Lenny P ESPN Insider Article On Jason Peters

[Mark VI]

CINCINNATI -- He is about the most unlikely-looking special teams player in the

NFL, a 6-feet-4 and 328-pound behemoth who caught the attention of league scouts

at the annual combine workouts, clocking an eye-opening 40-yard time of under

five seconds.

Fact is, Buffalo Bills rookie Jason Peters doesn't even have a real position

yet, and no one seems to know when he will. Listed as a tight end, his long-term

future might well be at offensive tackle, given his size and quick feet. For

now, though, Peters, activated from the practice squad last month, is basically

a special teams player.

And for now, acknowledged Peters, who had one of the game-altering plays in

Sunday's 33-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, that is plenty.

"As long as I'm helping out in some way, as long as people feel like I belong,

that's good enough for me," said Peters, who blocked a first-quarter Cincinnati

punt, then chased the ball into the end zone, where he fell on it for his first

NFL touchdown. "I'm just here to do what they tell me to do and to try to find

my place."

Finding a place on any NFL team's kickoff coverage and punt return units would

be difficult for a player of Peters' physical dimensions. Getting playing time

for Buffalo special teams coach Bobby April, one of the league's premier kicking

games mentors, is doubly daunting. But in the four games in which Peters has

been active, he has been able to make things happen.

The Bills special teams have already tied a league record for most kick returns

(five) for touchdowns in a season. Kickoff return specialist Terrence McGee,

with three scores and a likely spot on the AFC Pro Bowl squad, is an emerging

star. Punter Brian Moorman is superb as is coverage man Coy Wire.

And now the special teams, and April, have uncovered another (albeit unlikely)

threat.

Until the Buffalo offensive staff finds a home for Peters, with a decision not

likely until the mini-camp sessions next spring, April is more than happy to

provide him work. The former University of Arkansas tight end, who went

undrafted despite his mind-boggling combine performance and signed with Buffalo

as a college free agent, is a physical freak.

Guys his size aren't supposed to move so quickly, to have this kind of

flexibility, to be running down under kickoffs as a wedge-buster. But after

watching Peters in practice, April knew he could blend him into the special

teams mix if coach Mike Mularkey ever decided to move the rookie to the active

roster.

"We would use him against our own people in practice and, I'll tell you what, he

just wore them out," said April. "We put him in the middle and our deep snapper

hated to work against him. He'd go down and collapse the 'wedge' on kickoffs, I

mean taking on three or four guys. He's big, he's tough, he's kind of an

aberration. But, hey, he's our aberration, and I love it."

Peters is also, apparently, a quick study, as evidenced by Sunday's blocked

punt.

April didn't necessarily do anything special in preparing for Cincinnati punter

Kyle Larson. It wasn't as if there was some tell-tale videotape tipoff that

suggested Buffalo might be able to get to Larson who, April conceded, doesn't

not have a particularly slow get-off time on his kicks. Instead, the blocked

punt came primarily because Peters made an adjustment.

 

On the first Cincinnati punt of the game, Peters attempted to get into the

backfield with a bull-rush technique, and was stymied. On the second, he opted

for a "swim" move, a technique more often associated with pass-rushers, and

slipped inside the block. Once into the backfield, he laid out his body,

extended his right hand, and made contact, with the ball careening back into the

Cincinnati end zone.

Peters out-raced several teammates to pounce on the ball for the score.

"What I liked," said April, "was that he was textbook in everything he did. A

lot of guys will break through and won't lay out or extend their body. You've

got to lay out and try to pick a spot where you'll intersect with the ball and

that's what Jason did. It was a great play, really, and it demonstrated just how

athletic the guy is."

Then again, special teams are characteristically filled with excellent athletes,

all over the league. What sets Peters apart is his enormous size and the

physical torque he generates when he gets all 328 pounds moving with such

velocity. At least twice on Sunday, it was obvious that Cincinnati blockers on

kickoffs wanted nothing to do with him.

