CHARLOTTE — The beginning of the Great Patriots Twin Caper of 2018 took place at the end of the first half of the Patriots-Panthers game Friday night.
After playing cornerback, his normal position, for all his snaps prior, Jason McCourty dropped back and played safety for the final Panthers drive of the first half. He stayed there in the second half with the second-team defense, too.
“For me it was exciting,” McCourty said. “Last year when I first got to Cleveland we talked about the opportunity to play safety, it never happened. So it’s cool to get an opportunity to do something different in year 10, so just trying to have fun and learn on the job a little bit.”
OK, so this probably doesn’t end with a 2-high look featuring both Devin and Jason McCourty wearing each others’ jerseys as part of an elaborate prank. The fact that the Patriots asked the younger (by 27 minutes) McCourty to try a new position does seem like a positive sign as he tries to stick with his brother’s team, though.
The Patriots value versatility and, at the very least, trying Jason McCourty at safety indicates that they would like to find a role for him even if they don’t think they have one at corner.
“I don’t really know what their plan is moving forward but for me it was something that was asked of me and I took it as a great opportunity to be able to go out there and kind of show myself what I could do at the position, and anybody that was watching,” Jason McCourty said.
Jason McCourty was told at the beginning of the week that he could play some safety on Friday. He practiced there throughout the week.
Funny enough, though there had been talk of him making the same switch last year in Cleveland, the Panthers game marked the first time he played safety in a game.
“Totally different angles,” Jason McCourty said. “A different type of, more, communicating, more awareness. Corner is just physically you’ve got to be able to guard the man across from you. Safety is not as much defending 1-on-1 but it’s more the entire field and making sure guys are lined up and getting their calls and things of that nature.”
Jason McCourty wasn’t the only Patriots defensive back who took on a new role Friday, either, though his change might have been the most stark. Jonathan Jones was the first nickel corner in the game along with starters Stephon Gilmore and Eric Rowe.
But rookie Keion Crossen, who bounced back after a tough outing due to penalties against the Eagles, got some run opposite Rowe later in the game, which moved Rowe into the slot where he mostly played last year. Gilmore, Rowe, Jones, and rookie second-round pick Duke Dawson are the top four, but Crossen seems to be in the running for one of the remaining spots, ahead of J.C. Jackson, Ryan Lewis, Jomal Wiltz, A.J. Moore, and maybe even McCourty and Cyrus Jones, who played on defense and as a punt returner for the first time since tearing his ACL last summer.
JASON E. MICZEK/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carolina’s Mose Frazier catches a 6-yard touchdown pass against the Patriots' Ryan Lewis in the fourth quarter Friday.
Crossen notched a pair of pass breakups, and, on his one big catch allowed (31 yards to Curtis Samuel), Jason McCourty owed him more help as the safety
Yeah. Over route,” Jason McCourty said. “I want to be able to help my corner a little bit more on that over route but just playing the middle of the field.”
Jason McCourty did have a good tackle on Panthers running back Cameron Artis-Payne down by the goal line, and looked like he was hanging in there directing traffic. McCourty said that he’s always been vocal for a corner and that tackling is one of his best skills, both of which translate well to playing safety.
It’s far from a done deal that he’ll stay there, but perhaps there’s a role for him as a versatile defensive back and good locker room presence. That could be a way to find him a spot on the team while hanging on to some younger talent.
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