"Bend But Don't Break" Defense

[SnoSki]

Can someone explain this term? To me it just seems like a team where the secondary is good but the linebackers are bad, meaning that short yardage can be had but not big gains.

I still don't understand the term though. Shouldn't the goal of a defense be, "don't bend and don't break?"

 

[The original ArgyleFrog]

bend = allow some yards in the opponents half of the field and at midfield

dont break = once the field shortens and opponents offenses get in the red zone and the defenses side of the field, hold them to a FG or turnover

the main focus is to not allow the big play (60-80) yard plays... conservative on defense to prevent the big play, but once the field shortens tighten the grip

 

[jake102]

It's hard to have both. In 2008 and 2009 our defense was a "don't bend" defense... but the problem is that it got broken in about twenty pieces by Sam Bradford. By playing "don't bend and don't break" you increase the risk of breaking.

 

[Delmonico]

Shouldn't the goal of a defense be, "don't bend and don't break?"

The goal is to not allow them to score - the breaking part. Ultimately, if a team gets a gazillion yards and no points, they really haven't accomplished anything.

Like if they turn the ball over inside the 5 (twice), for instance......

 

[Portland Frog]

Keep teams from scoring TDs. YPG is only part of the picture as far as how a D performs. PPG is also important. BBDB means you may give up a lot of yards, but not TDs.

It is ideal to not give up yards and points. But of course any fan will trade giving up yards for points. For example, I would much rather have the frogs give up 450 YPG, but only 12 PPG on average when the season is over.

 

[lowfrog]

TCU defense bent but did not break during the Rose Bowl game against Wisconsin. It wasn't just my conclusion either. In talking about this game with many fans of other teams who watched this game, that is the way they described it to me from the beginning of our conversation without any prompting from me. Comments basically revolved around how amazingly resiliant TCU defense was against Wisconsin. TCU defense and offense also did multiple shifts throughout the game, which confused the heck out of Wisconsin and they could not handle it. Some people believe the TCU shifts were the key to winning that Rose Bowl game.

 

[SnoSki]

Is giving up FGs allowed in this sort of defense?

Also, some statisticians help me out here.. is it actually possible to maintain giving up 450 yards per game and only 12ish points per game?

Seems to me that 450 ypg allowed would at least equate to 28 points allowed, max (4 TDs) or 12 points allowed, min (4 FGs, assuming all are made).

This idea seems foreign to me. Not sure if it was an actual defensive philosophy, or if it was an ESPN concoction, like "trickeration" and tackling "in space."

 

[pcf]

Is giving up FGs allowed in this sort of defense?

Also, some statisticians help me out here.. is it actually possible to maintain giving up 450 yards per game and only 12ish points per game?

Seems to me that 450 ypg allowed would at least equate to 28 points allowed, max (4 TDs) or 12 points allowed, min (4 FGs, assuming all are made).

This idea seems foreign to me. Not sure if it was an actual defensive philosophy, or if it was an ESPN concoction, like "trickeration" and tackling "in space."

Are you for real?

 

[Frogs On A Plane]

Is giving up FGs allowed in this sort of defense?

Also, some statisticians help me out here.. is it actually possible to maintain giving up 450 yards per game and only 12ish points per game?

Seems to me that 450 ypg allowed would at least equate to 28 points allowed, max (4 TDs) or 12 points allowed, min (4 FGs, assuming all are made).

This idea seems foreign to me. Not sure if it was an actual defensive philosophy, or if it was an ESPN concoction, like "trickeration" and tackling "in space."

Seriously?

 

[TronCarter]

SnoSki is drunk

And also playing 21 Questions with Stefan

 

[10 Key Frog]

Is giving up FGs allowed in this sort of defense?

Also, some statisticians help me out here.. is it actually possible to maintain giving up 450 yards per game and only 12ish points per game?

Seems to me that 450 ypg allowed would at least equate to 28 points allowed, max (4 TDs) or 12 points allowed, min (4 FGs, assuming all are made).

This idea seems foreign to me. Not sure if it was an actual defensive philosophy, or if it was an ESPN concoction, like "trickeration" and tackling "in space."

FG are ok in this philosophy. Overall it's basically a mind set of trying to hold an offense to only 3 or 0 points on each drive. Obviously you'd prefer 0, but as long as you prevent the big plays that get them in the end zone you'll give up a few FG. Especially in college where kickers are more likely to miss 35-45 yard kicks than in the NFL.

