Mike Detillier| Special to The Courier
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The Louisiana Line Camp at Nicholls State was a great success with a record 623 linemen at the camp.
In interviews with three coaches, it was clear there are significant changes in the game of football.
Brendan Daly, who isthe defensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs,said the gamehas changed especially from what he called "pitch and catch"on offense.
“We have to adjust to the changes defensively which means more of an emphasis on getting pressure upfront and matching up in the secondary," said Daly, who was the defensive line coach for the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick from 2014-18. "What hasn’t changed is the play upfront. It’s the nuts and bolts of this game.
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“When I was coaching with the New England Patriots and now with the Chiefs that part has stayed the same. The physical nature of the sport is there with bigger, faster and stronger athletes across the board. You have to still stop the run first and foremost. That’s a huge key on defense. This stuff about the running game is a residual of the passing game is not accurate at all, well at least not from my standpoint as a defensive line coach. You can throw those analytic numbers out there all you want, but if you control things physically with a healthy rushing attack early you are going to get fed it all game.”
Pete Jenkins, the camp coordinatorwho in two weeks starts his journey working with college teams like Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and the Miami Dolphins defensive linemen in the NFL as a consultant, said the changes in the game are obvious from a coaching standpoint.
“Well this isn’t your grandfather or your dad’s college or NFL anymore,” Jenkins said. “Two things pop out for me change wise. The talent level in college and in the pros is as good now as I’ve ever seen at wide receiver and I’m almost 80 years old and have coached at those levels of football. Better wide receivers now than I have ever seen. Tremendous athletes with size and the smaller guys are super quick. The high school game has changed because of it and you have to say 7-on-7 has had a major influence on the quality of wide receivers you are getting in college and eventually in the pros.
“The other factor is you have to match up better downfield and it has radically changed the linebacker position. That big run-stuffer runs out of downs to play. Today he either is an edge pass rusher or he has to cover backs and tight ends route wise. So you have smaller linebackers today due to the match-up situation than back say in the 1980’s when a lot of teams had those two big thumpers inside to stop the run and two edge rushers that looked like defensive ends. If you can’t match up they will exploit that area over and over again. You have to be creative defensively on how to slow teams down. It’s very challenging from a defensive coach’s point of view.”
Former LSU great and Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Kevin Mawae, who is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts, said he sees the change from an offensive point of view.
“I have always felt you had a have a standout at quarterback to win and still do today, but a lot of it is having a quarterback who doesn’t make the big mistake in the most crucial moments,” Mawae said. “Not everyone has a Patrick Mahomes or a Tom Brady at quarterback. Balance is a huge key. The game and the rules today favor throwing the ball, but you have to have a very healthy rushing attack to win. Tom Brady was a difference-maker for the Buccaneers last season, no debate on that, but late in the year they could run the ball and Leonard Fournette was superb. That is credit to him and also to their offensive line and they stuffed the other teams’ running attack. Then when you stop the run you just turn those guys loose on the quarterback. Just some great wide receiver play in the NFL today.
"The defensive tackle play has changed quite a bit. Each team probably has one guy in particular to stop the run, but that spot has to get pressure on the quarterback. It’s a straight line right to the passer. This game is still built from the bottom up in trenches, but the quick strike capability is always there because of the talent at wide receiver today. But you have to have the ability to run the ball when you need to and want to.”
NFL analyst Mike Detillier is based in Raceland.