Tale of the Tape: The Flex Defense vs. the 3-4

[Reginald Rutledge]

This will be a very interesting matchup pitting two teams who use exotic defenses. The Dallas Cowboys of 1977 specialized in the Flex Defense. This defense will have two linemen backed up two yards off the line and one linebacker on the line. It will be tricky to run this scheme. One of the safeties will be coming up strong in coverage which will allow for 2 deep coverage.

In order to run this scheme, the DBs will have to be very fast and aggressive. The CBs will be tested against a Jerry Rice-led receiving corps that will outweigh the DBs. If all works according to plan, the SF 49ers will have a tremendous running day , although the Cowboys defensive line has 4 starters 5.5 grams.

The key to the Cowboys defense will be the presence of Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. He will be in the mode of a Lawrence Taylor - not as strong but similar speed. Craig should get about 20-25 carries if the Niners control the ball.

The Niners will run the Orange Crush-type 3-4. Their defense is keyed by NT Michael Carter, who will be asked to clog up the middle with his powerful 3 pt. stance. The Niners will be interesting on the D line because all the starters are in 3 pt stance, thought to be the strongest pose of a downlineman.

The key to the Niners defense is the linebacking corps. Charles Haley anchors it in his "Elephant position" He will be one of the best sack specialist in league history as he weighs 5.5 grams with great speed from the outside. Another backer who will play big is Kenna Turner. He should have similar speed to Haley from the other side.

The CBs are very good. They should be physical with Pearson, Richardson, and Tony Hill. Ronnie Lott is a 4.8 strong safety, which tells you he will be physical and come up on the run and take some chances. It will be interesting to see how a safety plays with all the extra weight.

Attached are the distribution of weight for both teams. There is a total weight of 160 grams split between 40 players. That is an average weight of 4.0 grams. However, some superstars will be at 5.5 and 6.0 and some reserves will be at 3.0 grams.

The key to this style of play is what happens when your superstars go down with injuries? How do you improvise. It will be a fun game to watch.