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Jason Hatcher: New Positions, New Player?
Posted by Rafael at Monday, August 15, 2011
I happened to see an old "NFL Game of the Week" from 1974 on the NFL Network recently and it revealed the power of a simple shift. The game was a Cowboys-Vikings tussle and the Cowboys rookie ends, Too Tall Jones, and Harvey Martin, were having a devil of a time rushing Fran Tarkenton. Being rookies had something to do with it, but their roles in Tom Landry's flex that year had a lot more to do with their struggles.
Jones, the top pick that year, was playing right end, on Tarkenton's blind side. Martin was playing strong-side end. At some point after this game, the Cowboys coaches hit on the idea of flopping them, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Martin was a speed rusher, and playing him on the power side, where he faced tight ends and run blocking tackles, beat him up. Jones was more of a power rusher and putting him on the blind side asked him to rely on edge speed he didn't possess.
Their lost year on the wrong side came up at the Alamodome when I watched Jason Hatcher step out of the lockout and immediately harass Cowboys quarterbacks. Hatcher had been a left end in his years under Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips, rotating with Marcus Spears off the power side. When Dallas re-signed Spears and signed veteran Kenyon Coleman, another left end, Hatcher flopped to right end, where he has worked behind Igor Olshansky.
Whether it was coaching inspiration, or a happy accident, the move has thus far been a fruitful one. Hatcher was a menace in his first practice against the Cowboys left tackles, and carried over some of that pass rushing spark to the Broncos game. (Hatcher did get one down against the Broncos' starters, so a caveat applies.)
Hatcher nonetheless made plays, from right end also from right tackle. All the linemen rotate down the line in Rob Ryan's scheme and Hatcher blew up an early Broncos pass ripping past a guard and into Kyle Orton. Hatcher pressure forced an interception. He later got more pressure off the weakside edge.
The Cowboys have been looking for an end to sidekick Jay Ratliff. Stephen Bowen played the part two years ago, and faded with the rest of the line in last year's fiasco. Hatcher's quick take off, and Igor Olshansky's slow one, could move Hatcher into the starting lineup, and soon. Watch where he lines up against San Diego this weekend.
Cowboys fans spent the pre-draft months debating the merits of a pass rushing 5-technique like Cameron Jordan and J.J. Watt, who could park between Ratliff and Demarcus Ware and feed off their pressure. They may get their wish, from a guy long thought a disappointment. And all it may take is a walk down the line.
Same name, same number, new position.
Posted by Rafael at Monday, August 15, 2011
I happened to see an old "NFL Game of the Week" from 1974 on the NFL Network recently and it revealed the power of a simple shift. The game was a Cowboys-Vikings tussle and the Cowboys rookie ends, Too Tall Jones, and Harvey Martin, were having a devil of a time rushing Fran Tarkenton. Being rookies had something to do with it, but their roles in Tom Landry's flex that year had a lot more to do with their struggles.
Jones, the top pick that year, was playing right end, on Tarkenton's blind side. Martin was playing strong-side end. At some point after this game, the Cowboys coaches hit on the idea of flopping them, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Martin was a speed rusher, and playing him on the power side, where he faced tight ends and run blocking tackles, beat him up. Jones was more of a power rusher and putting him on the blind side asked him to rely on edge speed he didn't possess.
Their lost year on the wrong side came up at the Alamodome when I watched Jason Hatcher step out of the lockout and immediately harass Cowboys quarterbacks. Hatcher had been a left end in his years under Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips, rotating with Marcus Spears off the power side. When Dallas re-signed Spears and signed veteran Kenyon Coleman, another left end, Hatcher flopped to right end, where he has worked behind Igor Olshansky.
Whether it was coaching inspiration, or a happy accident, the move has thus far been a fruitful one. Hatcher was a menace in his first practice against the Cowboys left tackles, and carried over some of that pass rushing spark to the Broncos game. (Hatcher did get one down against the Broncos' starters, so a caveat applies.)
Hatcher nonetheless made plays, from right end also from right tackle. All the linemen rotate down the line in Rob Ryan's scheme and Hatcher blew up an early Broncos pass ripping past a guard and into Kyle Orton. Hatcher pressure forced an interception. He later got more pressure off the weakside edge.
The Cowboys have been looking for an end to sidekick Jay Ratliff. Stephen Bowen played the part two years ago, and faded with the rest of the line in last year's fiasco. Hatcher's quick take off, and Igor Olshansky's slow one, could move Hatcher into the starting lineup, and soon. Watch where he lines up against San Diego this weekend.
Cowboys fans spent the pre-draft months debating the merits of a pass rushing 5-technique like Cameron Jordan and J.J. Watt, who could park between Ratliff and Demarcus Ware and feed off their pressure. They may get their wish, from a guy long thought a disappointment. And all it may take is a walk down the line.
Same name, same number, new position.