"The first time guys see me running down under a kick, I'm sure they're thinking

that it's some kind of mistake," said Peters, who has five special teams tackles

in five games. "You can kind of see their eyes get big. I don't think they

really want a piece of me when I'm rolling at full speed."

[richNjoisy]

Great Article Mark!

[Mark VI]

Great Article Mark!

168456[/snapback]

 

I just found it. Lenny Bagadonuts gets the credit.

[Johnny Coli]

He's big, he's tough, he's kind of an

aberration. But, hey, he's our aberration, and I love it."

168451[/snapback]

Great line by April.

[Guest Guest_eyedog_*]

I think this guy could become a very good defensive lineman also. I know they will be moving him full time to o-tackle next year but I would like to see what he can do on the other side of the ball too.

[ExWNYer]

[IDBillzFan]

"As long as I'm helping out in some way, as long as people feel like I belong,

that's good enough for me," said Peters, who blocked a first-quarter Cincinnati

punt, then chased the ball into the end zone, where he fell on it for his first

NFL touchdown. "I'm just here to do what they tell me to do and to try to find

my place."

 

What a loser. He is willing to settle for "good enough." Well, "good enough" doesn't get you anywhere in life. He'd be a terrible boss, that's for sure. Let me know when he's ready for greatness instead of this stupid, lameass blocking punts and falling on them in the endzone for a touchdown crap.

 

[/sarcasm off]

[MadBuffaloDisease]

I think this guy could become a very good defensive lineman also. I know they will be moving him full time to o-tackle next year but I would like to see what he can do on the other side of the ball too.

The center he went against was a long snapper (Brad St. Louis) who goes 247#. For punt and FG blocking where he'd be going against long-snappers I'd say great, but as a regular DT, I'm sure he'd have a little more trouble.

[Guest Guest_eyedog_*]

The center he went against was a long snapper (Brad St. Louis) who goes 247#.  For punt and FG blocking where he'd be going against long-snappers I'd say great, but as a regular DT, I'm sure he'd have a little more trouble.

168941[/snapback]

 

Yeah.

So whats that have to do with trying him at d-line ? Of course he wouldn't be playing against 247 lb centers.

My reasoning is he has very good size, is athletic, and can run. Sounds to me like a guy you want to look at on both sides of the ball since he really doesn't have a position yet.

[Alaska Darin]

What a loser. He is willing to settle for "good enough." Well, "good enough" doesn't get you anywhere in life. He'd be a terrible boss, that's for sure. Let me know when he's ready for greatness instead of this stupid, lameass blocking punts and falling on them in the endzone for a touchdown crap.

 

[/sarcasm off]

168934[/snapback]

And the Oscar goes to: Mock, for his portrayal of the weathervane.

[1billsfan]

"I don't think they really want a piece of me when I'm rolling at full speed."

 

How about Jason "Rolling Thunder" Peters?

[IDBillzFan]

And the Oscar goes to:  Mock, for his portrayal of the weathervane.

168975[/snapback]

Actually, it's so predictable it virtually portrays itself.

[Alaska Darin]

Actually, it's so predictable it virtually portrays itself.

169012[/snapback]

Which means you won it for the same reason Halle Berry won hers.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Yeah.

So whats that have to do with trying him at d-line ? Of course he wouldn't be playing against 247 lb centers.

My reasoning is he has very good size, is athletic, and can run. Sounds to me like a guy you want to look at on both sides of the ball since he really doesn't have a position yet.

168952[/snapback]

 

 

The DL role is one that Peters has little or no experience in playing and like everything in the NFL is a lot more complicated than it looks. Peters has done a great job using his unique demographic abilities (size, speed and athleticism) for ST, but there is a big difference in undetaking an inside rush job over the long-snapper (wind him up, make sure he is aware when situations might call for a short snap that he would run right by, and llet him go) and being a wedge buster (see the ball and casue mayhem by going for it and let Wire and other folks tackle) and him taking on the DL job.

