Patrick Graham is just getting started with the installation process, teaching the players the basics of the defense. At the same time, he and the players are excited to get to the exotic stuff, too:
"So, what I'll do is narrow down what we're going to do schematically on early down," Graham said Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I'm not big on having a lot of different schemes for early down. And we'll find ways to be multiple within it. But I try to keep it in five buckets from there. Then what I tell them is we're going to get really good at this, knock out the run game, prevent shots on early-down passing game, and then we'll get to second-and-long and third down. That's when we get to the fun stuff. That's where the imagination goes wild. And the funny thingI tell them all the time, you might forget something we installed on day one that had to deal with early-down base defense, but if we come up with some funky third-down blitz package that you might get a sack, they’re not going to forget that. So, joking with them about that. So that’s my approach. But really, I'm not going to try to venture too far off from what this city has been known for. Again, earning our place in that tradition, we’ve got to play hard-nosed, physical football. We have to have an intimidating play style. And if I’m honest, the first two weeks of meetings I’ve had with the players have been more about how we’re going to play, and the vision I have as the coordinator of how we’re going to play, how we’re going to get stuff done before we even get into the calls."
THE ASYLUM
Graham's approach to installing defense
Patrick Graham is just getting started with the installation process, teaching the players the basics of the defense. At the same time, he and the players are excited to get to the exotic stuff, too:
"So, what I'll do is narrow down what we're going to do schematically on early down," Graham said Friday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "I'm not big on having a lot of different schemes for early down. And we'll find ways to be multiple within it. But I try to keep it in five buckets from there. Then what I tell them is we're going to get really good at this, knock out the run game, prevent shots on early-down passing game, and then we'll get to second-and-long and third down. That's when we get to the fun stuff. That's where the imagination goes wild. And the funny thingI tell them all the time, you might forget something we installed on day one that had to deal with early-down base defense, but if we come up with some funky third-down blitz package that you might get a sack, they’re not going to forget that. So, joking with them about that. So that’s my approach. But really, I'm not going to try to venture too far off from what this city has been known for. Again, earning our place in that tradition, we’ve got to play hard-nosed, physical football. We have to have an intimidating play style. And if I’m honest, the first two weeks of meetings I’ve had with the players have been more about how we’re going to play, and the vision I have as the coordinator of how we’re going to play, how we’re going to get stuff done before we even get into the calls."
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