My mindset was this: If I can comprehend my defense, I'll also know how it performs and what weaknesses, which means that when I'm on offense, I'll be able to exploit my opponent. So I started working in trying to develop a basic understanding of patterns; I learned how to stack the box into a 3-4 or 4-3 formation when I was anticipating a run as well as to play Nickel or Dime when the opponent is likely to throw the ball, or perhaps during a second as well as a third-down play.