Mike Macdonalds defense and changes
I had thought to put together a long post on Steve Clinkscale today. But plans change. I got news last night from a friend in the Philippines, that the Philippines has gone back into a strict lockdown, that might last until January 1. The news changed my perspective. The more I think about it, the more I don't really have the desire to make a long post. But I wanted to post just a short thing.
I read a comment at Touch the Banner some time ago that caught my interest. The guy said the new DC at Texas runs a 2-5 sometimes, where he has 2 big NTs that could both possibly attract a double team, making it possible to take out the remaining D Linemen and replacing them with faster LBs, so adding speed to the defense. It put me in mind of a video of Mike Macdonald talking about how he is not going to strictly stick to a 3-4, but will also use a 4-3, a 6-1, and even a 6-2.
DCs are having to be creative to deal with these fast moving pass games. But having to roll with the changes in football is nothing new. I still remember how Dick Lebeau, having to come up with something to make his defense better, invented the zone blitz (whether it really did invent it, I don't know, but he is credited with starting it). Then there was Buddy Ryan and his 46 Defense, with Mike "I Like This Kind of Party" Singletary. And there's others.
I don't know exactly what to expect from Mike Macdonald's defense. But it sounds like the players are excited about running whatever he teaches them. And to me that's good. I want to see fire on the defense.
Here's the video of Mike Macdonald talking about his approach. You may have already seen it:
And here's a video about the new DC at Texas, Pete Kwiatkowski, and his path to developing his defense. It's actually an interesting video. It must have taken a long time to put it together.
August 15th, 2021 at 6:23 AM ^
a long time ago it was 5-2, then 4-3 and 3-4, then 3-3-5, now 2-5.
Will someone try a 1-6 someday?
August 15th, 2021 at 7:38 AM ^
As long as that is not our record this year I'm up for it.
August 15th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
The 0-1-10 is the defense of the future! The very distant future!
August 15th, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
And that's when Michigan will abandon the run game and move to a pure pass offense. jk (sorta).
August 15th, 2021 at 11:28 AM ^
Let's try 0-7-4. 7 rabbid death squirrels, +Dax, +Gemon, +2 people off the street. Might be good!
August 15th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
USC already tried one person off the street. Not sure how well it worked for them.
Report: Homeless man infiltrates USC football practice, jacuzzis with players
August 15th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
The towel boy didn't work out so well on offense, maybe defense is his forte.
August 15th, 2021 at 7:41 AM ^
Interesting tapes. Macdonald gives me hope. My experience as a player informs me, unequivocally, that coaching is the greatest difference-maker in sports. Smart play can make fools out of even sizeable superior athleticism. Sure, the NFL is mostly comprised of players that are both smart and superior athletes but the variability here, on even the top college roster, is significant. If Michigan is going to move into the more elite level of college play they are, first and foremost, going to have to climb that ladder with coaching that catalyzes superior play from smarter players.
This is not as difficult as it superficially appears. These superior, outlier coaches are out there-but you have to be smart enough to see them and brave enough to hire them. Maybe...
August 15th, 2021 at 1:31 PM ^
I know Mike from when he was on John's staff. Everyone agreed that he was one of smartest and insightful people on the staff. John recommended Mike for exactly this reason. How quickly he can put his system in place given the players that we have is biggest question mark. I am convinced that given enough time, he will make UM defense dominant again.
August 15th, 2021 at 6:34 PM ^
Do you know what was said about Matt Weiss?
I do know from looking him up, every room he coached clearly improved. I'm thinking we're going to be seeing very good play from the QB room.
August 15th, 2021 at 8:54 PM ^
I love Matt. As I wrote in a separate post, Matt is going to as important as any one in our offensive game plan. He will be the OC if there is an opening here. Also, he is very loyal to Harbaughs.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:23 PM ^
When I looked him up, and saw how much rooms he coached improved, including RBs and QBs, I thought he could be an OC. And also seeing how Josh Gattis' role was reduced, that Gattis could be let go, even during the season, if the offense isn't looking good this year, and Weiss will be ready to take over his roles on offense.
