Say we do move up to draft Matt Leinart which is one (of many) rumors floating around. My understanding is that we shift the line to accomodate this, with our best pass protector on the right side and the typical right tackle and gaurd moving to the left side. My question is this? Do you think there is a little acknoledged advantage here in the RUNNING game as well as in protection. Think about it. Defenses are used to seeing the power running game to right every week and their best rushers are used to pass rushing from the left side and now they have to shift. Do you think this change has a big effect on a defense? I know from just playing strong end in high school that I was much less comfortable rushing from the other side. But I wonder if it has a big effect on linebackers who have to react quickly and are used to one run tendancy and all the sudden it changed. The only team I can think of with this scenario is the Falcons with the lefty Vick. Curiously they have been among the best RUSHING teams in the NFL the last few years. They're left tackle (kevin shaefffer) just scored a huge deal after being an unheralded prospect. Perhaps he was matching up with strong side ends and not the quicker players who usually match up on the left? Let me know what you think...
Seattle is also a good running team. Their starter often likes to run to the left. I think he's left-handed. There may be some advantage to having a lefty QB or lefty RB, but I do not think it is very significant. One spot it may be a factor is in halfback option plays. Curtis Martin rolled out to the right to throw his TD pass to Wayne Chrebet in 2000. In every Walter Payton pass I've seen he rolled to his right. The only instance I know of where a RB really switched it up came in Super Bowl 12. Robert Newhouse rolled to the left and threw a pass with his right hand. It was a perfect spiral caught by Golden Richards for a touchdown.
If the Jets best pass protector is on the right side, that doesn't imply that teams will move their best pass rusher out of position to match up with him. If I'm a coach I'd let the best pass rusher stay put and let the weaker tackle try to stop him.
alright, but what about the running game. The way I see it there will be clear mismatches as well as an advantage of the defense not being used to the run tendancies and possibly being a second late on their reads
