Am I Wasting an Opportunity (3-4 v. 4-3)

[CraigSca]

My Delaware Encryptors (WOOF) have a pretty good defense, unfortunately, like my other MP team, we cannot score worth a lick.

While I will be attempting to address some of my offensive woes in next year's draft, my current question regards the defense as it stands today. When originally picking my team, I figured that linebackers are generally cheaper than defensive tackles, so I went with a 3-4 defense. In the allocation draft I picked up one young DE and a slew of LBs. In the league's first college draft I was able to acquire an absolute stud DE for the other side.

Now, here's the conundrum, I know in a true 3-4 the DEs aren't as responsible for the pass rush as in a 4-3. Am I therefore wasting the talent of my two studly young DEs by remaining in a 3-4? My OLBs are pretty good as far as the pass rush is concerned, but If I'm misusing my current DEs I'd be happy to make the switch.

My apologies for not having screen shots or anything of the players in question - so let's just take this at a 30,000 foot level rather than mulling over individual bars.

Thanks!

[tarcone]

I love the 4-3. I would let the stud DEs shine. It sounds like you have one good DT. With good LBs its an easy switch. Blitz LBs when you want.
Trade excess LBs for a DT or picks to draft a DT.

[QuikSand]

There's one thing in the documentation and structure of FOF that gives us some true insight here -- the WLB *always* is part of the standard pass rush in a 3-4 defense. That's not necessarily true in real football, but it's true in this computer game.

To me (this is not a testing-driven insight, just a common sense one) this strongly suggests that the two defenses function basically the same -- that whatever dice-rolling goes on in the game regarding things like overall pass rush are formulas built around four pass rushers -- either the 4 DL in a 4-3, or the 3 DL plus the WLB in a 3-4. Add in the effects of a blitz, and that seems to be the simplest and most logical reason why the game would hard-wire a pass rush from the WLB on every play -- it keeps all the calculations on an apples-to-apples basis.

I confess that I don't have any real insight into whether the 3-4 defense operates at a disadvantage in the game. Many people seem to feel that way, but it seems universally based on vague impressions or very short term samples -- and I don't think either is trustworthy. I'm open to being corrected here -- I'd actually welcome it if someone has some actual data -- but as it stands, I'm inclined to think that either defense ought to work basically fine with the proper personnel.


Incidentally, I'm also in the WOOF league, I also have a plethora of linebackers, and I also have a shortage of quality defensive linemen... and I'm using a base 3-4 for my team as well. Hell, I'm even using one of my better LBs as a starting DE, so I can get five of them onto the field. I don't draw any firm conclusion from my team's results this season -- but I don't have any sense that we are taking on water specifically because the 3-4 is just broken.

[wade moore]

I'll chime in with anecdotal WOOF evidence here as well. I run a 3-4 with two very good pass rushers at DE - of course I also have one of the best DT's in the game. We are the top team in the league in pass rush percent and both of our DE's are in the upper echelon of the league in sacks and pass rush percent.

So, while not a real study, to me that shows that at least a pass rush is certainly very possible out of the 3-4. Now, it could be that there are inherent disadvantages (i'm not really convinced), but a good pass rush is certainly possible.

To your specific team I'd have to take a look at them in game, and I'll try to do so tonight..

[twothree]

If I think my second best DT is better than my second best MLB then 4-3.
If I think my second best MLB is better than my second best DT then 3-4.

That's has always been my criteria in making the decision, also taking into account the most likely scenario in the future.

[mtsouth]

Traditionally, the 3-4 is based on the three lineman playing a two gap scheme and taking up two blockers, allowing the LBs to make the plays. I'm thinking this is likely not the case in FOF since there is no way to account for keeping a G or C off of a LB with a DL.

In terms, of FOF, if you have the talent, use it. The base scheme shouldn't matter much as much as the percentages you input into it for blitzing and such.