There has been a shift in defensive philosophy in the NFL through the last three seasons. After much of the league adopted the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom cover-3 style, variations of the Vic Fangio scheme have become more popular.
Those are primarily two-high concepts (two safeties deep), with a significant increase in quarters coverage usage. In quarters, there are four deep zones covered generally by two safeties in the middle and two cornerbacks on the outside. Unlike cover 3, the boxes are lighter, and the focus is to limit explosive passing plays.
These differences are relatively established in the league. The movement got traction in 2020 when Sean McVay decided to part ways with veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and bet on Brandon Staley. A former Fangio assistant, Staley implemented the scheme with the Los Angeles Rams.
Since then, the Green Bay Packers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos have hired defensive coaches from this tree. Other teams have adjusted their schemes to use more of this logic – Dan Quinn (Dallas Cowboys), DeMeco Ryans (San Francisco 49ers), and Robert Saleh (New York Jets) are good examples. Some teams run different schemes, like the New Orleans Saints, but with a high frequency of two-high looks. Dennis Allen’s scheme is based on the two-man shell.
Because two-high defenses are so popular, teams spend the offseason trying to find ways to beat it. The Green Bay Packers have been relatively successful against it because Aaron Rodgers is patient and efficient enough to march down the field with several short passes if needed. But there will be new challenges without Davante Adams, and the solution might be tight end Robert Tonyan.
Even though Tonyan is still recovering from a knee injury, the early indications are positive, and he may be available to start the season. He is the best option to explore the middle of the field on Green Bay’s roster, where two-high defenses are vulnerable.
“We know Bobby. He’s been here a while, and we know his work ethic,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said last February. “He’s working his tail off, and we feel pretty good about his recovery, so there’s not like a timing thing where we need to see something before we decide (whether to re-sign him).”
So far, the Packers have used Tonyan more frequently as a horizontal threat. They’ve used him in traditional plays from Matt LaFleur’s scheme, rolling against the play flow to gain yards after the reception. But Tonyan has the physical profile to expand his game – and this will be necessary. He has shown the ability to receive down the field. The next step is to explore zones behind linebackers and ahead of safeties in light-box structures.
When Green Bay’s offense was extremely efficient in 2020, Tonyan had 586 yards (third, behind Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling) and 11 touchdowns (second, behind Adams), with a critical role exploring shallow zones.
His role will be clearer now because Allen Lazard should play more on the outside and less from the slot, leaving the inside area of the field to be explored by tight ends. Marcedes Lewis is more of a blocker, and Josiah Deguara is an h-back who can execute the horizontal role. But Tonyan and unproven Tyler Davis are the only options who can physically allow the Packers to have big targets down the middle.
Aaron Rodgers had had some problems exploring the mid-zones before the Matt LaFleur era, but he has been much more inclined to use the middle of the field in the last three years. Last season, Rodgers registered his highest passer rating when throwing to the middle. He had a 138.1 rating in the middle in the 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage (league average was 90.0) and 144.4 in the middle between 10 and 20 yards beyond the line (league average was 86.8) – a good match with his play-action effectiveness. Since 2020, Rodgers has a 32:0 TD to INT ratio on play-action calls. Tonyan is a big target with enough speed to beat linebackers in single coverage.
The Packers will have to find new ways to attack defenses because there won’t be a clear WR1 anymore. Versatility is key. Using running backs and tight ends creatively can be the difference between falling off a cliff or being a productive unit capable of producing high numbers. Robert Tonyan, a high-end receiver for a tight end, might be the piece that allows the offense to explore the new defensive trend.
