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3 down LB thread (1 Viewer)

N

nortobc

Footballguy
There is another 3-down LB thread but we should start a new one for the regular season. From watching the games and playing in IDP leagues for a few years, I have come to realize that 3-down LBs are the way to go. After all, you can't score points if you are not on the field.I will list all the teams and try to match the 3-down LBs accordingly. Many teams have multiple 3-down LBs because they play alot of nickle on 3rd down. Feel free to update the list.NFCRams - Tinoisamoa, ChillarSeahawks - Lewis, ?49ers - Peterson, Ulbrich?Cardinals - Dansby, Darling?Saints - Watson, Buckwoldt?Panthers - MorganBucs - ?Falcons - Brooking, WilliamsBears - UrlacherPackers - Burnett, ThomasLions - ?Vikings - ?Cowboys - ?Redskins - Marshall, WashingtonGiants - Pierce, Torbor?Eagles - ?AFCChargers - Edwards, Leber, Foley (DE)Broncos - Wilson, Gold?Chiefs - Johnson, MitchellRaiders - Morrison, Clark?Colts - Brackett, JuneJags - Peterson, Smith?Texans - Wong, Greenwood, Peek (DE)Titans - Bulluck, Kessell?Browns - Davis, Thompson?Bengals - Thruman, SimmonsRavens - LewisSteelers - Foote?Pats - Brown?Dolphins - ThomasBills - Fletcher, SpikesJets - Vilma, BartonIf you want to update the post, please use the following format:team name - player #1, player #2 (if needed), player #3 (if needed)Player #1 is a definite 3 down backer while #2 is the nickle guy and player #3 is usually a rushing DE.

 
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Add Marcus Washington and Lavar Arrington to the Redskins list; Arrington essentially plays RDE in that situation.

A word of warning about Arrington, though: that's about all he plays right now until he's back in game shape and his knee's stood up to the test of playing at full speed.

 
I believe Tinoisamoa with the Rams is.

I think Greenwood is not ...
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Doesn't Greenwood play in the nickle package along side Wong?
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From the play-by-play, Greenwood's name is mentioned on a 3rd and 6 and 3rd and 15. Both plays were from the shotgun. The 3rd and 6, Greenwood's name appears because he was offsides. Blitzing? The 3rd and 15, he made the tackle. I'd guess each of those plays were nickel packages for Houston.
 
I believe Tinoisamoa with the Rams is.

I think Greenwood is not ...
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Doesn't Greenwood play in the nickle package along side Wong?
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From the play-by-play, Greenwood's name is mentioned on a 3rd and 6 and 3rd and 15. Both plays were from the shotgun. The 3rd and 6, Greenwood's name appears because he was offsides. Blitzing? The 3rd and 15, he made the tackle. I'd guess each of those plays were nickel packages for Houston.
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I'm getting mixed signals here. One person says Peek and Babin play in the nickle situations and the box score has Greenwood playing on 3rd down. I'm sticking with the box score unless there is some other proof.
 
Good move ... I was going off of prior reading, not box scores ...

 
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I believe Tinoisamoa with the Rams is.

I think Greenwood is not ...
Click to expand...
Doesn't Greenwood play in the nickle package along side Wong?
Click to expand...
From the play-by-play, Greenwood's name is mentioned on a 3rd and 6 and 3rd and 15. Both plays were from the shotgun. The 3rd and 6, Greenwood's name appears because he was offsides. Blitzing? The 3rd and 15, he made the tackle. I'd guess each of those plays were nickel packages for Houston.
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After reviewing the box score of the Texans game, I saw Wong on 2 3rd downs, Greenwood on 2 3rd downs and Peek on 3 3rd downs. It looks like all 3 of those guys are 3 down backers. Does Peek or Wong play DE on 3rd down or do the Texans have 3 LBs in on 3rd down?
 
