Caper's Crusader: Analysis of the 2-4 alignment and other tidbits

[mraynrand]

After much discussion about the Capers 2-4, and how outrageously ineffective it is, how frequently it is used, it seemed there was much that was either misunderstood and/or assumed about the 2-4. So I’ve begun a play-by-play investigation into the 2-4, starting with the 2013 opener.

One nice thing about opening day is that for the most part the team is intact and you can get a sense for the personnel groups the coaches have been planning to use all off-season. Of course, the Packers started at San Francisco missing defensive backs Burnett and Hayward. By the end of the season they would lose Haywardd, Jolly and Matthews, and see Brad Jones, Perry, Neal and Pickett lose time to injury and age. Datone Jones would miss some time as well as Sam Shields. Wilson started out getting some snaps against run heavy SF, but later would be found only as a picture on milk cartons. Packers would add Richardson and Worthy, but only Richardson would see significant snaps. Hayward only briefly returned, Shields and Neal would be lost early in the final playoff game.

The point of rehashing all this is to illustrate how fluid the situation was on the defense, and how quickly off season plans must have crumbled. As I go through each game play by defensive play, I will focus on the D line, and give other details as seems appropriate (like when the D gives up a huge gain, I will indicate whether the coverage was blown, whether a great play was made, etc.) I can go back and revisit plays if anyone cares to ask specific questions.

For the sake of the analysis, I will try to indicate whether tweeners like Neal and Perry are lined up at DL or linebackers; mostly it looks like only Neal really is positioned as a DL; even though Perry plays like a DL pretty often, he almost always standing up 5 technique or wider.

I will refer to alignments by player number 79-90-97 means Pickett, Raji, Jolly, left to right along the D line.

Sometimes the number of alignments will be more than actual ‘snaps’ because there are sometimes penalties that change the alignment

Ask questions; correct, embellish, insult, enjoy.

[mraynrand]

Game #1 GB at SF

Total defensive snaps (not counting the final clock-killing kneel downs)

72, 33 first half

3-4: (and two 4 man goal line fronts): 50 (79-90-97 – or some arrangement of this grouping: 30 (Wilson and Daniels substituted single on the other 20)
2-4: 20 (95-96: 14; 90-79: 3, 90-76: 1, 96-98: 1, 76-98: 1, )
1-5: 2 (95, Datone Jones as single lineman.

Let’s look at the 2-4 alignment plays. (down + distance) (are all 95-96, unless otherwise indicated. Neal typicall on the left, D.Jones on the right)
3+10: stopped QB run for 5 yards, punt
3+6: 10 yard completion to Boldin (81)
1+10 90-79; 25 y pass to Davis (85)
3+2: Run for 4
2+5 27 yard pass to 81
3+7 QB run stopped for 2; punt
3+6 Late hit, 52, offsetting penalties
3+6 TD pass to 81, McMillian in single coverage over middle (like taking candy from a baby!)
2+13 52 sack, -5
3+18 Pass for 12, punt
HALFTIME
2+10; 79-90 (hyde on run blitz from left end), Run for 1 yard
3+9 (actually this is a 1-5; Neal is off the line with Perry and Matthews); 23 yard pass to 81 - (note: very tight coverage byt shields and McMillian, great catch, decent pressure on Kap moving to his right).
1+10; 96-98; pass for 31 to (81) blown coverage on right sideline
3+5, Pass for 1 yard, punt
2+9; 76-98; pass for 36 to (85)
3+9 QB scramble for 15
3+goal from 17 yard line); penalty
3+goal from 22 (1-5 alignment); P for 14, FG
2+13; 90-79; run for 0 yards
3+13; pass incomplete, punt
3+4; pass 15 yards (85)
3+5; run 3 yards

49ers had 9 series in the game; 4 TDs and 1 FG and 5 stops; 4 of the stops were in 2-4 formation.

observations: Only 4 times was the formation used on anything close to an (obvious) running down (all were 3rd and 5 or less; a single third and 2 yielded a four yard run for first down, one other run was stopped, and two passes netted two first downs. The 3-4 was almost exclusively used in run downs. The 2-4 was used on passing downs, many times on 3rd and long and did yield some big plays. Most of the time these completions were against nickel or dime (B. Jones in or out) with only a four man rush. Kap’s 15 yard scramble came against rare 6 man pressure blitz. When the 2-4 was run against, it was very effective; only two successful runs, and one was a scramble.

[Fritz]

Your mother doesn't wash between her toes.

There. An insult.

[Patler]

So I’ve begun a play-by-play investigation into the 2-4, starting with the 2013 opener.


