As a rookie he was asked to play Center the most cerebral position on the O-Line at the last minute and a position he hadn't played since High School, and despite some dubious calls against him, he did an incredible job!

He was asked to do something he may not have been totally comfortable with but overall, he did well.

Indeed.

Had a couple of rookie mistakes, but overall was damn decent.

He gets ran over, both guys fall down, and they call holding????? That was a horrific call.
Almost as bad as the OBVIOUS blow to the head on Russ that would have given us a first down and basically game over.

Also that holding call on Lewis after that DK pass was some BS

Jinx

His mistakes were frustrating, but considering he is a rookie, starting at center for the first time in the NFL, and it was a short week, he did considerably well. His name was called and he stepped up to help the team. Hopefully Pocic will be back next week though

Lewis is the best OL pick JS/PC have made in all this time.
I think he can play anywhere and do very well,I wish we had
more just like him.

MrThortan wrote:His mistakes were frustrating, but considering he is a rookie, starting at center for the first time in the NFL, and it was a short week, he did considerably well. His name was called and he stepped up to help the team. Hopefully Pocic will be back next week though

This is an awesome post to read, more for what it says about Pocic than about the fantastic performance of Damien Lewis. Love the Lewis pick and love his amazing performance so far this year!

It's awesome to read that posters are looking forward to seeing Pocic back in the lineup at center! The same Pocic many were calling a bust, a wasted draft pick, a year ago. The same Pocic who beat out that free agent B.J. Finney we traded to Cincinnati to get Carlos Dunlap!

Yeah, consensus seems to be that Pocic was average or below as a Guard, not strong enough for the NFL, etc. Seems to be doing well as a Center, and hope Pocic is back in the lineup soon so we can move the amazing rookie Damien Lewis back to Guard!

MrThortan wrote:His mistakes were frustrating, but considering he is a rookie, starting at center for the first time in the NFL, and it was a short week, he did considerably well. His name was called and he stepped up to help the team. Hopefully Pocic will be back next week though

/\ /\ what he said

IndyHawk wrote:Lewis is the best OL pick JS/PC have made in all this time.
I think he can play anywhere and do very well,I wish we had
more just like him.

Interesting that their best OL pick in their tenure happened after they hired Hutch as a special consultant in the off season.

Between Lewis and Pocic maybe the winning formula is just keep drafting LSU linemen

HawkRiderFan wrote:Between Lewis and Pocic maybe the winning formula is just keep drafting LSU linemen

^^^This. Any lineman (O or D) who played for Ed Orgeron is going to be well-schooled in the art of being tough.

Good pick

You have to give the young man credit. He did well not playing the position in college at all. As stated that holding call was total BS.

This also helps us have a potential backup center able to jump over when needed.

Picnic needs to get back into the living neup soon.

SoulfishHawk wrote:He gets ran over, both guys fall down, and they call holding????? That was a horrific call.
Almost as bad as the OBVIOUS blow to the head on Russ that would have given us a first down and basically game over.

My exact thoughts and I posted them in the chat last night.


Lewis did a great job last night considering the complete scenario. I see him being an asset for a long time.

Rookie...playing a position he doesn't or hasn't played...comes in and only makes a few mistakes?

This kid is a keeper.

It's almost as if there has been a monkey on John and Pete's backs, whispering in their ears, and leading to bad picks, for several years, and now that monkey is gone. LOL

Lewis has been an absolute home run of a draft pick thus far. Especially for a third round pick.

Interestingly, Poccic and Lewis may be building block for our future OL, if Shell keeps improving some, may be he is part of that block too.

Not sure if Jamarco could be our starting RG? What do you guys think? If he could, all we need is a future LT to be mentored by Brown. I don't buy Jamarco being our future T.

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MrThortan wrote:His mistakes were frustrating, but considering he is a rookie, starting at center for the first time in the NFL, and it was a short week, he did considerably well. His name was called and he stepped up to help the team. Hopefully Pocic will be back next week though

First time EVER playing center. Pretty remarkable.

sc85sis wrote:

MrThortan wrote:His mistakes were frustrating, but considering he is a rookie, starting at center for the first time in the NFL, and it was a short week, he did considerably well. His name was called and he stepped up to help the team. Hopefully Pocic will be back next week though

First time EVER playing center. Pretty remarkable.

