Defensives have to be so much more disciplined today to be effective. And not just because refs are looking for an excuse to throw flags if they so much as breathe on skill position players. Players are so fast and strong now that if the offense can bait you into filling the wrong gap, or taking the wrong angle, or in anyway overcommitting, they likely have you dead to rights for a huge play.

The first few sentences in, I started thinking "everything old is new again."

This is the same stuff the NFL was dealing with back in the Plummer/Shanahan years. The guy that figured out how to beat it pretty consistently - Dick Lebeau's version of the 3-4. They used to be excellent at containing the boot, and always seemed to be Plummer's kryptonite. Modern passers a little more gifted than Plummer can still make this hot read under duress. That's how I think the game has changed - just better athletes with more options.

Great athletes are still great athletes and will win this battle in open space, however, if you can trust the back end of your defense you can consistently pressure the QB during a naked bootleg if you want. That back side edge rusher is generally unblocked - he needs to be smart and fast enough to recognize the play.