 

I agree that we do not have sufficient rush pressure from our DEs. Neither Kelsay or Denney has a first move which can't be matched without a double-team (even Kelsay who strikes most as the better of the two is more like Schobel as his strong suit is a constant and long-running motor rather than a gangbuster first move) but it would be incorrect to dismiss the DEs as worthless stiffs or easily replaced by a rookie who is great but has never played DE before.

 

As, I see it, there are at least 3 important parts to the DE game:

 

1. Diagnosis: The DE needs to understand the down and distance and to make reads on the QB, RB motion and blocking patterns to make a pretty good read on whether the play will be a run or a pass and then he plays appropriately. Kelsay has now learned this adeqately and correctly was given the starting nod over Denney because of this. Denney applies more strength than Schobel on run defense and this is the strongest part of his game so that he remains better than Kelsay on run plays in my view. However, as Kelsay has improved this part of his game and has a stronger motor and sticktoitiveness than Denney he gets the nod givn Os are going to mix the pass and run pretty well.

 

2. Pass Coverage- Even moreso than most teams because of the run blitz sending the DE into the short zone, being able to pass cover is significant. Denney's big wingspan and athleticism gives him big advantages here as well. One if his pre-season INTs actually came in the medium zone 10 yards plus rather than in the short zone as he reached out and snagged a pass. Peters has good speed and agility, but mentally he will not only need to make correct reads on whether opponents are going to run or pass, but he will have to follow D scheme switches to determine whether he is rushing/run stopping or doing pass coverage.

 

3. Blitzing- It was really great that April descirbes him adjusting from a bull rush to employing an effective swim move to block the punt. However, the thing which separated BS from the rest was that he not only mastered two moves (and disguised them well), but in fact mastered multiple moves he could throw against opponents. Schobel is only now mastering multiple moves to link with his constant engine, but still lacks all strength we want at the point of attack. Kelsay has the constant engine and the athleticism he showed on his block/INT this Sunday, but it is actually the diagnosis part of his game where he has improved most. Denney has not yet seemed to have mastered a second go-to move though he has learned to apply his strength well after being so easily defeated as a rookie by many vets that he never even merited activation. The lesson from this is that even for these players it has taken multiple years and this aspect of their games still needs work. Maybe Peters is a better physical specimen but this likely means it will only take him 2 years to contribute rather than 3. Its still down the pike.

 

In essence, one of the great things about the Bills (as aspect which NE and BB use to great effect) is to remind players they are football players and not mere specialists. NE has used this model effectively as part of their TEAM feeling and players like Troy Brown are throwbacks playing consistently on both sides of the ball. In particular with injuries this has been a great tool. The Bills do this too (evn prior to some groundbreaking success by NE) employing Bannan and Adams to solve redzone issues and uses Deney as a TE. However, make no mistake that there is a big difference this (unfortunately) oversystematized game between doing this for a few plays in spot duty as Bannan has done and making a full scale switch as you propose for Peters.

 

Of course he should be tried at multiple positions for full time use there this off-season as the braintrust judges. Players do occaisionally make the switch to a new position and are productive there quickly. However, this is the exception rather than the rule and expecting Peters to be a contributor on a full time basis on our DL strikes me as a lonshot which would take 2 to 3 years to work if it ever did.

 

I think he has a contribution which he can make right now on ST dut to some limite co-ordination which can be done here and to get him contributing asa TE if he gets his blocking act together.

[Alaska Darin]

He's not suited to DE, anyway. He'd be an interesting experiment at NT - especially on the goal line.

[theNose76]

I love Peters, can't forget his first game against when he recovered the fumble by Erik Flowers ( ) - it was obvious he was the only one in that scrum that would end up with the ball. And can't imagine what Flowers was thinking as he saw someone bearing down on him that was BIGGER than him on ST -- well he was probably thinking "I wish I was good and didn't get cut by Buffalo".