He has played Center, just not as a College player from my understanding.

His snaps were not as bad as many guys we have seen play it much more.

bigskydoc wrote:It's almost as if there has been a monkey on John and Pete's backs, whispering in their ears, and leading to bad picks, for several years, and now that monkey is gone. LOL

I got a chuckle out of this! Yeah, I think someone was watching too much Cable TV.

Tusc2000 wrote:

HawkRiderFan wrote:Between Lewis and Pocic maybe the winning formula is just keep drafting LSU linemen

^^^This. Any lineman (O or D) who played for Ed Orgeron is going to be well-schooled in the art of being tough.

Tusc2000 mentioned Ed Orgeron from LSU, only drafting his linemen, so does this mean that the Steven Sullivan experiment at DE is over and we can look forward to him being our LT of the future? TE Garry Gilliam made the move to T, so why not Sullivan?

How Lewis dropped to the third round is shocking. He's playing like a top 10 pick. He also proved versatility along the interior of line. I keep forgetting that this is his first year in the NFL. He can still be even better.

IndyHawk wrote:Lewis is the best OL pick JS/PC have made in all this time.
I think he can play anywhere and do very well,I wish we had
more just like him.

To be fair, they let Cable pick the OL. That's like me letting my 4yo pick dinner every night. It's going to be unhealthy, and we will end up getting no value from it.

SoulfishHawk wrote:He gets ran over, both guys fall down, and they call holding????? That was a horrific call.
Almost as bad as the OBVIOUS blow to the head on Russ that would have given us a first down and basically game over.

It was a bad call but most of the time that happens because of a hold and his hand did get around to the back of the DL. It was very clearly not a hold at all on replay but I don't fully fault the refs for it. Sometime their angle makes something look like a clear cut flag but actually isn't. That's something Id like to see be reviewable.

And, IMO, the refs gave bad calls to AZ just as much as to us. Olsen false start, a DPI or two that weren't called. And I believe one DPI they called in our favor that shouldn't have been. Anyway, the refs weren't great but I think it more or less evened out.

CPHawk wrote:

IndyHawk wrote:Lewis is the best OL pick JS/PC have made in all this time.
I think he can play anywhere and do very well,I wish we had
more just like him.

To be fair, they let Cable pick the OL. That's like me letting my 4yo pick dinner every night. It's going to be unhealthy, and we will end up getting no value from it.

He's actually been quite good with the Raiders. I think he just wasn't a good fit here after a while. It was a chemistry thing.

Good friggin' lord! This kid played center in an emergency situation, without taking any real amount of reps at the spot, and look at him! LOOK AT HIM!

This guy can seriously handle anything that's thrown at him. He's got hall of fame potential if he continues improving and stays healthy.

Most impressive individual performance I've seen this year.

Maelstrom787 wrote:

CPHawk wrote:

IndyHawk wrote:Lewis is the best OL pick JS/PC have made in all this time.
I think he can play anywhere and do very well,I wish we had
more just like him.

To be fair, they let Cable pick the OL. That's like me letting my 4yo pick dinner every night. It's going to be unhealthy, and we will end up getting no value from it.

He's actually been quite good with the Raiders. I think he just wasn't a good fit here after a while. It was a chemistry thing.

The Raiders O-line has looked good the last two years. Perhaps the problem was the chemistry with Bevell. But I doubt he gets to pick the O-Line players on the Raiders. Probably gives an opinion, but that's it.

https://youtu.be/lA0gy4KJMTU



The clip that matters here is in the first 30 seconds. The guy here that Lewis dominates is Tyler Shelving, who is considered an upper round pick, and is 360lbs. Like, watch him hit Lewis with all his might, and Lewis just absorbs it and then flips him onto his behind. Now that is real strength.

SoulfishHawk wrote:He gets ran over, both guys fall down, and they call holding????? That was a horrific call.
Almost as bad as the OBVIOUS blow to the head on Russ that would have given us a first down and basically game over.

Why didn't Russ come up pointing to his helmet like DeAndre did? He probably gets that call if he does...