This is true ... Wong calls the D plays so he is always in, although he sometimes rushes the passer from the LB spot. Babin and/or Peek also stay in to rush the passer with their hand down ...

 
I will bump this daily or bi-daily for the rest of the season. Maybe we could get a sticky for 3-down LBs?

 
I did not see the Denver vs. Miami game, but in preseason, I noticed that Denver's nickle LB's were Wilson and Gold. No DJ shockingly. As a matter of fact, due to the fact that nickle is played so much, DJ rarely even seemed to be on the field. But, then when he was, he always seemed to make plays. It's worth keeping an eye on during the season to see if the situation in Denver changes. If the defense plays as poorly as last Sunday, look for some changes.Edit to add:Oh, and for the Bengals, I believe it is Thurman and Simmons, unless they want to try to work a package in for extra pash rush. Pollack cannot be trusted to drop back into coverage just yet, but they will let him pin his ears back.

 
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Oh, and for the Bengals, I believe it is Thurman and Simmons, unless they want to try to work a package in for extra pash rush. Pollack cannot be trusted to drop back into coverage just yet, but they will let him pin his ears back.
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The reason I put Pollack in was because he led the team in solo tackles. Maybe he go them all on 1st/2nd down. I'll swith it to Simmons and Thurman.
 
Chargers-- Foley, LeberThey never came out of that game, and they both played great football. I know "strong side" LBs are not popular around here, but I think Foley will be one solid exception to the rule. He plays middle until third downs, and then he's pass rushing from the outside. Godfrey did come out on 3rd downs, but not all of them. Merriman looks to see plenty of time for one of these guys eventually, and I would guess Godfrey will be the odd man out. Leber looked good. Foley was just all over the field. Don't let the modest stats fool you. He may not be a big force in the tackles department, but just like last year he should score plenty of points when it is all said and done.

 
Chargers-- Foley, Leber

They never came out of that game, and they both played great football. I know "strong side" LBs are not popular around here, but I think Foley will be one solid exception to the rule. He plays middle until third downs, and then he's pass rushing from the outside. Godfrey did come out on 3rd downs, but not all of them. Merriman looks to see plenty of time for one of these guys eventually, and I would guess Godfrey will be the odd man out. Leber looked good. Foley was just all over the field. Don't let the modest stats fool you. He may not be a big force in the tackles department, but just like last year he should score plenty of points when it is all said and done.
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So Edwards and Leber are LBs and Foley is a pass rushing DE on 3rd downs?
 
Add Marcus Washington and Lavar Arrington to the Redskins list; Arrington essentially plays RDE in that situation.

A word of warning about Arrington, though: that's about all he plays right now until he's back in game shape and his knee's stood up to the test of playing at full speed.
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Any estimates as to when this might be? Like an idiot, I assumed he was healthy week one and played him. :bag:
 
Add Marcus Washington and Lavar Arrington to the Redskins list; Arrington essentially plays RDE in that situation.

A word of warning about Arrington, though: that's about all he plays right now until he's back in game shape and his knee's stood up to the test of playing at full speed.
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Any estimates as to when this might be? Like an idiot, I assumed he was healthy week one and played him. :bag:
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I haven't heard much. It seems like they are being pretty quiet about it. He wasn't in the week 1 injury report. Lavar's just been saying he's only playing as many plays as the coaches tell him to play. I get the feeling, though, that he thinks he's ready for full time work. In other words, I have no idea what's going on.
 
