New England’s tight-end mystery
Corey Dillon’s touchdown run against Arizona Cardinals last Saturday has created some confusion, all of which is centered on Garrett Mills. Here’s how I described the play:
[Garrett Mills] threw a good block at the edge on Corey Dillon’s touchdown run. Rookie tight end David Thomas had a good kick-out block on the same play (which looked like it had been drawn up by a football nerd: “We’ll have three tight-ends and motion one from right to left to get numerical superiority. Genius!” And since the Cardinals didn’t counter the motion it worked out just like that. You’d think the Cards would have picked up on the motion to tight-end Daniel Graham’s side, but no…).
Writers for both the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe described the play as a four tight-end formation
Here’s how Jerome Solomon described it:
The Patriots had four tight ends on the field on the scoring play, as Benjamin Watson and Daniel Graham were on the line, with David Thomas in motion and Garrett Mills at fullback. Dillon followed the blocks of Thomas and Mills, both rookies, off the left side. Gostkowski added the extra point to give the Patriots a 13-0 lead with 1:14 left in the half.
Mike Reiss echoed that sentiment the following day:
The team’s last offensive play of the half included four tight ends on the field — Graham, Watson, David Thomas and Garrett Mills — as Corey Dillon pounded in for a 4-yard touchdown run.
That’s also how the Herald’s John Tomase sees it:
On Corey Dillon’s 4-yard touchdown run at the end of the first half, the Patriots employed a rare four, tight end set with Daniel Graham, Benjamin Watson, David Thomas and Garrett Mills all on the field. Thomas had the key block on linebacker Darryl Blackstock, turning him outside.
Bill Belichick wasn’t quite so sure that it was a four tight-tend formation when asked about it during yesterday’s press conference:
Q: You had four tight ends on the field for Corey [Dillon's] touchdown. What do you like about that alignment? What advantages do you think it gives you?
BB: I’m not really sure what position some of those guys are or aren’t, but when you’re down on the goal line, usually you want to have people that can block and get movement because as they bring more guys down there, and it’s closer to the goal line, it’s just tougher to move them.
The guys who do the audio show “PFW in Progress” all agreed it was a three tight-end play on yesterday’s netcast.
The confusion is understandable, for reasons explained by this article from before the 2006 draft:
If you aren’t familiar with Tulsa’s Garrett Mills, it might just be because you’re not sure what position he plays.
Tight end? Fullback? Slot receiver? Halfback?
How about all four. Plus some excellent special teams in his spare time.
Listed as a tight end in college, the 6-foot-1, 241-pound Mills is being projected as one of the top fullbacks in this year’s draft. Number one by Vic Carucci at NFL.com, and second-best by Mel Kiper Jr.
Prior to the draft last April, he had been listed as FB-TE, TE-FB, and TE. When the Patriots drafted him in the fourth round, he was listed as TE/FB, but when they signed him this summer they tagged him as FB and that’s how he’s listed exclusively as a FB on the Patriots roster.
Hence, it was a three tight-end formation, dadgummit!
