Fans respond to action on the field in ways that can be very different from the players. Things can be blown comparatively out of proportion from the stands, as CB Levi Wallace made clear on the subject of WR George Pickens’ catch over Joey Porter Jr. in training camp a couple of weeks ago.
He was asked if he immediately went up to Porter, the rookie cornerback, to try to console him in any way for losing the rep. He said it was just football, one play, and that everybody on the field just moves on. If anything, the defensive backs enjoy the challenge of competing against a player with Pickens’ abilities.
“It’s fun, man. You see guys every day so you’ve got to keep it competitive, you’ve got to keep it edgy, you’ve got to keep it chippy”, S Minkah Fitzpatrick told Chris Mack and Jeff Hathhorn on 93.7 The Fan yesterday about battling Pickens in practice.
“That’s just how we all stay on our toes. If we’re all just lackadaisical going about our day, win or lose, then you’re not getting better”, he added. “When guys are out there competing, cutting guys in line to get reps against high-level players, I think that’s a good place to be”.
For his part, Porter seemed no worse for wear after giving up the acrobatic reception. He had good coverage on the play, all the same, and he’d won his share of reps already that day and throughout training camp.
The best way to get better is to practice against the best. If a defensive back is not up for the challenge of going one-on-one against a wide receiver who has the abilities of a George Pickens, then the odds are that he is not a player who is going to be seeing the field outside of special teams, anyway.
In a way, it can be a valuable learning experience. Even though Porter knows he had good coverage on the play; the fact that Pickens was able to make the catch is a lesson that you have to finish through the whistle. You never know what crazy thing might happen, and you have to be prepared for it.
And it’s not just Pickens. It’s not even just the wide receivers, or just the defensive backs. This has been a very competitive camp with talent on both sides of the ball. Rookie TE Darnell Washington provides his own adrenaline-producing challenges as a coverage assignment for safeties and linebackers, I’m sure.
The fun is figuring out what to do next time, even if you get burned. Good rep, but I won’t let it happen again. That’s the way a coverage defender has to think. If you’re committed to losing the rep before the ball is snapped, then the catch is already made.
Don’t be afraid of losing, be afraid of not competing. That is what will lose you your job.