Good gosh, are you incarcerated? Under house arrest? In bed with two broken legs?
(if any of the above are true, please excuse my flippant attitude!)

[wist43]

Good gosh, are you incarcerated? Under house arrest? In bed with two broken legs?
(if any of the above are true, please excuse my flippant attitude!)

LOL...

[mraynrand]

Good gosh, are you incarcerated? Under house arrest? In bed ...

Well, I'm married, so two out of three pretty much.

[Zool]

I look forward to the final 16 game results.

[Smeefers]

haha, good one patler.

It's hard to talk about the play by plays when they make sense. I consider all of those nickle plays well called.

[pbmax]

I look forward to the final 16 game results.

No to criticize, but to set expectations accordingly, at this rate we'll have the full 16 game results in October 2014.

[Zool]

No to criticize, but to set expectations accordingly, at this rate we'll have the full 16 game results in October 2014.

I've got nothing else planned. I too am married.

[Smeefers]

Is there a place online you can look up old games? I wouldn't mind helping out. Take a half here and a half there.

[pbmax]

I think Rand records using a tape to tape setup he got for a song from Gene Hackman's character after The Conversation.

But you may also be able to use Game Rewind from the NFL. But unsure how long last year's games are online.

https://gamerewind.nfl.com/nflgr/secure/packages?ttv=1

[mraynrand]

Geez, I just started a few days ago. I just got tired of Wist nagging about the 2-4 and not having any data to know if any of it is true or not. I'm moving on to the next game in a day or two. I have to snake a shower drain and write a grant first.

[pbmax]

Geez, I just started a few days ago. I just got tired of Wist nagging about the 2-4 and not having any data to know if any of it is true or not. I'm moving on to the next game in a day or two. I have to snake a shower drain and write a grant first.

I'll readjust the timeline accordingly.

[Carolina_Packer]

mraynrand, good job and good idea for dicussion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Bringing data into the discussion will be helpful.

I just found this article that talks about sub-package nickel coverages from base 4 or 3 man fronts. I found it interesting, I hope you do too. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1680308-the-nickel-front-breaking-down-the-modern-nfls-go-to-defense The well informed will probably know all this stuff already. There's a nice nod to Fritz Shurmur and the "Big Nickel" or "Wolverine", but they do talk about the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5 alignments as well.

http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1331188.html This is an interesting article written by John Clayton of ESPN about when Capers took over the Texans, focusing on what it takes to run a good 3-4. There is one quote from this article that I have heard from many of you here: "For a 3-4, the defensive linemen don't have to be stars. They have to just be decent, solid players because the system is set up for the linebackers to dominate the game." Capers, obviously, is not the only 3-4 DC to run the 2-4-5 nickel. Dick LeBeau runs it in Pittsburgh. When they had Casey Hampton, Ziggy Hood and Brett Keisel and all those stud linebackers and Troy going great guns a few years back, that was how you build that personnel grouping.

So, the real question is, what's a DC supposed to do? What nickel package is supposed to be run if we either don't have the personnel to run the 2-4-5 or if as Wist indicates, the alignment doesn't make sense to run. I would disagree that it can't be run successfully. There have been teams that have run it well, obviously, including at times, the Packers.

[woodbuck27]

mraynrand, good job and good idea for dicussion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Bringing data into the discussion will be helpful.

I just found this article that talks about sub-package nickel coverages from base 4 or 3 man fronts. I found it interesting, I hope you do too. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1680308-the-nickel-front-breaking-down-the-modern-nfls-go-to-defense The well informed will probably know all this stuff already. There's a nice nod to Fritz Shurmur and the "Big Nickel" or "Wolverine", but they do talk about the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5 alignments as well.

http://static.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1331188.html This is an interesting article written by John Clayton of ESPN about when Capers took over the Texans, focusing on what it takes to run a good 3-4. There is one quote from this article that I have heard from many of you here: "For a 3-4, the defensive linemen don't have to be stars. They have to just be decent, solid players because the system is set up for the linebackers to dominate the game." Capers, obviously, is not the only 3-4 DC to run the 2-4-5 nickel. Dick LeBeau runs it in Pittsburgh. When they had Casey Hampton, Ziggy Hood and Brett Keisel and all those stud linebackers and Troy going great guns a few years back, that was how you build that personnel grouping.

So, the real question is, what's a DC supposed to do? What nickel package is supposed to be run if we either don't have the personnel to run the 2-4-5 or if as Wist indicates, the alignment doesn't make sense to run. I would disagree that it can't be run successfully. There have been teams that have run it well, obviously, including at times, the Packers.

Thanks. :-)