I'd say its statistically possible to give up 450 yards for 12 points a game. While unlikely assuming you allow 8 drives a game (may be low) that would be 56 yards a drive which would put on average ending around the 20 probably. More likely though would probably be around 375 yards a game.

 

[Shadow Dweller]

SnoSki is drunk

And also playing 21 Questions with Stefan

That's about the only reasoning I can find for his posts here... :blink:

 

[SnoSki]

Apparently I am just a total idiot. My apologies.



Is it possible to maintain giving up 450 yards a game and only 12 points for a full season?

Sure it's easy to do with 3 games when one is an FCS squad.. but have teams actually used this mindset to accomplish this goal throughout the full season?

I am sorry that these are dumb questions. I just don't know.

 

[macaroni]

Not sure if it was an actual defensive philosophy, or if it was an ESPN concoction, like "trickeration" and tackling "in space."

I don't think ESPN invented the concept of tackling in space.

 

[Cougar/Frog]

Make the opponents grind out drives that stay inside the 20, stopping the big plays, and finally forcing a punt or FG attempt at the end. Going 75 yards and then settling for a FG attempt sucks......

I read somewhere about the idea of yards per TD - a solid offense scores a lot with few wasted plays, while a solid D forces teams to waste a lot of yards per TD...

2010 TCU was very good on both sides...

 

[SnoSki]

Make the opponents grind out drives that stay inside the 20, stopping the big plays, and finally forcing a punt or FG attempt at the end. Going 75 yards and then settling for a FG attempt sucks......

I read somewhere about the idea of yards per TD - a solid offense scores a lot with few wasted plays, while a solid D forces teams to waste a lot of yards per TD...

2010 TCU was very good on both sides...

Good explanation, thanks.

I always had a suspicion that this was some buzz word thrown about by analysts and not actually a real defensive philosophy.

 

[Limp Lizard]

That is how GP sees it now. There could also be some gamesmanship in that, too, making the other teams think we won't blitz. Bend and don't break was exemplified in the Virginia game...just 7 points, despite some good plays. It also means, to use GP's favorite term "don't let them throw the ball over your head." Knowing GP, we will still take some chances.

From what I have seen we won't be extremely conservative like we were under Henderson/Sullivan: Safeties played, way, way back (20-30 yards) on 3rd and long, and the conversion rate was much too good for our opponents. Eventually we slowly and consistently gave up yardage all the way into the endzone. The one thing our opponents could not do against Henderson is throw the long ball...always lots of defensive players 30-40 yards downfield.

I think GP wants something in between. And they will get better and more aggressive as the season continues...happens every year.

 

[Delmonico]

I don't think ESPN invented the concept of tackling in space.

And trickeration predates TV, and its use in football goes back to at least the 70s (before ESPN), usually involving a Nebraska game.

 

[SnoSki]

I know trick plays have been around a long time.

Did you call it "trickeration" in those pre-ESPN days? Not likely.

 

[Delmonico]

http://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2012/9/14/3332258/ravens-defense-bend-but-dont-break


However, when you look inside the numbers, it's not the yardage allowed that will impress you as much as the points allowed and turnovers. Traditionally, the Ravens mantra on defense has been "bend-but-don't-break," meaning they will lay off opposing offenses between the 20-yard lines, but stiffen up once the opponents gets into the Red Zone.

http://football.calsci.com/Positions7.html


There are a few philosophies on how to operate a defense. Two of the most popular are called "attacking" and "bend but don't break." In an attacking defense, the people on the defense will be constantly blocking and jamming receivers, and they will use many sneaky methods to try to get into the backfield and sack the quarterback. The favorite sneaky method is called a blitz, which is where you have one, two, or three linebackers, cornerbacks, or safeties abandon their normal post and rush in on the quarterback instead. This is a big gamble - if it pays off, the defense gets a big win. But a very good quarterback can often see this coming and throw the ball to a receiver who has been abandoned, which usually results in a play of 20 yards or more.

In the bend but don't break philosophy, the defense will pull back a bit and do everything they can to insure that the offense never moves the ball more than four yards or so on a given play. The idea here is that at four yards per play, if the offense has to move the ball 80 yards so score, they have to have 20 good plays pretty much in a row. It's believed that very few offenses can put together 20 good plays without making a mistake. The bend but don't break defense will be watching very carefully for these mistakes, such as a fumble or a poorly thrown ball that can be intercepted. It's important in this defense that the defensive guys themselves make very few mistakes.