Packers: Nick Barnett plays all three downs and has looked better than ever in training camp through game 1 - good burst and will have the opportunity for a lot of tackles this seasonrobert thomas is worth keeping an eye on right now...he is playing weakside LB, but his role is not clearly defined (since the pack picked him up after preseason cuts). na'il diggs is injured right now and will miss his second game this weekend - right now paris lenon is filling in at the strongside LB spot for him, but don't be misled...lenon is just a back-up, same thing with manning

 
D.D. Lewis?!? - SEA

link

Position watch: Linebacker. Jamie Sharper, Lofa Tatupu and D.D. Lewis remain the starters. Tatupu played well in the opener for a rookie making his first NFL start, coaches said. Lewis and Kevin Bentley were the only linebackers on the field in the team’s nickel packages Sunday. Only Lewis remained in the dime. Injuries stunted rookie Leroy Hill’s development during camp. He was inactive for the opener. The team appears unsure when Hill might contribute. “I think he’s pretty close,” Holmgren said. “He’s a very athletic guy, but he’s young. If all of a sudden he’s in the game with Lofa and D.D. Lewis, you have not a lot of experience at linebacker. But he’s a good player, and we expect him to contribute this season.”
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I believe Tinoisamoa with the Rams is.
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Week one the Rams opened up in a nickel with Tinoisamoa and Brandon Chillar, not sure which of the two would come out in a dime.
 
Correct me if I am wrong but I could have sworn that Marshall was in on the dime for the Skins most of the time, with Washington and Marshall both in on the nickle. When I watched one play when they were in the dime, I saw Marshall on the field but Washington made the tackle. Could that mean that Marcus lines up on the line during dime coverages?

 
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Add Marcus Washington and Lavar Arrington to the Redskins list; Arrington essentially plays RDE in that situation. 

A word of warning about Arrington, though: that's about all he plays right now until he's back in game shape and his knee's stood up to the test of playing at full speed.
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Any estimates as to when this might be? Like an idiot, I assumed he was healthy week one and played him. :bag:
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I haven't heard much. It seems like they are being pretty quiet about it. He wasn't in the week 1 injury report. Lavar's just been saying he's only playing as many plays as the coaches tell him to play. I get the feeling, though, that he thinks he's ready for full time work. In other words, I have no idea what's going on.
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I agree that the info on this is pretty sketchy. Arrington seems fine and is making some noise in the media (very mildly, so as not to be disruptive) that he wants to play more and doesn't understand why he's not. One reason probably is that Arrington blamed the team last year for reinjuring his knee by rushing him back onto the field; whether you believe that or not, that occurred while Arrington still had that asinine (and now-settled) contract dispute going on over the missing language, and so the team may just be playing it safe. It's not like their defense "needs" him to be effective.

Others are suggesting (without any support that I've seen) that Williams doesn't trust him to play disciplined enough football at his position within the scheme; I find that hard to believe given that the aggressive scheme seems to fit Arrington's talents to a "T", and it's not like Sean Taylor is any different.

The best bet, IMHO is that he's going to go full time starting week 4 (they have a bye this week). Warrick Holdman is merely an adequate fill-in at WLB; he won't keep Arrington off the field.

 
Correct me if I am wrong but I could have sworn that Marshall was in on the dime for the Skins most of the time, with Washington and Marshall both in on the nickle. When I watched one play when they were in the dime, I saw Marshall on the field but Washington made the tackle. Could that mean that Marcus lines up on the line during dime coverages?
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Washington rushes the passer a lot. Sometimes they go to a 3-man line and Marcus will roam back and forth before the snap and then rush.
 
Correct me if I am wrong but I could have sworn that Marshall was in on the dime for the Skins most of the time, with Washington and Marshall both in on the nickle. When I watched one play when they were in the dime, I saw Marshall on the field but Washington made the tackle. Could that mean that Marcus lines up on the line during dime coverages?
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I'm not aware of Washington ever playing as a down lineman. He's just a versatile, playmaking LB who the team loves to have on the field. Marshall too, especially given that he started his career as a safety, FYI. Williams uses all sorts of packages, so it's hard to give a pat answer on this. If you saw those two guys on the field in the "dime", there may have literally been 2 linemen, 2 LB's and 7 DB's on the field. They do crazy things like that.

The point is though, that both Marshall and Washington (and Arrington when he's healthy) are versatile and athletic enough to be on the field in that defense in any situation.