August 15th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
Great post. And I think McDonald is gonna be a godsend for the program. The part where he mentions playing for one another and how it's different... reminded me of Bo's defenses that whoever made a play half the players would rush and congratulate him geniunely.... then as the years and coaches went on I noticed this was no longer the case.. instead, after someone making a play, instead of looking for his onrushing teammates, he would do this look at me celebration toward the crowd, with less joining teammates. McDonalds words here actually give me hope, and I LOVE this hire...
August 15th, 2021 at 8:38 AM ^
Just my two cents, but I feel the number one, most important thing for modern defenses is being able to generate consistent pass rush pressure and hold up against the run with your front 2/3/4 depending on what scheme you’re running. With spread formations and 4-5 WR sets it’s impossible to rely on blitzing as your means to generate pressure.
We’ve seen how good Michigan’s defenses have been when they’ve been able to do this and how bad without. Now, you still have to be prepared for the 3 step drop go route and mesh route (and quick RPO’s), but I’m hopeful the coaches can clean that up from a scheme perspective. What will we get from our front this year? Will they be one of the better units in the conference? I have no idea but I don’t expect in 2021.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:02 AM ^
I agree that stopping the run and pass is important.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:04 AM ^
Lol. I hope I added a little bit more to the discussion than that.
August 15th, 2021 at 1:01 PM ^
I think the #1 of the keys to the game is not letting the other team score.
August 15th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Win the turnover battle.
August 15th, 2021 at 4:21 PM ^
I know this will be controversial, but I'm all for any defense that lets us win the scoring battle.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:03 AM ^
100% this. Getting consistent pressure from the front 4 has been our problem since Hurst left in 2017. In 2018, Gary and Chase could generate pressure from the outside, but the middle of the DL just couldn't hold their ground, let alone collapse the pocket from the center. It was maddening watching the ND game when Wimbush would have to step up in the pocket due to outside pressure only to escape for a nice run through a hole left by vacant/destroyed DTs.
I will say, though, that I'm excited about Mac's blitzing strategies. It seemed like Brown primarily relied on LBs for blitzing, whereas Macdonald will bring them from all over the field.
August 15th, 2021 at 8:38 AM ^
A lot of this is just a testament for why Brown needed to go. Everyone had his defense figured out and he never changed it even if his personal didn’t fit his scheme
August 15th, 2021 at 9:07 AM ^
Exactly, he was a coaching dinosaur and JMFH allowed it for so long despite the mediocre on-field results.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:28 AM ^
LOL saw this in my news feed today from Arizona about the genius Don Brown confusing opposition offenses.
https://www.azdesertswarm.com/football/2021/8/14/22624931/arizona-football-offense-benefitting-don-brown-exotic-defense-training-camp-notes
August 15th, 2021 at 9:46 AM ^
Lol, see what they say in 3 years after the Oregon carves them up for 3 straight years.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:37 AM ^
I know coach Brown personally and I can tell you one thing that, IMO, impact his defense as much or more than other teams “figuring it out”. He hated recruiting. Hated being away all the time and as he has gotten older, again IMO, that really showed. As poster above said pass rush is key. He didn’t recruit the guys that could make his defense really work. Ultimately, yeah, a change was needed. Which I hated to see.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:05 AM ^
He hates recruiting? LOL. How in the hell did he win them over in his interview in Arizona? The other candidates must have been Brennan and Dale from Step Brothers.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:40 AM ^
Brennan had the voice of an angel so Brown must have wowed in the interview
August 15th, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
Ok, now the tuxes are just fucked up.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
Brown put together some of the most dominating defenses here of the last 20 years. I had no problem with him not recruiting, as long as others picked up that slack. He still managed to find plenty of gems in his old stomping grounds.
