The importance of a good NFL center

**cdcox** · 10-27-2007, 09:08 PM

Posted for the n00b findthedr:

In his best seller The Blind Side, Michael Lewis explains the evolution of football's left tackle position. Lewis rightly shows how left tackles have evolved from anonymous bludgeoners to highly paid, important players charged with protecting the quarterback from speed rushers like Lawrence Taylor. But the rise of the left tackle is old news, as the game has evolved yet again. Now, the most important guy on the offensive line—and the second-most important offensive player, behind the quarterback—is the man in the middle: the center.

Centers aren't physical freaks like their brethrens at tackle. Few exceed 300 pounds. The ideal middleman is athletic, with the speed to pull outside, the strength to grapple with enormous defenders, and the niftiness to throw as many as three blocks on the same play. Of course, he has to have good hands, as he snaps the ball on every play, then must quickly get his mitts on a bull-rushing 350-pounder or be squashed flat. Most important, the center needs to be brainy, with as firm a command of the playbook as the quarterback. Before each play, he must call out protections, telling each of his linemates which onrushing defender to pick up. The center is the guy who puts the skill players in position to make plays. He ensures runners have holes and that the quarterback has time to throw.

Two recent developments have made the center even more crucial to offensive success. The first is the increasingly exotic nature of NFL defenses, in which multiple blitzers often come from all angles. The second is the emergence of the ultramammoth run stuffer, a 350-pound behemoth who clogs the middle of the field.

So, how can you gauge how well your team's center is performing? The most obvious sign is how easily blitzing linebackers and defensive backs get to the quarterback.* If defenders come unabated, it's usually not because the offensive line got beaten physically—it's because the center has missed something. Also, quarterbacks are most successful when they step up into the pocket. If the QB has an open lane when he steps up, give the center thumbs up. When it comes to the running game, if the back is forced to bounce outside when the play is designed to go inside, the center is struggling to control the interior. Contrarily, if you hear the announcers use the phrase "running downhill" a lot, then the line is opening holes inside for the runner to hit without breaking stride. And that team's probably winning.
http://slate.com/id/2156923/

10-27-2007, 09:08 PM	Topic Starter
cdcox www.nfl-forecast.com Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $-648231	The importance of a good NFL center Posted for the n00b findthedr: In his best seller The Blind Side, Michael Lewis explains the evolution of football's left tackle position. Lewis rightly shows how left tackles have evolved from anonymous bludgeoners to highly paid, important players charged with protecting the quarterback from speed rushers like Lawrence Taylor. But the rise of the left tackle is old news, as the game has evolved yet again. Now, the most important guy on the offensive line—and the second-most important offensive player, behind the quarterback—is the man in the middle: the center. Centers aren't physical freaks like their brethrens at tackle. Few exceed 300 pounds. The ideal middleman is athletic, with the speed to pull outside, the strength to grapple with enormous defenders, and the niftiness to throw as many as three blocks on the same play. Of course, he has to have good hands, as he snaps the ball on every play, then must quickly get his mitts on a bull-rushing 350-pounder or be squashed flat. Most important, the center needs to be brainy, with as firm a command of the playbook as the quarterback. Before each play, he must call out protections, telling each of his linemates which onrushing defender to pick up. The center is the guy who puts the skill players in position to make plays. He ensures runners have holes and that the quarterback has time to throw. Two recent developments have made the center even more crucial to offensive success. The first is the increasingly exotic nature of NFL defenses, in which multiple blitzers often come from all angles. The second is the emergence of the ultramammoth run stuffer, a 350-pound behemoth who clogs the middle of the field. So, how can you gauge how well your team's center is performing? The most obvious sign is how easily blitzing linebackers and defensive backs get to the quarterback.* If defenders come unabated, it's usually not because the offensive line got beaten physically—it's because the center has missed something. Also, quarterbacks are most successful when they step up into the pocket. If the QB has an open lane when he steps up, give the center thumbs up. When it comes to the running game, if the back is forced to bounce outside when the play is designed to go inside, the center is struggling to control the interior. Contrarily, if you hear the announcers use the phrase "running downhill" a lot, then the line is opening holes inside for the runner to hit without breaking stride. And that team's probably winning. http://slate.com/id/2156923/
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