 
Maybe Lavar's getting more vocal. Here's an excerpt from today's Wasington Times:

"As long as we're winning, I guess I can't complain too much," said the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, who started but played just a handful of snaps. "You know how I am. I want to be out there trying to make a difference. I want to help. I thought the whole plan was to ease me back in, but that hasn't turned out to be true." Arrington, who missed 12 games and 14 starts after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last September, finally returned to the field Aug. 15 and saw increasing action in the three subsequent preseason games. Arrington didn't start but played more in the opener against Chicago than he did at Dallas, in part because fellow outside backer Chris Clemons had returned from injury. Assistant head coach for defense Gregg Williams isn't speaking to the media this week. Linebackers coach Dale Lindsey isn't convinced that Arrington, who says he feels fine, is 100 percent. "LaVar needs more work [in practice]," Lindsey said. "On top of that, he has to feel confident that his knee is OK and that he understands what the [defensive] system asks him to do and then can go out and do that to the best of his ability, and we have to feel the same way about him." Coach Joe Gibbs, who generally leaves the defense in Williams' hands, doesn't believe Arrington's limited role behind Warrick Holdman is permanent. "We want LaVar to be an impact guy," Gibbs said. "We want to get him in there. [The defensive coaches] consider everybody a starter. They try to use most of the guys at some point in different packages. It so happens this week that some of the things we used the most LaVar wasn't in on." Arrington, who previously has expressed unhappiness with this coaching staff, is too proud to ask why he's not playing more. "This is my sixth year here," he explained. "I've done an overwhelming amount to at least deserve an explanation. I don't feel I should have to go to ask why I'm not playing. If it's important enough to them to communicate with me, then that's what they'll do. However they're going to use me, they're going to use me."
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This doesn't at all change my estimation of how this situation will play out, BTW.
 
BumpAdded Brandon Chillar to the Rams 3 down backer. Took Arrington off the Skins 3 down backer list until he actually starts to play more.

 
Oh, and for the Bengals, I believe it is Thurman and Simmons, unless they want to try to work a package in for extra pash rush. Pollack cannot be trusted to drop back into coverage just yet, but they will let him pin his ears back.
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The reason I put Pollack in was because he led the team in solo tackles. Maybe he go them all on 1st/2nd down. I'll swith it to Simmons and Thurman.
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Pollack is rushing the QB on 3rd down.
 
Add Marcus Washington and Lavar Arrington to the Redskins list; Arrington essentially plays RDE in that situation. 

A word of warning about Arrington, though: that's about all he plays right now until he's back in game shape and his knee's stood up to the test of playing at full speed.
Click to expand...
Any estimates as to when this might be? Like an idiot, I assumed he was healthy week one and played him. :bag:
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I haven't heard much. It seems like they are being pretty quiet about it. He wasn't in the week 1 injury report. Lavar's just been saying he's only playing as many plays as the coaches tell him to play. I get the feeling, though, that he thinks he's ready for full time work. In other words, I have no idea what's going on.
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I agree that the info on this is pretty sketchy. Arrington seems fine and is making some noise in the media (very mildly, so as not to be disruptive) that he wants to play more and doesn't understand why he's not. One reason probably is that Arrington blamed the team last year for reinjuring his knee by rushing him back onto the field; whether you believe that or not, that occurred while Arrington still had that asinine (and now-settled) contract dispute going on over the missing language, and so the team may just be playing it safe. It's not like their defense "needs" him to be effective.

Others are suggesting (without any support that I've seen) that Williams doesn't trust him to play disciplined enough football at his position within the scheme; I find that hard to believe given that the aggressive scheme seems to fit Arrington's talents to a "T", and it's not like Sean Taylor is any different.

The best bet, IMHO is that he's going to go full time starting week 4 (they have a bye this week). Warrick Holdman is merely an adequate fill-in at WLB; he won't keep Arrington off the field.
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Thanks for the info, guys.
 
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