Nors
Benched
- Messages
- 22,015
- Reaction score
- 1
Notebook: Belichick believer in trend toward two-way players
01:00 AM EST on Friday, November 12, 2004
BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer
FOXBORO -- When Willis McGahee ran for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter last Sunday, starting Buffalo on its way to a 22-17 upset of the Jets, one of the key blocks was thrown by Justin Bannan.
The work by Bannan was significant because he does not usually play on offense. He is a 305-pound defensive tackle brought in by the Bills to help clear the way for McGahee.
It was not nearly as dramatic a move as several made by the Patriots last week -- namely having linebacker Mike Vrabel catch a touchdown pass and wide receiver Troy Brown play defense -- but it is a sign of a growing trend in the NFL.
Not that long ago, the movement was to specialization, with many players having narrow assignments. Now, more and more players are seeing work on both sides of the ball, in a variety of assignments. The Patriots, of course, have had Dan Klecko and Richard Seymour, among others, seeing action on both sides of the ball.
Pats head coach Bill Belichick made the reasons for the trend sound simple when he was asked about it yesterday.
"You put people where you think they can be productive and it can somehow help your team," he said. "I understand it. I respect it. We do it ourselves.
"We look at a situation and try to address it," the coach said. "We need somebody to play tight end in short yardage and goal line. OK, who are the candidates? Who could we get to do this? Is it an offensive lineman to bump out? Maybe. Is it a defensive player to come over to the other side of the ball? Is it a back that you move up to make like a wing back in a short-yardage situation? Who are the guys that are going to do it? Who is the best guy? Then you make that move."
There still are many areas of specialization, Belichick noted. He pointed out that when he began coaching, no teams had a long snapper, as Lonie Paxton has been for the Patriots for the last four years. Some who played other positions also did the snapping. Belichick noted guys such as Steve DeOssie, who was a linebacker by trade, also did snapping.
"I don't think there's a team in the league now that does not have a guy who is just a long snapper," Belichick said.
No problem for Vrabel
In the case of Vrabel becoming a part-time tight end, Belichick said the decision was simple.
"Mike is a good athlete. Mike is smart. He looks like a tight end," he said. "If you look at him, you would say, at 6-4, 260, being an athletic guy with good hands, he has the build and the makeup to be a tight end . . . A lot of it is just having the right physical characteristics to at least give the player a chance to compete in the spot you are putting him. You look at your options. You pick out what you think is the best one, and that is what you do."
Vrabel, asked about the same subject, said he had no problem doing double duty.
"It's fun. Trying to score and being part of the offense is fun," Vrabel said. Vrabel insisted it is not all that much more work for him.
"It's not a big plate. It's the goal-line package right now. I would highly doubt it would expand beyond that," he said.
By the same token, he said Brown's assignment is far more difficult than his.
"His role is a lot more expanded than mine is," Vrabel said. "Mine is pretty basic. He's out there covering guys and has to understand coverage concepts. The kind of athletes he's covering are usually the best athletes on the team."
Brown's presence in the defensive huddle even caught the players by surprise, according to Vrabel.
"Like Tedy (Bruschi) said, he went to call a play one time and he looked at Troy and said, wait a second. He realized Troy was out there with us . . . You give him a lot of credit. What he did was a lot tougher than what I'm doing down there on the goal line."
Quick kicks
Deion Branch, who has not played since the second game of the season and was upgraded from doubtful to questionable this week, is practicing. "He is getting better. He's making good progress," Belichick said. "He's coming along . . . The Patriots have won eight straight games against their fellow AFC East teams. They are 17-3 in the last 20 . . . Online balloting is under way for Pro Bowl selections. Fans can visit NFL.Com and vote for players they would like to see represent their conference Feb. 13 in Honolulu . . . Drew Bledsoe has not had an interception or been sacked in each of Buffalo's last two games. Vrabel said there is an easy explanation. "They are staying out of third-and-long," he said. "Drew's not seeing the pressure he used to see when it was third-and-8 or third-and-10."
hybrid+schemes+adaptability+team players+winning+creative coaching+fun+get it+3-4+two way players+we don't have any of that
01:00 AM EST on Friday, November 12, 2004
BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer
FOXBORO -- When Willis McGahee ran for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter last Sunday, starting Buffalo on its way to a 22-17 upset of the Jets, one of the key blocks was thrown by Justin Bannan.
