Don Brown Interviews: Apply Pressure, Linebackers, Peppers

Submitted by Mich_Faithful on

 

Despite appearing on twitter roughly a hour ago, I haven't seen it on here yet.

Here is Don Brown on the defense and coaching with Harbaugh:

Here

Preview:  "You either apply pressure or you feel it. I'm not big on the feeling it, so we're going to apply it. It's not a hard formula to sell to be honest. They want to get on the balls of their feet and attack. You have to find specific ways about how you're going to do that and we're kind of sorting our way through it, but early indications and the mental capacity early is encouraging."

 

On the linebackers: McCray and Gedeon

Here

 

Then specifically on Peppers:

Here

 

Enjoy MOAR fluff

MGoBoard

dragonchild

March 2nd, 2016 at 6:30 AM ^

Eating bait and getting burned.  Obviously Brown is going to work to minimize that, but an aggressive linebacker unit has a higher tendency to give up chunk plays if the blitzes get picked up or they run themselves out of the play.  We saw a play in the Bowl game where both Florida linebackers attacked and both ran themselves out of position, so the run went all the way to the secondary.  It's not like one is better than the other.  Not being aggressive arguably killed us in the OSU game.

I like an attacking defense to go with a deep D-line and man coverage, though.  Durkin leaned hard on both and sometimes the linebackers just weren't doing much.  If the D-line can keep the linebackers clean and secondary is all hat-on-a-hat then your linebackers don't need to worrry about beating blocks or play action or zone drops so instead of reading, why not just blitz a gap?  Sometimes you'll pick the wrong gap and a 3-yard play will go for 15, but other times you'll blow up the play, disrupt the offense's rhythm, put them in -and-long situations.  Also, man coverage works for only so long and it's impractical to assume the D-line will own every down, so it's complementary for the linebackers to put a hard time limit on how long the backfield can develop a play.

Joined: 10/13/2011

MGoPoints: 61300

MayOhioEatTurds

March 1st, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^

According to Brown: 

"This is a system where I think it's friendly to the linebackers. It's aggressive in nature. They'll do a lot of different stuff, but based on their learning curve we will adjust to them."

I really hope this is true.  If it is true, it will mitigate a whole lot of problems caused by new/young players at the LB position. 

 

Joined: 06/29/2013

MGoPoints: 5893

PopeLando

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:14 AM ^

I read the post title as a doctor's prescription: "apply pressure, linebackers, and Peppers twice daily, and call me in the morning."

Joined: 08/01/2015

MGoPoints: 68762

goblue224

March 2nd, 2016 at 9:07 AM ^

Good to hear that McCray is healthy and Gedeon is stepping up. I still expect Bush to play a significant role this season, but with Peppers sliding down into the box it will make things interesting.

Joined: 09/28/2014

MGoPoints: 2475

Wolverine In Iowa 68

March 2nd, 2016 at 9:44 AM ^

Love the quote about one of the first time he talked to Harbaugh:

 

"I remember one of the (first) things he said to me," Brown recalled Tuesday evening at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. "I said 'you know, coach, I'm probably (bringing pressure) 65 percent (of the time).

"And he goes. 'Nah, I hear 85.' I think he knew what he was looking for."

They are on the same page....HAIL!

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/03/don_browns_having_a_b…

Joined: 07/16/2015

MGoPoints: 55988