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“…Chicago Is Next”
By Rafael Vela
A couple of points:
I see people question Tank Johnson’s ability to play NT at 300. Sure he can. Nose tackle is about power, technique and leverage. On inside running plays, the nose tackle will be double teamed by the center and the run-side guard, who will then scrape off and chase a linebacker. Good NTs know how to “grab grass” and cause a pileup.
Johnson played some offset DT at Chicago, tying up centers and keeping star DT Tommie Harris free from double teams. Think back to the great ’90s Cowboys’ teams. Tony Casillas played the same role in Jimmy Johnson’s 4-3 and I don’t think he ever played a game above 285. But Casillas, who excelled on the nose at Oklahoma, understood leverage. He was a master at beating double-teams. He would get inside the center on the run side, engage the guard, dip his shoulder and drop to one knee at just the right time, allowing the guard to slide off, and then grind his way into the running back’s lane.
If you’ve got the guts and the technique, you can live inside at a smaller weight. Jim Burt did it for Bill Parcells’ 3-4 Giants defenses at 265 lbs. Greg Kragen did it for Dan Reeves’ Super Bowl Broncos 3-4s at the same weight.
Besides, Johnson — or any other NT the Cowboys sign — is only needed to back up Jay Ratliff, who’s doing a fine job as the starter so far.
– Promoted from the threads: one of blog regular Joey2zs’ buddies sends this report from Miami:
“Dolphins Stadium is like if you put FedEx Field on Mercury. It felt like we were watching a football game in a wok.
The entire stadium was full of Cowboys fans. We could see into Jerry Jones’ suite. They were partying it up in there.
When the Cowboys finally buried the Dolphins in the 4th quarter the Cowboys kickoff unit came over to where we were sitting and started hopping all around and pointing at all the Cowboy fans sitting in our section. Priceless. Reminds me of all the times we punked the Commanders in their house.
Chicago is next.”
http://theboysblog.com/
By Rafael Vela
A couple of points:
I see people question Tank Johnson’s ability to play NT at 300. Sure he can. Nose tackle is about power, technique and leverage. On inside running plays, the nose tackle will be double teamed by the center and the run-side guard, who will then scrape off and chase a linebacker. Good NTs know how to “grab grass” and cause a pileup.
Johnson played some offset DT at Chicago, tying up centers and keeping star DT Tommie Harris free from double teams. Think back to the great ’90s Cowboys’ teams. Tony Casillas played the same role in Jimmy Johnson’s 4-3 and I don’t think he ever played a game above 285. But Casillas, who excelled on the nose at Oklahoma, understood leverage. He was a master at beating double-teams. He would get inside the center on the run side, engage the guard, dip his shoulder and drop to one knee at just the right time, allowing the guard to slide off, and then grind his way into the running back’s lane.
If you’ve got the guts and the technique, you can live inside at a smaller weight. Jim Burt did it for Bill Parcells’ 3-4 Giants defenses at 265 lbs. Greg Kragen did it for Dan Reeves’ Super Bowl Broncos 3-4s at the same weight.
Besides, Johnson — or any other NT the Cowboys sign — is only needed to back up Jay Ratliff, who’s doing a fine job as the starter so far.
– Promoted from the threads: one of blog regular Joey2zs’ buddies sends this report from Miami:
“Dolphins Stadium is like if you put FedEx Field on Mercury. It felt like we were watching a football game in a wok.
The entire stadium was full of Cowboys fans. We could see into Jerry Jones’ suite. They were partying it up in there.
When the Cowboys finally buried the Dolphins in the 4th quarter the Cowboys kickoff unit came over to where we were sitting and started hopping all around and pointing at all the Cowboy fans sitting in our section. Priceless. Reminds me of all the times we punked the Commanders in their house.
Chicago is next.”
http://theboysblog.com/