The work by Bannan was significant because he does not usually play on offense. He is a 305-pound defensive tackle brought in by the Bills to help clear the way for McGahee.
It was not nearly as dramatic a move as several made by the Patriots last week -- namely having linebacker Mike Vrabel catch a touchdown pass and wide receiver Troy Brown play defense -- but it is a sign of a growing trend in the NFL.
Not that long ago, the movement was to specialization, with many players having narrow assignments. Now, more and more players are seeing work on both sides of the ball, in a variety of assignments. The Patriots, of course, have had Dan Klecko and Richard Seymour, among others, seeing action on both sides of the ball.
Pats head coach Bill Belichick made the reasons for the trend sound simple when he was asked about it yesterday.
"You put people where you think they can be productive and it can somehow help your team," he said. "I understand it. I respect it. We do it ourselves.
"We look at a situation and try to address it," the coach said. "We need somebody to play tight end in short yardage and goal line. OK, who are the candidates? Who could we get to do this? Is it an offensive lineman to bump out? Maybe. Is it a defensive player to come over to the other side of the ball? Is it a back that you move up to make like a wing back in a short-yardage situation? Who are the guys that are going to do it? Who is the best guy? Then you make that move."
There still are many areas of specialization, Belichick noted. He pointed out that when he began coaching, no teams had a long snapper, as Lonie Paxton has been for the Patriots for the last four years. Some who played other positions also did the snapping. Belichick noted guys such as Steve DeOssie, who was a linebacker by trade, also did snapping.
"I don't think there's a team in the league now that does not have a guy who is just a long snapper," Belichick said.
No problem for Vrabel
In the case of Vrabel becoming a part-time tight end, Belichick said the decision was simple.
"Mike is a good athlete. Mike is smart. He looks like a tight end," he said. "If you look at him, you would say, at 6-4, 260, being an athletic guy with good hands, he has the build and the makeup to be a tight end . . . A lot of it is just having the right physical characteristics to at least give the player a chance to compete in the spot you are putting him. You look at your options. You pick out what you think is the best one, and that is what you do."
Vrabel, asked about the same subject, said he had no problem doing double duty.
"It's fun. Trying to score and being part of the offense is fun," Vrabel said. Vrabel insisted it is not all that much more work for him.
"It's not a big plate. It's the goal-line package right now. I would highly doubt it would expand beyond that," he said.
By the same token, he said Brown's assignment is far more difficult than his.
"His role is a lot more expanded than mine is," Vrabel said. "Mine is pretty basic. He's out there covering guys and has to understand coverage concepts. The kind of athletes he's covering are usually the best athletes on the team."
Brown's presence in the defensive huddle even caught the players by surprise, according to Vrabel.
"Like Tedy (Bruschi) said, he went to call a play one time and he looked at Troy and said, wait a second. He realized Troy was out there with us . . . You give him a lot of credit. What he did was a lot tougher than what I'm doing down there on the goal line."
Quick kicks
Deion Branch, who has not played since the second game of the season and was upgraded from doubtful to questionable this week, is practicing. "He is getting better. He's making good progress," Belichick said. "He's coming along . . . The Patriots have won eight straight games against their fellow AFC East teams. They are 17-3 in the last 20 . . . Online balloting is under way for Pro Bowl selections. Fans can visit NFL.Com and vote for players they would like to see represent their conference Feb. 13 in Honolulu . . . Drew Bledsoe has not had an interception or been sacked in each of Buffalo's last two games. Vrabel said there is an easy explanation. "They are staying out of third-and-long," he said. "Drew's not seeing the pressure he used to see when it was third-and-8 or third-and-10."
hybrid+schemes+adaptability+team players+winning+creative coaching+fun+get it+3-4+two way players+we don't have any of that