Tennessee Titans: Gray and Williams Look to Add 3-4 to Defense

Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans are expected to dabble in using the 3-4 defense this season. Is this is a good or bad move? Let’s chat about it.

Of course when most people hear that the Titans are looking to play some 3-4 defense their heads immediately think of L.T. or some other great outside LB coming off the edge and sacking QBs at a torrid pace. Trust me, when the Titans say that they will be using the 3-4 defense this season, it will be used so infrequently that I doubt the average fan will notice.

So how much will they use it? Defensive Coordinator Jerry Gray recently talked with John Glennon from the Tennessean about the switch, “I think with the personnel that Ruston (Webster) and the guys upstairs have given us, it gives us a possibility to do more of that, to where we can go out there and maybe play 8-10 snaps of game (in the ‘3-4’)and not have to take our good football players off the field,” Gray said. “So I wouldn’t bet against us (using more ‘3-4’).  Because now we can do it without taking guys off the field. That’s what is going to be really good for us this year.”

So if the defense plays 8-10 snaps out of the 34, then you are looking at a very small number of plays out of the 34. Yes, I know 8-10 isn’t much, but in the context of a football game, it is enough to show the opposing offense enough of a switch up to hopefully confuse them a few times. The 34 will be a change up and that is it.

The Titans do have the pieces on defense now to be able to morph into the 34 at times and I think they should. Why? The  more dynamic you can be in what you do on defense gives teams more to plan for and more to worry about. Now of course, if the 34 is implemented but not effective, then it won’t last long.

Then of course there are people saying, “Hey, hold up, you get the 43 down and then focus on the 34!” I agree and that’s why the Titans will continue to be a 43 defense.

What say you?

Shawn Eagle

You can  follow me on twitter @RS1Eagle