Phins invented 3-4? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Phins invented 3-4?

burghPhinFan

burghPhinFan

there are some that call me...Tim
Joined
Dec 1, 2001
Messages
1,410
Reaction score
2
Location
18 miles from Memphis...
My brother (the Browns fan) came across this:
How much difference can one little linebacker make?
Evidently Miami developed the 3-4!! :eek:
I never knew!!!

Former Miami assistant coach Bill Arnsparger created the 3-4 defense out of necessity in the 1972 exhibition season. Ravaged by injuries on the defensive line, Arnsparger moved linebacker Bob Matheson, obtained the season before from the Browns, to a hybrid end-linebacker position. Matheson had two sacks in his first game. He stayed there all year as the Dolphins swept to the only undefeated season in NFL history.
Click to expand...
 
burghPhinFan said:
My brother (the Browns fan) came across this:
How much difference can one little linebacker make?
Evidently Miami developed the 3-4!! :eek:
I never knew!!!
Click to expand...

thats pretty dog-gone good, I knew it's origin, in his day Arnsbarger was incedible. For you younger guys, I'm sorry you can't experiance it. He out-thought his offensive opponent week after week, and the belief this fostered is very hard to properly express. You just KNEW we would get it done, a special time in football history.
Anyway, I learned from the comparisons between the defenses, thanks.
 
Hmmm.. It was invented during the undefeated season.. Maybe the league's unfamiliarity with it was one reason they were never beat..
 
burghPhinFan said:
My brother (the Browns fan) came across this:
How much difference can one little linebacker make?
Evidently Miami developed the 3-4!! :eek:
I never knew!!!
Click to expand...


While this story is absolutely true, that Arnsparger created a new defense to accomodate the players he had, the real D he created was called the 53 D (or 3-4) as we refer to it today, named after Matheson's jersey number...but it is not really the same D that we know today (the JJ/Wanny D). Arnie still wanted big LBs that could move to the ball and put more pressure on the QB...the JJ/Wanny D that we know today is completely different...it's basis is the 4 DL, particularly the tackles who funnel the plays into the lanes that are filled by the smaller, quicker LBs, in particular the MLB...thus the creation of Zach Thomas' role, Dat Gwyn (sp) when he was in Dallas, etc...Same alignment of players, but different scheme and flow of the play.
 
That is true! Arnsbarger was an absolute genius and deserves so much credit for the Dolphins success in the early 70's. Teams had a hard time with that defense because it was new, innovative and had good talent as well.

Interestingly, I always felt like the West Coast offense was built because of the success of the 3-4 and as a way to cope with that defense. Just my opinion, though.

As an aside, Bud Grant has always been given credit for the zone defense in the passing game. Another coach who deserved more credit than he got, although four super bowl appearances is quite a feat.
 
A little more on how it started. Initially, they put Matheson at DE, because he was the biggest linebacker on the team. Matheson wasn't used to being in a 3 or 4-point stance, and kept jumping offside. Arnsparger and Shula told him to stand up if it meant he'd stop jumping offside. So, he lined up at DE, but stood up, and the offense didn't know what to do with him. Shula and Arnsparger saw this confusion, and knew they were on to something. And thus, the "53 defense" (named for Matheson's #) was born.
 
They say necessity is the mother of invention .That was the case when Arnsparger designed the defense according to the talent he had.It did cause additional problems to the opposing offenses until they figured out how to attack it.

The Patriots dont really have a 3-4.Its a hybrid system designed to mix it up and confuse offenses and thats the type of defense that I think Saban will want to install with our defense.
 
CrunchTime said:
They say necessity is the mother of invention .That was the case when Arnsparger designed the defense according to the talent he had.It did cause additional problems to the opposing offenses until they figured out how to attack it.

The Patriots dont really have a 3-4.Its a hybrid system designed to mix it up and confuse offenses and thats the type of defense that I think Saban will want to install with our defense.
Click to expand...

They even have that no DE lineup that was seen when the Pats last played the Dolphins. Didn't work of course. :evil: But I'd like to see this hybrid system in force with the Miami D.
 
i'm sure some college and high school coaches used the 3-4 before then...doesn't seem like such an innovative idea that it would take that long to implement
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom