New York Giants backup center Bryan Hudson made his first career start against the Arizona Cardinals. Starting center John Michael Schmitz missed time for the birth of his first child, and Hudson benefited.
He performed well in the Giants' 36-24 win, sparking discussion about who should start at center when the Giants travel to DC to take on the Washington Commanders.
Let's dig a little deeper into why so many think Hudson deserves another start at center. We'll look at the good, the great, and the ugly of Big Blue's backup in his first start.
Hudson showed quick feet and the ability to climb to the second level to block linebackers and other defenders who showed.
He executed combo blocks by starting on a double team with a guard and then climbing to the second level.
He also showed the ability to attack the second level quickly when he was left uncovered.
He provided protection and cutback lanes for the backs to pick up extra yards. With linebackers more athletic than ever, it helps to have a center who can be aggressive and effective at the second level.
Schmitz has really struggled early this season in pass protection; that is where Hudson shined against the Cardinals. He did not surrender a defensive pressure under his protection, and that was impressive.
He moved his feet laterally and prevented defenders from getting on his shoulder to turn him open. He showed excellent change of direction, constantly shuffling left and right to pick up stunts, shut down secondary moves, or prevent second-level pressure.
He looked consistently balanced in his pass pro. He never really looked like he was reaching for defenders because his feet were heavy. He shuffled well because his feet looked light and not caught in quicksand.
Was it perfect? No. Was it effective? Yes! There is no doubt that Schmitz had extremely tough matchups to start the season, but it is difficult to ignore how good of a job Hudson did in pass pro.
The mark of the elites at center is how they handle bigger, stronger defensive tackles in run blocking.
Hudson, like so many other centers, weighs just over 300 pounds, and while that may seem heavy to the average person in the trenches, it is light. Nose guards' weights are usually listed between 320 and 360 pounds.
They are built to anchor down and create a wall that is hard to move. Hudson struggled against the Cardinal nose guards, who routinely controlled him at the point of attack and even threw him out of the way when they needed to detach.
With help from a guard, it was easier for him to handle, but still not perfect. When he was left alone to run the block, it was as adventurous as many considered Jameis Winston's performance.
The debate on whether Hudson deserves another start will not die down, even if Schmitz is named the starter for Week 5.
Giants fans should understand that you are getting two different centers with completely different strengths, so be prepared to deal with the negatives from both.
Schmitz is the superior run blocker. He gets movement on double teams and handles 1v1 blocks well in the run game. He has struggled in pass pro.
Meanwhile, Hudson has done well in pass pro, but he is not the strongest run blocker. Now that defensive coordinators have film on him, they will likely make sure he needs to deal with a nose guard in his face every play.
So, as good as he has been in pass protection, if the team's identity is supposed to be a downhill power rushing attack, does he help or hurt the mission?
In a perfect world, you could use Schmitz in the rushing attack and Hudson in pass protection, but that isn't realistic. There is clearly more value in being a better pass protector than a run blocker, even on a team that wants to run the ball.
The Washington Commanders do not have an elite interior pass rush like the Cowboys, Rams, or Titans. Those three teams had three of the best interior defensive linemen in the game.
Schmitz should get the chance to start against the Commanders, but there should be a quick hook if he struggles in pass rush against a team that has only 1.5 sacks from interior defensive linemen in four games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/giants/onsi as Giants' Bryan Hudson: The Good, the Great and the Ugly From His First Career Start .
