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SPORTS Saturday 30 december 2023

Switching from one side of the offensive line to the other is among

the NFL’s underrated tough tasks

By ROB MAADDI it’s feeling it and your feet
AP Pro Football Writer and your weight distribu-
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Driv- tion and everything like
ing a car with the opposite that so it’s not as easy as
foot or shaving with the just saying now I’m going
other hand would be major to do it the other way,” Wil-
challenges for anyone. liams said.
That’s how offensive line- “It takes a lot of practice
men describe moving from and time.”
right tackle to left tackle Williams was coming off
and vice versa. It’s a new surgery for a dislocated
position that requires dif- kneecap so he was limited
ferent footwork, hand- in the offseason but made
and-eye coordination and sure he prepared the best
other techniques all while he can.
trying to keep strong and “Even if I was just going out
speedy edge rushers from there and kind of just get-
annihilating their quarter- ting in a stance and hold-
back. ing it for a while each day,
Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs that was at least something
and Cincinnati’s Jonah I could do to start kind of
Williams are among the switching my brain over to
players who’ve made that that side,” Williams said.
difficult switch this season. Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell (58) and quarterback Jared Goff (16) run to running “And, fortunately, by the
Detroit’s Penei Sewell has back Jahmyr Gibbs after his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the time camp rolled around,
gone back and forth. Denver Broncos, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, in Detroit. Associated Press I was pretty comfortable
It’s one of the toughest with it and I’ve just gotten
transitions for an NFL play- thing the other way and this side. But I’ve got great I doing?’ But I’m definitely more comfortable with it
er that’s often overlooked it feels weird,” said Wirfs, guys around me.” more comfortable than I all year.” Sewell, the sev-
because of the assump- who was a first-team All- Wirfs, a first-round pick by thought.” enth overall pick by Detroit
tion that offensive linemen Pro at right tackle in 2021 the Buccaneers in 2020, Williams, the 11th overall in 2021, was a left tackle
all do the same thing. Yes, and made two Pro Bowls credits offensive line coach pick by Cincinnati in 2019, at Oregon when he won
linemen have to block. But at that spot before jump- Joe Gilbert for helping played left tackle at Ala- the Outland Trophy as the
each guy on the line has ing over to the left side. make his transition smooth- bama and throughout his nation’s best offensive line-
different responsibilities “The more you do it, the er. first three years with the man. He moved to the right
and major adjustments are more comfortable you get. “He said: ‘I’m not going Bengals until moving to the side after the Lions drafted
necessary. But it does suck off the rip. to let you fail. You’ll be all right side this season. him only to make his first
“You have so many reps You feel very awkward and right,’” Wirfs said. “I think in the NFL and espe- career start at left tackle,
on one side and it’s muscle it just takes some getting “I’m still getting there. cially at o-line, technique is becoming the youngest
memory but then all of sud- used to. It’s easy to get very There’s some days where just so important and so in- player in NFL history at age
den you have do every- frustrated with yourself be- you feel great and some grained in you and it’s not 20 to start at that position.q
cause you had success on days you’re like, ‘What am just knowing the technique,

U.S. routs Swiss 11-3 at world juniors behind hat trick from

Snuggerud; Sweden posts second shutout

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored three goals for a natural hat
trick in the first 12 minutes to help the United States rout Switzerland 11-3 on Thursday in
the world junior hockey championship.
Will Smith opened the rout 1:20 into the game off a cross-ice pass from Zeev Buium for
a one-timer near the net. Snuggerud got his first two minutes later and the University of
Minnesota star added goals at 8:11 and 12:36.
Tied with Slovakia for the Group B lead, the U.S. (2-0) led 9-1 after two periods. The Ameri-
cans outshot Switzerland 40-24, with Jacob Fowler making 21 saves.
“I liked our start,” coach David Carle said. “We made them uncomfortable early and
that was important. It was a good win and now we’ll turn our attention to an excellent
Czech team.”
Snuggerud also had an assist. Gavin Brindley had two goals and an assist, and Buium,
Ryan Leonard, Isaac Howard, Quinn Finley and Eric Pohlkamp also scored, and Frank
Nazar III had four assists, and Cuttre Gauthier had three.
On Friday at Frolundaborg Arena, the U.S. will play a Czech Republic team that is 1-1
and coming off an 8-1 rout of Norway on Wednesday.
USA’s Jimmy Snuggerud, right, celebrates scoring with
teammate Rutger McGroarty during the group B ice hockey In the only other game Thursday, Sweden beat Germany 5-0 in Group A at the Scandi-
match between Switzerland and USA at the IIHF World Junior navium. Otto Stenburg had three goals and Melker Thelin made 15 saves.
Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden on Thursday, The Swedes (2-0) have outscored their opponents 11-0 so far in the tournament ahead
Dec. 28, 2023. of a Friday night showdown with Canada (2-0).q
Associated Press