As the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line coach for eight seasons, Eric Washington, now the team’s defensive coordinator, found it strange not to warm up his guys the way he’s used to before Sunday’s 16-8 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
“It was something of an adjustment, I’ll acknowledge that,” he said. “It was something that I enjoyed, it was a bond that I had with that position group that I’ve been working with for a long time, and that I still love. But when the role changes, you have to adjust.”
By the end of the game, when the defensive linemen were responsible for putting away a victory, it must have felt just like old times.