Last week against Tampa Bay, Daryl Williams couldn’t stop Shaquil Barrett as the pass rusher racked up three sacks and was consistently in the backfield bothering Cam Newton.
So when, as the Panthers ran on the field for the third series of the game, a play after Williams had allowed veteran rusher Terrell Suggs to chase Kyle Allen out of the pocket, rookie left tackle Greg Little strapped on his helmet and was occupying the left side of the line instead of Williams – and the Panthers did not release an injury update for the move – many fans thought the 6-6, 330 pound tackle who had spent most of his time at right tackle but had moved to the left side this season had been benched.
But after three series with Little on the left side, come the beginning of the second half, it was Williams who had his helmet on again as Little took some more time off. After the first drive produced a Greg Olsen touchdown, it was Little’s turn to man the blind side for a series. The rotation was on for the Panthers – perhaps a good way to both get Little some much-needed reps and the coaches a look at the player they drafted to be their left tackle of the future.
But they wanted to ease him into perhaps the toughest position in sports – protecting a quarterback’s blind side – as he had just missed valuable practice time with a concussion suffered in Week 3 of the preseason.
“It was something we had talked about earlier,” said Ron Rivera after the game. “Just looking for the opportunity to give Greg a chance to play.”
“That’s why we waited until the second quarter because we wanted him to get an opportunity to settle in. He was drafted for a reason and he’s got to get opportunities to play, and same thing with Daryl.”
“Daryl is a big, stout football player and we’ve got to find ways to use him as well, so it’s a nice problem to have.”
While Williams allowed a fourth quarter strip-sack to edge rusher Chandler Jones, the Panthers ultimately will be happy with an offensive line performance that helped produce 153 yards rushing for Christian McCaffrey – albeit one of those carries accounted for 76 of the yards – but the Panthers may turn to Little in a full-time capacity once he becomes even more familiar with both the speed of the NFL and the language of an NFL offense.
The reps Sunday in Arizona helped with the speed.
“I thought he played well – it’s tough to do what he did; it’s tough to come in and split time,” said Greg Van Roten, who played next to both linemen throughout the day. “I thought Daryl played well, too.”
And the language will come with time, too – although his talent is clear.
“He wasn’t overwhelmed by it, and it’s just a matter of simplifying it for him – hearing the playcall, communicating it to him and saying alright, just go block that guy,” said Van Roten. “We weren’t really sure how he was going to look – it’s his first NFL game, it’s on the road, it’s not a friendly environment to get your first action in, but he did a really good job and I was proud to see how he played.”
But while it was successful on Sunday, a left tackle rotation likely isn’t a realistic option for the long-term.
“I just know that it’s easier to play all the snaps rather than to say – OK, you’re going to be in for these two series and then you’re going to be out for these two series,'” said Van Roten, who added that he’s never played in a rotation. “I guess, in one essence, they might be fresher, but in another, it’s tough to get into a flow, gamewise, because the guy you’re playing across from gives you different stuff.
“It’s difficult to do what they did today – but they both did a great job.”
