This week in Line of Scrimmage, Ben and JR tackle the 3-4 defense the 49ers have tried so hard to run the past two years. With the addition of a true nose tackle in Aubrayo Franklin and the emergence of backup Isaac Sopoaga, as well as the acquisition of a real pass-rushing outside linebacker in Tully Banta-Cain, this is supposed to be the year they have the personnel to make it work.
But we've heard that song before. Will this year be any different? YES: Several pundits have decried the 49ers' use of the 3-4 defense throughout the preseason, saying the personnel doesn't fit the scheme and that they should switch back to a base 4-3. The main reason the 49ers need to stick with the 3-4? The linebackers. This is a strength of the team. Patrick Willis and Derek Smith inside with Jeff Ulbrich and Brandon Moore backing up is a very deep position. Outside, if Tully Banta-Cain can be the edge rusher the 49ers are hoping for, he and Manny Lawson could have a big year. I think this is the year Lawson needs to show some improvement, though, or he's headed for the dreaded "bust" tag. Another factor in keeping the 3-4 is the fact that the corners are better. Nate Clements' presence alone allows the front seven to focus on rushing the quarterback and not on playing an under zone so the safeties can play over the top. The improvement at the corner position also means that safeties Michael Lewis and Mark Roman can blitz more, and in the 3-4, you'll never know where they're coming from. — Ben I'm sorry, faithful, it pains me to say it as much as it does to hear it. But Bryant Young isn't the player the 49ers drafted out of Notre Dame all those years ago. Yes, he's a savvy vet, and he's still capable of getting the job done, but he's in his late 100s and should be on the field for about 50 percent of the defensive snaps, at most. Marques Douglas isn't a spring chicken, either. And without having a good look at Franklin, I think we're all just hoping that this career backup can get the job done. Furthermore, we all know that at some point or another, a big play is going to be needed and the starters that the 49ers missed in the preseason won't be on the field. It's going to be down to the guys giving them a rest, and they, with the exception of Sopoaga, looked pretty overmatched in the exhibition season. Now, I'm not saying the 49ers need to scrap the 3-4 altogether. I think Mike Nolan will be able to implement this defense as well as anybody could over time, and when you look at the athletes he has at the linebacker position, there's reason to be hopeful. But using some kind of hybrid seems to make the most sense. With the emergence of Sopoaga (finally) and the rumored strength of Franklin, it may be wise to put them on the field together to clog up the middle on obvious running downs. With the bookends of Young and Douglas, you've got a pretty damn formidable defensive front that might not give you a scary pass rush but shouldn't move much against the run. Coupled with the crazy-fast group of linebackers the 49ers are assembling, tackles should be that much easier to make when all five of the other team's fat guys have their hands full with the defensive line. With this young of a team, I'd never close the door on trying something else if one thing isn't working. The 3-4 hasn't proven to be anything but a challenge for the 49ers since they've dedicate themselves to running it. They can give it another chance, but if it isn't working, they need to adjust. — JR
My answer? The personnel they ran out there in the preseason may not have fit the scheme, but the starters will. I'm actually encouraged by the defensive setup coming out of the preseason. I say that because, with Aubrayo Franklin out, the 49ers may have found a very viable option at nose tackle in Isaac Sopoaga. I know he hasn't been the most effective before, but he absolutely played his butt off and I loved watching him play.
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