Bobby Wagner was part of one of the best defenses in the NFL when the Seattle Seahawks assembled the Legion of Boom. From 2012-2015, the Seahawks ranked in the top 10 in points allowed each year and were regarded as one of the top units in football.
It was a very simple scheme they ran, too. It was based heavily on Cover 3, dropping three defenders into the deep thirds and playing zone underneath. And even though every offense knew what type of coverage Seattle was going to play, few teams were able to consistently move the ball against the Seahawks.
Wagner is in the early stages of his Rams tenure, but he already sees major differences between Seattle’s scheme and Los Angeles’ approach on defense.
“I think every defense is built on speed, but I think the biggest thing was with Pete, we were super Cover 3. Everybody knew it was Cover 3 and we were in the mindset – maybe kind of cocky a little bit – that we were going to line up and we were going to make you beat us. We rarely made any checks. It was like, we’re gonna play deep, make you throw the ball short and we’re gonna rally and we’re gonna hit you and pay for it. No team is patient enough to work the ball down the field like that. They want to take shots, it’s an offensive-driven league. I would say that’s changed because there are so many more coaching staffs that had the Cover 3 so teams figured out ways to beat that Cover 3. This defense, we have a lot more coverages, we have a lot more checks, we have a lot more adjustments to certain things to get us out of those tough downs and I’m excited for that. I’m excited to learn that and be able to check that and again, it’s a chess game between the quarterbacks.”
The Seahawks changed up their scheme a bit over the years as offenses adapted to their coverages, but they’re still primarily a Cover 3 defense. With the Rams, Wagner will obviously play a ton of hook zones dropping back into coverage, but he’ll also have opportunities to blitz, line up on the edge and cover the flats.
The Rams use a ton of Cover 4, which also prevents big plays over the top, but they mix things up a good amount with their rushes, coverages and defensive fronts. That’s something Wagner is excited to delve into.