With my team, the Packers, going to the 3-4 along with a few others, do you think the 3-4 really offers what people say it does: better run defense and better run stopping than the 4-3? And during your career, did you find it harder to block and plan against a 3-4 defense than a 4-3 defense? Basically, what's it like as an o-lineman vs. the 3-4?
-- Thomas DeCaro III, Albuquerque, N.M.
If executed correctly and with the right personnel, a 3-4 offers a better run front and more options from a pressure standpoint.
The key to the 3-4 from a run perspective is having outside linebackers who can effectively "set the edge," which really means stuffing the tight end or the offensive tackle from outside-in and forcing the runner to cut back inside toward the other six defenders who are maintaining their proper gap discipline.
As for the offensive lineman's perspective, it really depends on the position and the player. Personally, I preferred going against 3-4 defenses. If the defensive lineman is attempting to "two-gap" the offensive lineman by holding his ground and controlling the gaps on either side, he's usually not penetrating into the backfield, and that's really what I was most concerned about because a quick penetrator can really make you look bad. I liked the predictability of the 3-4 defense, which is usually so fundamentally sound that opposing lineman can anticipate technique and don't have to worry about the unexpected.