Archived Thread

Zone Defense, Read-and-React, and Rod Rust: what happened?

Angel Eyes : 9/3/2024 3:17 pm

So it's been my personal observation that whenever the Giants employ a zone scheme on defense, there's a lot of groaning about Rod Rust and the return of the read-and-react type defense. I wasn't alive for Rust's tenure as the Giants' DC, which would have been right after Bill Belichick in the early 90s.

So how did all these terms get lumped together? For example, from what I've read, wasn't the Parcells and Belichick defense a read-and-react scheme?

As Leonard

Eric from BBI : Admin : 9/3/2024 3:27 pm : link

indicated in yesterday's podcast, two gap defense is a read-and-react scheme. I suspect fans were trying to find demons where ever they could.

Rust isn't Little Bill

MattinKY : 9/3/2024 4:36 pm : link

Akin to Handley 🤢 wasn't Parcells.

That was a great interview Eric.

Giants players struggled with the scheme

JonC : 9/3/2024 4:45 pm : link

They were often frozen and didn't seem to understand their assignments, leading to mass confusion and playing very slowly.

Passive defense

56goat : 9/3/2024 4:47 pm : link

Not what we were used to seeing.

Going from BB's scheme with an attacking front seven

JonC : 9/3/2024 4:49 pm : link

to a passive scheme also turned off NYG fans, quickly.

For all the talk of what a great teacher and communicator Handley was, we didn't see many signs of it during those two seasons.

I've linked a NYT article

JohnF : 9/3/2024 4:51 pm : link

with the players from 1992 commenting on Rust's defense. It does sound like the changes really screwed up the Linebackers and DB's reaction time, but we also have to remember this was a defense that was getting old, and wasn't playing as well as they did between 1984-1990.

The Giants' Unsettling Problem? Indigestion - ( New Window )

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SFGFNCGiantsFan : 9/3/2024 7:39 pm : link

I think I remember reading or hearing that the defense started doing their own thing in '92 under Rust.

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christian : 9/3/2024 7:43 pm : link

I think a lot of fans forget Nolan came in, and bam the Giants have a historically great defense. That 1993 defense is the most underrated Giants unit in the history of the franchise.

I remember Mark Collins specifically ripping the defensive scheme in

Greg from LI : 9/3/2024 8:39 pm : link

1992. Not coincidentally, that was his last season as a Giant

If you want to see an attacking defense,

Rico : 9/3/2024 10:10 pm : link

Watch Michigan this year! Their DC manages to scheme a free rusher on every play!