Back in middle of things
Hightower returns to lead role
FOXBORO — The leadership has always been included in Dont’a Hightower’s price tag, and the Patriots have gotten what they paid for, especially over the past couple weeks.
Bill Belichick went out of his way to credit Hightower and Devin McCourty for their leading ways as the Patriots flipped from a 33-30 meltdown against the Panthers to a 19-14 improvement against the Buccaneers.
Hightower — a two-year captain, resident of Willie McGinest’s famed corner locker, chosen owner of Tedy Bruschi’s No. 54 and an offseason recipient of a four-year, $43.5 million contract — has a way of vocalizing his displeasure when the defense isn’t falling in line.
The results began to take shape in the victory.
“I feel like we’re taking all the right steps in the right direction. Me and Dev are kind of the old heads of the group,” Hightower said. “When things need to get shaken up, when (expletive) needs to get going, we kind of know how to kick-start it. And once we kickstart it and it’s still not working, we’ve got to put our foot down. That’s kind of how it was in trying to lead and mold guys. Last week was a big step in the right direction. It was more hands on, more of players speaking and not coaches. Coaches speak good stuff, but sometimes it (is heard) better when players believe it and are feeling it. I, myself, I’m not the A-plus student, but whatever Dev does, a lot of guys follow. I’m more of a lead-by-example, doas-I-say-not-as-I-do kind of guy. It’s worked out. Hopefully we can continue to build. We’ve got a long road to get what we know we want on defense.”
Hightower and McCourty may be different types of leaders, but they surely share one trait. They know the playbook, pre-snap calls and checks better than anyone on the roster. That’s a major reason why Hightower’s shift back to the middle of the defense at linebacker was a significant factor in the improved communication. Hightower worked almost exclusively on the edge since debuting at training camp in late August, and he maintained that perch in Week 4 against the Panthers after missing a couple games with a sprained knee. But there was a “mutual” decision last week between Hightower and the coaching staff to move him inside.
There were a number of positive effects from that positional transition, but just use the Panthers game as a comparison. McCourty was scrambling all over the field to try to line up his teammates and make the pre-snap calls from his safety position. But against the Bucs, with Hightower in the middle and calling the plays for the first time this year, it was more of a joint effort.
Also, consider the example that Hightower set. Like any linebacker, he has always preferred to rush the quarterback as much as possible, and the edge is the best place to originate the attack. Look no further than his Super Bowl-saving strip sack of Matt Ryan. But if he is going to preach about team defense, the message carries a lot more weight if he makes a subtle sacrifice to take more snaps in the second level.
Hightower didn’t exclusively line up at inside linebacker against the Bucs, but there were more reps in the middle than the rest of his season combined.
“Absolutely, that’s part of what we do, the more you can do,” Hightower said. “That’s why I like (covering and rushing) because I’m making the quarterback and offensive coordinator think where I’m at. Am I on the line? Am I at linebacker? Is he blitzing? Is he covering? When I’m on the line, it’s, ‘OK, he’s on that side, whatever.’ I’m not saying teams game plan for me. I don’t know that at all. Just being able to be in different spots.
“If I can play Mike, Sam, end, buck, tackle, I can do it all. The more the better. I feel comfortable wherever. But whenever I’m in the middle and I’m able to talk to my left and my right, and I’m able to turn around and talk to Dev and everybody, the communication is a little bit easier, a little bit more fluent than when I’m out there on the edge.”
Hightower was also an effective playmaker against the Bucs with a quarterback hit, two pressures and a run stuff in a season-high 62 snaps. Those contributions were crucial to the victory, but Hightower’s emphasis on midweek leadership may yield greater results over the long haul.
That’s why Belichick was so eager to point out those efforts.
“I’ll say it’s appreciated,” Hightower said. “You don’t get that too much around here. We definitely weren’t looking for (the praise).”