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The first thing to note with Bates is that he has a mean streak to him. When we talk about offensive lineman, we always want to see that nasty streak, blocking through the whistle and finishing plays strongly to get under the skin of defenders and throw them off their game while establishing a tone. Bates isn’t quite an offensive lineman, but he does play with that same mentality.
This play against the Steelers is a great example of that mentality. The Commanders are running a zone scheme to their right with a read-option element added on to it. Bates is on the back side of the run, with his assignment being to help left tackle Brandon Coleman secure his block and then take over the block to allow Coleman to peel off and work up to the linebacker on the second level. Bates does well initially to work inside and help Coleman secure the defensive lineman.
However, as Coleman looks to climb up to the linebacker, the linebacker reads the running back cutting back to the left side of the line. That linebacker works around Coleman and attempts to get down to the line of scrimmage to make a play. Bates recognizes the issue and peels off the defensive lineman, who doesn’t know where the ball is, and picks up the linebacker instead. He gets just enough of the linebacker to prevent him from making the play, but then shows the nasty streak we all look for in the run game. Bates works hard to stay engaged in the block and ends up forcing the linebacker to the ground. The linebacker didn’t take too kindly to that block and the pair end up getting into a bit of a fight that had to be broken up by the referees.
Obviously you don’t want players getting into fights and receiving penalties as a result, but the play shows that Bates plays with the mentality of an offensive lineman rather than a normal tight end. That mentality is a key part of why he’s so important to the Commanders run game. But it’s not just mentality. Bates brings a lot to the run game as a blocker. He can perform a variety of different roles within various blocking schemes, which enables the Commanders to open up the playbook and scheme up some fun run plays.
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