rex plans philosophically with a very unique, elite group of physical talent," says Billick, whose team will host the Eagles tomorrow night in a preseason game. "We're going to do some things you haven't seen in this league in a long time."

The "46" is a blitz-happy, high-risk, high-reward defense that essentially puts six men up on the line of scrimmage, including three head-up on the center and guards, and a total of eight in the box, and then tries to make the quarterback's life a living hell.

"The big thing is, a 4-3 defense, there are certain plays that people want to run against it," Ryan says. "Just like there are certain plays you want to run against odd [front] defenses. Well, the '46' is almost a combination even-odd look.

"You've got the center covered in the '46' like an odd [front]. But you also have the guards covered up like you do in an even front. An offense almost has to make different [blocking] rules for it. And the fact that nobody else is playing it, or very few people are playing it, is really to our advantage. Because now, they're going to have to blow the dust off their old '46' game plans."

Buddy Ryan is one proud papa these days. He has not one, but two sons who are running NFL defensive platoons. Rex's twin brother Rob is in his second season as Norv Turner's defensive lieutenant in Oakland. Much to Buddy's chagrin, though, Rob hasn't been allowed to implement the "46" there.

"I don't believe they play a whole lot of it," Rex says. "You'd probably have to ask [Raiders owner] Al Davis or somebody there why they don't use it more."

Buddy, who stopped by the Ravens' training camp for a visit last week, is as confident as Rex that his "46" will be a rousing success in Baltimore.

"No question they will get after 'em," he said with his typical hey-I-invented-it-so-of-course-it-will-work modesty.

One of the major reasons Buddy believes it will succeed is Lewis. "He's the best 4-3 middle linebacker there's ever been," he says.

Keep in mind, this is coming from a man whose 1980s Bears defense had a pretty fair middle linebacker of its own by the name of Mike Singletary. Singletary's bronze bust can be found in Canton. But Buddy gives the edge to Lewis because he is bigger and faster than Singletary.

Rex Ryan, who coached the Ravens' defensive line under Nolan, readily admits that Lewis' skills were not maximized in Nolan's 3-4 scheme.

"You've got arguably the best defensive player in the history of the game," he says. "For him to be treated no different than a nose tackle in some situations, I think is a waste.

"When you move to a '46' or a 4-3, he gets a chance to be covered up and running inside out to the football. You can't completely keep people off of him, but you're going to have to worry about Ray Lewis again every snap.

"The '46' will expand his role a little more [than a standard 4-3 defense\]. He may blitz more than he has in the past. You won't know what he's going to do. He may be the first guy on the blitz, the second guy on the blitz. He may have coverage on a tight end or a back. He may be playing over the top in a zone.

"That's what you've got to have in this defense. A guy who can do those things from the middle linebacker position, a guy who can do it all. And we have one who can do it all."

Buddy Ryan created the "46" in the early '80s to counter the success opposing teams were having throwing the ball against the Bears. His rationale was that quarterbacks would have a difficult time completing passes from the prone position.

The Bears used the "46" about 75 percent of the time when Ryan was there. His Eagles defenses used it about half the time. Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who was Ryan's defensive coordinator in Philly, has used it in Tennessee. And Fisher's former defensive chief, Gregg Williams, uses it occasionally in Washington.

Rex Ryan said the Ravens sometimes will use it a lot and sometimes will use it hardly at all, depending on the opponent. He likely will use it sparingly against opponents with mobile quarterbacks who can get outside the pocket and buy time, such as AFC North rival Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger.

"When teams prepare for us, they're not going to know whether we're going to use it one snap or 60 snaps," he says. "That's to our advantage."

With cornerbacks Samari Rolle, Chris McAlister and Deion Sanders and safeties Ed Reed and Will Demps, the Ravens have one of the top secondaries in the league. But Ryan said even if they didn't, he'd still be bullish on the "46."

"I always had planned on using it when I got my own defense," he says. "People say you've got to have great defensive backs \[to play it\]. It certainly helps. But when you look at the old Bears, they never even had a college corner on that team. All those guys were college safeties."

The first thing Ryan did at the spring minicamp was take his defensive players into a meeting room, turn out the lights and show them a tape of the '84 Bears playing the "46." To refresh your memory, that unit finished first in the league in total defense, held opponents to 12.4 points per game and had an NFL-record 72 sacks. They came out of that room like Tom Cruise after a Scientology pep rally.

"I had never really seen the '46' until he showed us a tape of it. It works," says linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs, who will reprise the role of rush end that originally was played by Richard Dent in Papa Ryan's "46." Suggs already has notched 22 sacks in his first two pro seasons. "I'm surprised a lot of teams don't use it. With the people we've got here, it's going to be a fun thing to watch."

Says free safety Will Demps: "I love it. It's a little more aggressive. Actually, it's a lot more aggressive. A lot of people can make a lot of plays. [Offenses] don't know who's doing what."

