Reading The Defense Week 10

The NFL has long been defined by two foundational defensive schemes: the 4-3 and the 3-4. While the first number simply indicates how many down linemen are on the field (and the second how many linebackers), the real differences run much deeper than personnel groupings. These schemes serve as base structures within broader defensive systems, and understanding what goes into building each one is key to evaluating how teams operate. This week, we're breaking down which defenses NFL teams run, why the subtle distinctions between them matter on the field, and how those differences can affect both team performance and the fantasy value of players in those schemes.

The 3-4

The following teams primarily base out of a 3-4: the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers. These teams generate pressure more through their linebackers than a traditional front-four rush, which is reflected in how they've built their outside linebacker rooms. Pittsburgh has T.J. Watt, Minnesota has Andrew Van Ginkel, and Green Bay is awaiting the return of Micah Parsons. All of these teams feature credible pass-rushing threats who are listed as outside linebackers by positional technicality, though true position purists (myself included) prefer to call them edge rushers. These four teams currently represent the cream of the crop among base 3-4 defenses in the NFL. The only team on the list allowing more than 20 points per game is Green Bay, which has given up 21.2 points per game while dealing with an injury-riddled season and a cluster of front-seven injuries. The key to the success of these defenses is their ability to disguise what they're doing.

The key for these teams is the ability to disguise what they're doing, and there are no better examples of this than the Vikings and the Seahawks. Much of that stems from the versatility within their inside linebacker groups. The Vikings frequently use a "mug" concept, showing as many as seven potential rushers before the defense declares after the snap, most often into a two-high shell. Minnesota shows pressure on 81.8% of plays, the highest rate in the league. Blake Cashman may be the most versatile linebacker among these teams, and his impact shows up both on the field and in the box score. He is a true do-it-all linebacker who can defend the run, cover in the passing game, and be used as an effective pass rusher. His ability to do all of those things is what makes the disguise work, not the other way around. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has called Cashman the "heartbeat" of the defense, largely because of that versatility. In contrast, the Seahawks use similar disguises at a lower rate. They lean on the instincts of weakside linebacker Drake Thomas to shoot gaps, with their safeties rotating to cover the space he vacates. There is less pure mugging and more of a shell disguise that develops during the play, catching offenses off guard with pressure they weren't expecting.

The 4-3