OS PA
11-28-2007, 02:18 AM
Pickett vs. Davis: Pair of top-ranked linemen ready to rumble
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 27, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=690791
Ryan Pickett's battle against Leonard Davis symbolizes the Green Bay Packers' battle Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.
Just as two heavyweight teams are squaring off for possible home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, Pickett and Davis will match brawn on brawn in a joust of the heaviest players on each team's roster.
An executive in personnel for one of the five teams that has played both clubs gives the edge to Davis. Oddsmakers are favoring the Cowboys by 6 1/2 points.
"Pickett is one of the strongest defensive linemen in football," the personnel man said. "But he isn't even close to Davis. I'd match that up in favor of Davis. If you try and match strength with him, you'll lose."
That's news to Pickett, who has played against Davis several times in the past and expects to win.
"I guess my strengths play to his," Pickett said Tuesday. "I think I'm pretty strong and I got a lot more leverage than him. I think I match up real well with him."
Davis, who weighed 300 pounds in seventh grade, is listed at 354 but some Packers chuckle at that. Pickett is guessing Davis runs between 370 and 380. Standing 6 feet 6 inches, Davis is one of the best-looking offensive linemen ever to enter the National Football League.
In 2001, the Arizona Cardinals made Davis the second pick in the draft. Pickett, a third-year junior from Ohio State, went 29th to St. Louis.
The Cardinals and Rams met eight times from 2002-'05. Davis played right tackle in 2002 and left tackle from 2004-'06, but in '03 he played right guard and went up against Pickett, who has always been a left defensive tackle.
In March, Dallas gave Davis a seven-year contract worth $49.6 million ($16 million signing bonus) to replace broken-down Marco Rivera at right guard. Ray Sherman, who coaches the Cowboys' wide receivers, was aware of Davis' reputation for underachieving but said, "He's been phenomenal for us."
"He's creating some serious havoc in there with his physical style," another scout said. "He doesn't have to worry about those outside edges anymore. So he's like thunder."
Pickett's numbers
Pickett stands 6-2, is listed at 322 and looks more like 350, an observation with which he quibbled.
"I'm not three and a half," he said with mock indignation. "Uh-uh. I ain't that heavy. C'mon."
Whatever Pickett weighs, it's more than enough for the task at hand. Pickett views it as a matter of using leverage and staying square, which he has done to a T since arriving as an unrestricted free agent (four years, $14 million) in March 2006.
Robert Nunn, his position coach, says Pickett would get more Pro Bowl consideration if he had more than one pressure in 11 games.
"I have hopes for it but I'm not basing my career on it," Pickett said. "I'm just happy to be on a great defense. For a while I was on some bad defenses."
Back in the mid-1990s, when the Packers and Cowboys last were mutually dominant, nose tackle Gilbert Brown used to bump bellies with guards Larry Allen and Nate Newton. The Cowboys didn't try to fool anyone with Emmitt Smith running just a few basic plays and they don't now with rugged Marion Barber and fast Julius Jones.
The Cowboys will pull a guard at times on counters. But the thrust of their ground attack is old-fashioned power plays behind wall blocking and isolation plays with the fullback leading on the linebacker.
"I love playing a team like this," Pickett said. "I'm tired of all these stretch plays and zones.
"You watch them on film and Leonard Davis is pawing people off the ball. They double-team and you see some defensive linemen just give up before they even fight it. They're like, 'Oh, I ain't going to make it so I'm going to fall to a knee.'
"That's not me. I will give them their money's worth."
If Pickett can't occupy Davis and Andre Gurode, the Cowboys' 316-pound center, then one of the blockers will be able to rub out a linebacker.
"Boy, they come off those double teams and try to really knock your (expletive) off the ball and take you to the next level," a defensive line coach for a Cowboys' foe said. "I could see people voting in Davis for the Pro Bowl but I wouldn't think he is. You can beat him on pass rush.
"I'd imagine if Green Bay put (Cullen) Jenkins on him Jenkins could end up having a pretty big day on him. Jenkins has some quickness, and that's what Leonard Davis struggles with. Because he wants to be overaggressive and he overextends."
Corey Williams also has the athleticism to freeze Davis and beat him to an edge.
Not a sideshow
Still, if the Packers can't stop the run, it will be hard to pressure Tony Romo. Thus, the battle of the behemoths is more than just a sideshow.
"Most definitely," Pickett said. "I think it will be a big part of the game. They like to run behind him. Once (Davis) gets his hands on the linebackers it's pretty much almost over. So I've got to keep him off my backers and make plays and control that side of the ball."
Pickett is playing on a bad knee but cannot rest. With run stuffers Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole out with injuries, the Packers positively must have anchor from the big man with the nickname "Grease."
The most powerful man Pickett has ever faced? That would be Allen, and Davis ranks in his next tier.
"You know, Leonard don't say nothing," Pickett said. "He's not a trash talker. He's a big boy, a big, strong boy. It'll get pretty physical. The thing is, they haven't played a front seven that matches up with them like we do size-wise."
Let the grunting begin.
____________________________________________
Great article. Pickett is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle for Thursday. He is responsible for keeping the Linebackers open and forcing the Cowboys to run outside into Kampman, Jenkins, Hawk, Poppinga, and Barnetts waiting arms. Also, if Pickett is able to wear down Davis, by the fourth quarter Williams could have a hay day.
