Predicting the Detroit Lions defensive scheme under Aaron Glenn
By Jon Poole
Coach Glenn’s Comments
When it comes down to it though, this is a new regime with a former tight end and tight ends coach as head coach … Glenn is who the Lions are counting on to lead this new defense.
In his first sit down with Detroit media via the Lions’ official YouTube channel, I thought Glenn also had a few telling remarks:
"“We’re going to be multiple, in saying that, we can be 4-3, we can be 3-4 … I don’t want to sit back and say, ‘This is who we’re going to be,’ without making sure we have a full evaluation of who we have. Because the number one thing that we’re gonna do as a staff is, we’re gonna make sure that it’s not scheme then players, it’s players and making sure we fit them to a scheme.”"
In my opinion, of course, that’s a lot of coach speak. Who doesn’t say they’re going to be multiple? Every team in the NFL is multiple. No coach goes out and says “we’re going to be running a 3-4 base with single-high man coverage very often this season”.
Glenn might not want to reveal his playbook but every coordinator has some version of a base defense. And when they’re able to start from scratch like the situation he’s in … I don’t see why he wouldn’t implement what he knows best.
Most coaches have a system built over years of experience that they feel most comfortable coaching and play-calling. Unless handed a defense ready to win with established veterans, they’ll phase in their system fairly quickly.
That’s not to say coaches won’t bend philosophies to fit their personnel, but a bend isn’t a base, and when the personnel anomaly is out of the equation it’s normally back to business as usual (base).
Tribe of beliefs
When asked about his hiring of defensive backs coach, Aubrey Pleasant, Glenn opened up about his coverage philosophy and where it originated …
"“Bill Parcells taught me this, make sure you try to surround yourself from the same tribe. We’re from the same tribe as far as coverage. That attracted me to AP (Pleasant), as far as the split-safety coverage they did with the Rams. I’ve been part of Vic’s (Fangio) system for a while. Even played for Vic when I was with the Texans. So again, a lot of these coaches that you’re going to see that’s with me, right, is from the same tribe.”"
Glenn stating you have to surround yourself with the same tribe then making a hire based on that is very telling. Seems as if he has already chosen a philosophy when it came to coverage, and it was based on his tribe of beliefs, not the Lions personnel. Just an example of while nothing is set in stone, there’s a pattern here.
Which I think leads to a fairly easy prediction.