The problem was that as various assistants left, Harbaugh kept replacing all of them with old scheme guys who hated recruiting. Eventually no one was recruiting, and some of them barely did any work at all. Like I’ve been saying, Harbaugh turned the football program into a gorram country club. He cleaned house because he had to, but I saw this problem coming years ago.
Is Harbaugh an idiot? How did he get to forgetting that recruiting is kinda important for a college program?
August 15th, 2021 at 2:50 PM ^
Really fucking impressive to hold under-manned opponents to less than 100 yards and then get sodomized by OSU and any good road opponent.
Tell me, what great road wins did he help our inept offense pull out....I'll hang up and listen.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
Unfortunately with out last 2 head coaching hires plus DB it seems like the talent was there when they got here and were able to work wonders with it, but not able to continue the success with their own players
August 15th, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
Takin’ it to the street.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:00 AM ^
Yah Mo Be There September 4th to see how this works out.
I Keep Forgetting how disappointed I am year after year.
August 15th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Nah. Talkin' bout China Grove.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
The worst thing about getting a good DC or OC is that they leave pretty quickly to take a HC some place else--then you gotta pull another rabbit out your hat and that ain't easy.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:47 AM ^
Poor Nick Saban, how does he get by???
August 15th, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
By having way better players. He just said if you don't have the players you need the coaching.
August 15th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
We can't place Saban in this same category. His system is so formulaic that is rarely fails. Rehab for fallen coaches.
August 15th, 2021 at 9:59 AM ^
Right now we don't have the horses in the middle that'll stand tall against double teams. Failing to recruit wide loads for the middle of the D is gonna hurt this year and next. Dr. Blah didn't want those guys, and now we're left holding the bag.
That said, I believe Macdonald can make chicken salad out of you know what. It won't be the tastiest meal, but we'll be able to choke it down.
Defense is ahead of the O right now, if anyone cares to know.
August 15th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I just hope he doesn't put walnuts or raisins in there. You don't need that shit in chicken salad.
It seems that defense is always ahead of offense early in camp. But with a new defense, that situation doesn't seem ideal. Either the players are picking up on it really quickly, or the offense is (not going to finish this sentence).
August 15th, 2021 at 11:33 AM ^
So the offense is somewhere below chicken shit……..outstanding
August 15th, 2021 at 12:56 PM ^
No, the offense is still chicken salad it just has walnuts and raisins in it.
August 15th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^
How the blithering, fucking hell is the defense ahead of the offense!? Are you for real? You actually have inside knowledge of this?
For fucks sake, it's Gattis' THIRD YEAR of installing his offense. How is it even remotely possible that his third year offense is behind a FIRST YEAR defense?? If this is true, I just......
August 15th, 2021 at 5:22 PM ^
Defense has always been ahead of the offense underHarbaugh because he coaches the offense and he sucks at it.
August 15th, 2021 at 6:03 PM ^
If it’s true that the defense is ahead of the offense, given how new the defense is and all the coaches, and how not new the offense is and the players are experienced, this cannot be a good thing.
August 15th, 2021 at 10:26 AM ^
That Pete Kwitkowski video is REALLY good.
Hutchinson is gonna be our "Jack", who's the likely "X backer"?
August 15th, 2021 at 10:26 AM ^
Do I think MacDonald is a talented young coach? Yes, I think he was coming up in Baltimore and would have gotten a promotion sooner or later.
But he also has zero experience scheming and calling his own defense. I get the concepts he’s trying to do, but we just have no idea how his defenses will execute because he hasn’t had a defense before.
I do know that the 3-4 usually takes 2-3 years to switch to mainly because of personnel being a lot different.
August 15th, 2021 at 2:06 PM ^
Good take. He also has a low bar which was giving up 34.5 points per game last season. And that was with ducking OSU which could've hung a...?
August 15th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
We would have shut them out. Not that we would have had to as we rode Dan Vilari to a point per minute, bayyybeeeee.