In all reality, this game is going to be won in the trenches. If we can keep the Dallas running game honest, and keep Favre standing, we win the game.
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 27, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=690791
Ryan Pickett's battle against Leonard Davis symbolizes the Green Bay Packers' battle Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.
Just as two heavyweight teams are squaring off for possible home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, Pickett and Davis will match brawn on brawn in a joust of the heaviest players on each team's roster.
An executive in personnel for one of the five teams that has played both clubs gives the edge to Davis. Oddsmakers are favoring the Cowboys by 6 1/2 points.
"Pickett is one of the strongest defensive linemen in football," the personnel man said. "But he isn't even close to Davis. I'd match that up in favor of Davis. If you try and match strength with him, you'll lose."
That's news to Pickett, who has played against Davis several times in the past and expects to win.
"I guess my strengths play to his," Pickett said Tuesday. "I think I'm pretty strong and I got a lot more leverage than him. I think I match up real well with him."
Davis, who weighed 300 pounds in seventh grade, is listed at 354 but some Packers chuckle at that. Pickett is guessing Davis runs between 370 and 380. Standing 6 feet 6 inches, Davis is one of the best-looking offensive linemen ever to enter the National Football League.
In 2001, the Arizona Cardinals made Davis the second pick in the draft. Pickett, a third-year junior from Ohio State, went 29th to St. Louis.
The Cardinals and Rams met eight times from 2002-'05. Davis played right tackle in 2002 and left tackle from 2004-'06, but in '03 he played right guard and went up against Pickett, who has always been a left defensive tackle.
In March, Dallas gave Davis a seven-year contract worth $49.6 million ($16 million signing bonus) to replace broken-down Marco Rivera at right guard. Ray Sherman, who coaches the Cowboys' wide receivers, was aware of Davis' reputation for underachieving but said, "He's been phenomenal for us."
"He's creating some serious havoc in there with his physical style," another scout said. "He doesn't have to worry about those outside edges anymore. So he's like thunder."
Pickett's numbers
Pickett stands 6-2, is listed at 322 and looks more like 350, an observation with which he quibbled.
"I'm not three and a half," he said with mock indignation. "Uh-uh. I ain't that heavy. C'mon."
Whatever Pickett weighs, it's more than enough for the task at hand. Pickett views it as a matter of using leverage and staying square, which he has done to a T since arriving as an unrestricted free agent (four years, $14 million) in March 2006.
Robert Nunn, his position coach, says Pickett would get more Pro Bowl consideration if he had more than one pressure in 11 games.
"I have hopes for it but I'm not basing my career on it," Pickett said. "I'm just happy to be on a great defense. For a while I was on some bad defenses."
Back in the mid-1990s, when the Packers and Cowboys last were mutually dominant, nose tackle Gilbert Brown used to bump bellies with guards Larry Allen and Nate Newton. The Cowboys didn't try to fool anyone with Emmitt Smith running just a few basic plays and they don't now with rugged Marion Barber and fast Julius Jones.
The Cowboys will pull a guard at times on counters. But the thrust of their ground attack is old-fashioned power plays behind wall blocking and isolation plays with the fullback leading on the linebacker.
"I love playing a team like this," Pickett said. "I'm tired of all these stretch plays and zones.
"You watch them on film and Leonard Davis is pawing people off the ball. They double-team and you see some defensive linemen just give up before they even fight it. They're like, 'Oh, I ain't going to make it so I'm going to fall to a knee.'
"That's not me. I will give them their money's worth."
If Pickett can't occupy Davis and Andre Gurode, the Cowboys' 316-pound center, then one of the blockers will be able to rub out a linebacker.
"Boy, they come off those double teams and try to really knock your (expletive) off the ball and take you to the next level," a defensive line coach for a Cowboys' foe said. "I could see people voting in Davis for the Pro Bowl but I wouldn't think he is. You can beat him on pass rush.
"I'd imagine if Green Bay put (Cullen) Jenkins on him Jenkins could end up having a pretty big day on him. Jenkins has some quickness, and that's what Leonard Davis struggles with. Because he wants to be overaggressive and he overextends."
Corey Williams also has the athleticism to freeze Davis and beat him to an edge.
Not a sideshow
Still, if the Packers can't stop the run, it will be hard to pressure Tony Romo. Thus, the battle of the behemoths is more than just a sideshow.
"Most definitely," Pickett said. "I think it will be a big part of the game. They like to run behind him. Once (Davis) gets his hands on the linebackers it's pretty much almost over. So I've got to keep him off my backers and make plays and control that side of the ball."
Pickett is playing on a bad knee but cannot rest. With run stuffers Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole out with injuries, the Packers positively must have anchor from the big man with the nickname "Grease."
The most powerful man Pickett has ever faced? That would be Allen, and Davis ranks in his next tier.
"You know, Leonard don't say nothing," Pickett said. "He's not a trash talker. He's a big boy, a big, strong boy. It'll get pretty physical. The thing is, they haven't played a front seven that matches up with them like we do size-wise."
Let the grunting begin.
____________________________________________
Great article. Pickett is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle for Thursday. He is responsible for keeping the Linebackers open and forcing the Cowboys to run outside into Kampman, Jenkins, Hawk, Poppinga, and Barnetts waiting arms. Also, if Pickett is able to wear down Davis, by the fourth quarter Williams could have a hay day.
In all reality, this game is going to be won in the trenches. If we can keep the Dallas running game honest, and keep Favre standing, we win the game.