When the Ravens used the "46" in a scrimmage against the Washington taterskins a couple of weeks ago, Deion Sanders notched two sacks. Didn't get touched on either one. Deion Sanders. The guy has one career sack. In 1991.

"Our guys are going full-speed ahead with it," Ryan says. "They're all into it. What we always say is it's not necessarily the position of the player that's important; it's the disposition. If you've got the right kind of guy, you're going to be successful. The '46' is just going to add to that player's chances of being successful.

"It's a lot of scheming. You can take advantage of things. If we have a mismatch, all of a sudden you're going to turn your protection one way and you're going to have a back trying to pick up Terrell Suggs or [linebacker] Adalius Thomas. Then that's going to help us."

[ice grillin you]

its the preseason i wouldnt expect to see anything higher than a 23 defense

[Larry]

He likely will use it sparingly against opponents with mobile quarterbacks who can get outside the pocket and buy time

I more concerned about Herremans blocking Suggs...that'll be a big test for him.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

It won't be a problem.  Todd's got wostly ginourmous manneans, and Suggs has womanneans.

[MadMarchHare]

That's the whole point of the preseason, right?  As long as it doesn't get McNabb killed.....

[RezRob]

There's a reason most teams don't run the 46 because yes you need talent, but multiple wideouts,and TEs create mismatches. The problem is you must get rid of the ball quick. If Lewis,Brown,Westy, or L.J. beat the coverage and make one guy miss it's off to the races. Hot routes etc will be tested. Disco Donny can't hold onto the ball long. Power running also works, but come on they out man their line and backers vs ours right now. This could be nice test for our WR vs press coverage 1 v 1, and 5 will need to be sharp.

[Purple_Hayz]

Holy shtein!  Am I the only one around here that has enough wood to fill a forest with over this news?  I'm not a Ravens fan by any stretch but Rex Ryan + the 46 * Ray Lewis at MLB := a defense that'll be a ton of fun to watch.    At least, as long as it isn't squaring off against us...

[MURP]

As long as it doesn't get McNabb killed.....

heh, thats the main concern.

[rjs246]

It won't be a problem.  Todd's got wostly ginourmous manneans, and Suggs has womanneans.

This made me laugh, even though it shouldn't have.

[bobbyinlondon]

There's a reason most teams don't run the 46 because yes you need talent, but multiple wideouts,and TEs create mismatches. The problem is you must get rid of the ball quick. If Lewis,Brown,Westy, or L.J. beat the coverage and make one guy miss it's off to the races. Hot routes etc will be tested. Disco Donny can't hold onto the ball long. Power running also works, but come on they out man their line and backers vs ours right now. This could be nice test for our WR vs press coverage 1 v 1, and 5 will need to be sharp.

I guess we got the answer on Westy's 51 yard TD. I was listening to it on the radio and it sounded like there was nobody home on the Ravens' defense.

[TexasEagle]

There's a reason most teams don't run the 46 because yes you need talent, but multiple wideouts,and TEs create mismatches. The problem is you must get rid of the ball quick. If Lewis,Brown,Westy, or L.J. beat the coverage and make one guy miss it's off to the races. Hot routes etc will be tested. Disco Donny can't hold onto the ball long. Power running also works, but come on they out man their line and backers vs ours right now. This could be nice test for our WR vs press coverage 1 v 1, and 5 will need to be sharp.

I guess we got the answer on Westy's 51 yard TD. I was listening to it on the radio and it sounded like there was nobody home on the Ravens' defense.

I got to see that play on Sportscenter. There was a complete lack of effort on the Ravens and some nifty running by Westbrook, but they (Ravens) just looked abysmal on that play.

[Drunkmasterflex]

He likely will use it sparingly against opponents with mobile quarterbacks who can get outside the pocket and buy time

I more concerned about Herremans blocking Suggs...that'll be a big test for him.

Didn't look a problme at all for him lastnight, the more I see this kid the more impressed I get.  Eventually this kid is probably going to be an absolute stud.

[Phanatic]

I think the West Coast offense is taylor made to beat this defense. It will be fun to watch when it is working. I don't see it working in week one against the Colts though. They're going to get lit trying that defense against one of the best offenses in football today.

[RezRob]

There's a reason most teams don't run the 46 because yes you need talent, but multiple wideouts,and TEs create mismatches. The problem is you must get rid of the ball quick. If Lewis,Brown,Westy, or L.J. beat the coverage and make one guy miss it's off to the races. Hot routes etc will be tested. Disco Donny can't hold onto the ball long. Power running also works, but come on they out man their line and backers vs ours right now. This could be nice test for our WR vs press coverage 1 v 1, and 5 will need to be sharp.

I guess we got the answer on Westy's 51 yard TD. I was listening to it on the radio and it sounded like there was nobody home on the Ravens' defense.

I guess I do feel validated now he heh.. plus what I could tell from the game is they don't run a base 46 most of the time, but rather 4-3 and go to the 46. Boller is also still garbage.