During his first six NFL games, Las Vegas Raiders rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson showed flashes but was inconsistent overall. But after moving to his more natural position at center against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, Powers-Johnson put together his best performance to date and made a strong statement.
The Oregon product earned an Elite Overall Rating of 90.6 from Pro Football Focus, the highest of any center and third-best among offensive linemen regardless of position last week. He dominated as a run blocker, earning a 91.7 grade in that department (best among centers and second overall) and did not provide pressure in pass protection.
JPJ’s performance was so impressive that he might be taken over as the Raiders’ starting center in the future, so let’s dive into the tape and check it out.
The Raiders call inside zone on the weak side of the formation, with the combination of Cody Whitehair and Powers-Johnson blocking the 2i technique defensive tackle (No. 93) to the WILL linebacker (No. 55). The two get a good initial push, and once Whitehair releases to the second level, Powers-Johnson continues to move his feet through contact, spreading the defensive tackle to the opposite hash mark.
This was coupled with a great block from Jordan Meredith, which created a backside cutback lane for Alexander Mattison to get a chunk gain on the ground. As a side note, Meredith also had a strong performance on Sunday, which is highlighted in the following clip…
The outcome of this play wasn’t as pretty as the previous play as Kolton Miller got hit in the face, but the double team of Powers-Johnson and Meredith was as good as it could be. These two not only force the defensive tackle out of the weakside A-gap, but they also push the defensive tackle into the linebacker.
How about another great double team from Powers-Johnson and Meredith?
The Raiders ran the duo again this time, and once again the center and right guard were able to force the defensive tackles into the second level, erasing the linebackers from the play in the process. They both played very well in Cincinnati, so there may be something special between these two on offense.
Powers-Johnson and Meredith are working together again on this midzone call from the Raiders. The difference is that they are scoop-blocking a 2i technique defensive tackle (No. 93). The guard’s job is to help the center reach the defender’s outside shoulder, allowing the center to pin the defender to the inside and create a rushing lane on the B-line. -gap.
This is close to the JPJ material. He first uses a bucket step to get on the right track, moves laterally and is physical at the point of attack, using his hands and punches to get defensive tackles on their feet. Finally, he flipped on his hips and, with help from Meredith, put the defensive tackle on the ground, effectively reaching the tackle and creating a rushing lane.
Vegas is running a Wham or Trap concept here, with DJ Glaze (right tackle) keeping the backside defensive end blocked and Block Bowers working throughout the formation to handle the end.
On the other hand, JPJ made a one-trick nose tackle and was blocked. He rises at the point of attack and initially has a wide hand position, but recovers well by maintaining a strong base and placing his left hand in front of the defender’s shoulder.
That allowed him to maintain control on the block, and then his rookie strength took over, eventually driving his nose into the opponent’s hash marks and creating a rushing lane for Zamir White to score.
Moving on to pass protection, one area where the rookie made a big impact was in the Raiders’ stunt pickups.
The Bengals give the offensive line a tricky look before the snap by placing four defenders on one side of the line.
So the Raiders will use four-man slide protection to isolate Trey Hendrickson and Thayer Mumford Jr., giving them a one-on-one matchup for their best pass rusher against the backup left tackle. was forced to. In the protection scheme, all offensive linemen (except Mumford) are responsible for the gap on the right side, and the running back is inserted in the B gap on the left between the left guard and tackle.
After the snap, Cincy runs a three-man line game with the nose tackle working across the center’s face and the two stand-up linebackers looping inside to find pass-rushing lanes. So there’s a lot going on here, but Powers-Johnson uses his left hand to feel the nose tackle while looking into his gap to see the linebacker loop inside. is doing a wonderful job.
This allows him to recognize the line game and push the nose tackle wide to keep the nose tackle away from the quarterback.
Analyzing this play a little more closely, Whitehair should choose number 55 because 55 loops go into Whitehair’s gap. However, he followed No. 57 instead and Amir Abdullah did a good job of getting Whitehair right by picking up No. 55.
The Bengals play a much simpler or more traditional game here, with four down linemen and a no-line game. The center is not covered before the snap and turns to the right after the snap, so he is responsible for the right A-gap.
The 3-technique tries to beat Meredith with an inside pass rush move, but Powers-Josnon is sitting there waiting for the defender. JPJ has a good level of padding, a good grip on his hands, and effectively stops the defensive tackle’s inside movement.
After the contact, Powers-Johnson locked out the defensive tackle and used his right arm to knock the defender’s hand away from his chest. The inside of the pocket is perfectly maintained, so that’s it. Of course, the exterior is different…
The last clip is another example of Powers-Johnson’s excellent use of his hands and builds on the last clip.
This time he turns left, to the side of the 2i-technique. At first, he loses against a bullish rush. However, he recovers well in a hand-to-hand fight with a defensive tackle and uses his hands to remove the defensive tackle’s hand from his chest. That helps slow down the defender’s momentum, allowing JPJ to lock in again and win the rep.
Considering Andre James’ struggles this season, I don’t see why the Raiders would move Powers-Johnson back to guard after playing so well at center last weekend.
