Falcons coach Dan Quinn said the defense is not switching to a 3-4 alignment.
There has been a lot of conjecture in cyberspace — from the self-anointed Twitter coordinators — that the team is switching to a 3-4 because Quinn has been experimenting with standing up the defensive ends.
When asked if he was switching to the 3-4 on Thursday, Quinn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “No.”
What Quinn is doing is getting the defense ready for eight games where they play mobile quarterbacks who run read-option packages or zone-read running quarterbacks.
The Falcons play the Eagles (Carson Wentz) on Sept. 15, the Titans (Marcus Mariota) on Sept. 22, the Texans (Deshaun Watson) on Oct. 6, the Cardinals (Kyler Murray) on Oct. 13, the Seahawks (Russell Wilson) on Oct. 27, the Panthers twice (Cam Newton) of Nov. 17 and Dec 8) and Jacksonville (Nick Foles) on Dec. 22.
“What’s happening so much more from the (late 90s and early 2000s) is that the tight ends move so much,” Quinn said. “Then with the element of some of the teams that are going to do zone-read with the mobile quarterbacks, it’s easier to play them up than from down.”
Quinn, who will call the defense this season, plans to continue to look at the tweak of the 4-3 alignment over the exhibition season.
“I want them to see some things with all of this movement as opposed to being down and the crack (back) blocks with people trying to get the ball on the edge,” Quinn said. “We are going to try it and I’m not sure where I’m all the way at with it until I go through some (exhibition) season games.”
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