Rowe is evolving into a tight end stopper
There isn’t a position in the secondary Eric Rowe hasn’t played yet, or role he hasn’t filled in for the defense’s backfield during his NFL career, but this former journeyman has finally developed a specialty.
Rowe’s evolution as a tightenderaser has been the crowning achievement of the Brian Flores era, considering this cornerbackturnedhas helped the Miami Dolphins’ defense minimize the impact of dangerous players such as Eric Ebron and Greg Olsen in his 20 games with the Dolphins.
“He plays multiple positions. He’s very versatile,” Flores said, discussing Rowe’s use. “On one snap he can play linebacker. On another snap he can play strong safety. On another snap he can play corner… calls dictate who has who.”
This week, that “who” is San Francisco tight end George Kittle, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who happens to be the NFL’s best all-purpose tight end, and Sunday’s matchup is Rowe’s biggest test of his career.
“It’s a huge challenge,” Rowe said of drawing the Kittle assignment. “He’s one of the — if not the best — tight ends right now in the league. Obviously as we can see, they target him a lot each game.”
After missing two games because of a sprained knee, Kittle returned against the Eagles last Sunday and pulled in 15 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown.
He’s coming off two phenomenal seasons, where the former Iowa standout the 49ers selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft caught more than 80 receptions and gained more than 1,000 yards each year.
“What makes him good is he’s not just a receiving tight end. He blocks. So he’ll get in and he’ll block the nine [defensive end], or block the linebacker and not on some like, ‘Oh, I really don’t want to hit you [stuff ].’” Rowe said. “He can play both ways, sowe’ve definitely got our hands full thisweek.”
Rowe moved from cornerback to safety to replace Minkah Fitzpatrick following Fitzpatrick’s trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers around this point in the season last year. Since the switch, the Dolphins have had tight ends contained, addressing an issue that hadlingered for a decade, coach after coach, defensive coordinator after defensive coordinator.
According to Pro Football Focus, since switching positions in the fifth game of 2019, Dolphins’ opposing quarterbacks have a cumulative passer rating of 57.2 throwing at tight endsRowe is defending.
He held Zach Ertz catchless last season and limited Ebrontotwocatchesonseven targets during a win over the Colts. Last week he limited Greg Olsen, the former University of Miami standoutandthreeProBowl selection, to five catches for 35 yards.
Why has this specialized role been such a good fit for Rowe?
“I would say that I’m a bigger-body cover guy and I can move. I’m pretty agile. So with tight ends, obviously these dudes are tall, they’re big. Iwouldn’t say all of them, but some aren’t as agile and just kind of just schematically,” said Rowe, who played safety his first three seasons at the University of Utah. “They move me all around from safety and I’m in the box, I’m in the back, sometimes I play like a linebacker role, so it kind of fits me. Or maybe I would say I fit their scheme.”
While with the Patriots, Rowe played cornerback on the perimeter, and stepping into the slot to play inside his first season in New England. However, durability issueswere his primary problem with the Patriots.
When his rookie contract expired, Flores brought him to Miami on a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal, and the Dolphins rewarded him with a three-year contract extension worth nearly $16 million at the end of 2019, after he started to thrive in his new role.
That was the reward for Rowe having the most productive year of his career, contributing 81 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.
Thehope is that he’ll continue to turn up the volume in his new role, and Kittle presents a true test of how good he can be.
“I think they do a very good job with their scheme. They’ll move him around. They’ll use him in multiple facets. They’ll hand speed sweeps to him,” said defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, whosuggestedRowe’smove to safety. “He’ll be a focal point in the passing game. He’s a guy that we’ll obviously need to know and most everybody will need to know where he is and what our plan is on howto handle it, and I don’t think it’s just oneway that you do it.”