Peyton Manning Continues to be Confounded by the 3-4 Defense

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To be fair to Manning, he doesn’t always struggle against the 3-4. But if you look at his worst playoff performances, it’s been against teams that run the 3-4.

What is it about the 3-4 that makes it so hard for the Colts offense, and in particular Manning and the offensive line, to be successful against it? To be fair, most quarterbacks struggle against the 3-4, it’s just a matter of degrees. Manning seems to struggle more than most.

Understanding the 3-4 and how it differs From the 4-3:

As the name implies, the 3-4 defense is comprised of three defensive lineman and four linebackers.

The Linemen:

The front three linemen are comprised of a nose guard and two defensive tackles. The nose guard is a huge player, weighing roughly 350 pounds. Not only does he have to be big, he has to be strong. His job is to take on the center and one or two of the guards simultaneously on every single play. Typically, a good nose guard is very hard to find. How many guys do you know that can take on three 300-plus pound guys in a fight?

Since talented nose guards are a rare breed when a team gets one, they pay him, and they pay him well. He is the anchor for the whole line. If he can’t control the center of the line, the whole system falls apart. Look no further then the San Diego Chargers to see what happens to a defense when a top-notch nose guard gets injured.

Depending on the scheme, the nose guard is responsible for controlling two gaps or one. The Patriots’ guard is a two-gapper, while the Chargers’ guard is a one-gapper.

The nose guard must be able to plug up the middle and make sure no running backs can make it through the A-gaps. His alignment is right in front of the center (which means he is playing a zero technique). When the ball is snapped, he must control both gaps, plus he must maintain his blocks. His job is to block the center and at least one of the guards; he must make sure that if the running back comes through one of the holes, he makes the tackle. 

Also, he must make sure neither the center nor the guard gets through those gaps to the linebackers. Just like on a running play, he must sustain his blocks on the center and the guard on passing plays. His job is not to rush the passer, that’s what the linebackers are for. Instead, his job is to stand his ground, occupy the center and the guard, and not get pushed back into the linebackers.

The 3-4 also consists of two defensive ends whose jobs are similar to those of the nose guard. The ends are much bigger than the ends in the 4-3 defense; they typically weigh around 300 pounds. Their alignment is directly in front of the offensive tackles (in this case both defensive tackles are playing a six technique.) Their job, like the nose guard, is to cover two gaps.

In this case they are responsible for the B and C-gaps. If there is no tight end lined up next to the defensive tackle, he is responsible for blocking the outside edge. Again, they must hold their blocks; typically their responsibility is to keep the offensive linemen occupied and make sure no running backs get through the gaps they’re responsible for so the outside linebackers can rush the passer.

Before we move onto the linebackers, understand that in the 3-4 scheme all three DTs are responsible for every single gap on the line. Being a DT in a 3-4 system is a thankless job. When something goes wrong they get all the blame, but when they do something right nobody cares. They rarely get the big sack on the quarterback or any of the glory. These are really blue collar guys who don’t get the credit they deserve.

Linebackers:

The 3-4 defense has four linebackers: Two outside linebackers and two inside linebackers.

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