Noah Herron
Herron Handles Third-Down Challenges
By Mike Spofford / Packers.com
Posted 08/29/2007
"It's kind of tedious, but at the same time, I guess it's a compliment to you as a player to get thrown into that, (Third Down Back) intellectually you have to smart and sharp in order to succeed in that role." -- Noah HerronAt first glance, the job of a third-down running back sounds pretty simple -- take the field on third down, run a short route, and be ready to catch a pass out of the backfield if nobody is open downfield. But the job description for a third-down back is actually far more complicated than that. In fact, the reason the job description even exists as a specialty is precisely because it's so complex.
Third down is, without question, the most complicated as well as critical down in football. The offense is trying to convert to keep its drive alive, while the defense will do whatever it takes to get the stop, and get the ball back. As a result, defenses might employ any number of personnel packages on third down. They could go with a nickel (five defensive backs), or a dime (six DBs), three down linemen or four, or throw a blitz at the quarterback out of any alignment. That becomes the first job of the third-down back, to recognize the defensive alignment he's up against, and figure out his role against that particular defense.
"You're going to see a lot of exotic looks from the defense, a lot of pressure packages from the defense," running backs coach Edgar Bennett said. "The third-down back has to be able to decipher all that information in a short amount of time. You want a player who can make the necessary adjustments."
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Published by PackerPundit On Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 5:26 PM.
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