by Marc Dell'Erba, Guest Columnist
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There has been some debate - and in some cases, insistence - that new Dolphins head coach Nick Saban will run a 3-4 defense. In making such assertions, press and fans alike take those numbers literally, anticipating only three down linemen to face off against the interior offensive line. However, it appears that the media, in particular, have confused any defense while places a defensive tackle over or on either shoulder of the center as being a "3-4". What such a technique (normally called the 'zero technique' by coaches) defines is an 'odd' defense, and defenses have played four down linemen in odd defenses for years. This is normally accomplished by sliding those linemen to or away from the strong side of the offense.

One reason why a defense would want to do this is that a gap-shooting 'even' 4-3 defense often is forced to adjust to match the strength of an offense's strength (figure 1):

Figure 1

By lining up toward (an 'overshift') or away (in the diagram below, an 'under' 4-3) from the formational strength of the offense, the defense can again assert its control on the line of scrimmage and not react to each play lineup from scrimmage (figure 2).

Figure 2

In this defense, Jason Taylor lines to the outside of the offensive tackle giving him less traffic and a better chance to use his speed and agility to get into the pocket. Larry Chester (64) is assigned the nose tackle position that the press commonly and exclusively attributes to the 3-4 defense.

Nick Saban has said that he wants to maximize the abilities of both Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas and the 'under' defense gives him a chance to accomplish this. Thomas is diagrammed in the weakside linebacker position because that would allow him to follow (or 'scrape') the flow of the play as he has done in the previous defense throughout his career (vs. a run to the tight end, figure 3).

Figure 3

The other linebacker on the inside has the more physical task of attacking and closing gaps on the side of the running play (vs. a run away from the tight end, figure 4).

Figure 4

It remains to be seen if anyone on the current roster is capable of playing solidly in that position, or whether Saban will choose to draft someone for this role on Draft Weekend.

Saban ran a lot of overshifted and undershifted defenses during his championship season with LSU in 2003 and it appears very likely he will continue to use these alignments with the Dolphins. This would also explain why a player like Kevin Carter, who has experience both as an end and a tackle would interest Saban despite his age.