Real quick — try to go through the alphabet from ‘Z’ to ‘A.’
Not easy, right?
Now imagine trying to do that while attempting to block a 250-something-pound defensive end.
That’s the way Mike Remmers described having to reverse his technique, footwork and stance Sunday in Atlanta.
“It's kind of like doing the ABC's backward,” Remmers said about his late-week switch from right to left tackle. “You can get the hang of it eventually, but the first few times might be a little rough.”
While you may be screaming “just a little rough?!” at your computer screen or phone right now, it’s not like Remmers asked to move. He was the emergency option the Panthers chose when Michael Oher was suddenly ruled out on Friday with a concussion.
“My hat goes off to Mike. It's hard,” said Daryl Williams, who slid into Remmers’s role on the right side. “I hate going to left, but somebody's gotta do it.”
And if Oher doesn’t clear the NFL’s concussion protocol in time for Monday night’s game with the Bucs, Remmers will likely have to do it again.
“If Mike's out, I would anticipate that,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said earlier this week.
“I thought both Mike and Daryl did a nice job playing a new position, so to speak. New for Mike and Daryl not having reps and being a young player. There were a lot of good things and there were some things they can both get better at. But you can say that across the board offensively.”
The makeshift line allowed just one sack, but Cam Newton and Derek Anderson were hit at least seven other times. The Panthers will say much of that was because the Falcons were able to “pin their ears back” with the lead, an excuse that can double for the paltry totals of 49 rushing yards on 15 attempts.
Instead of putting two guys at “new” positions, the Panthers could use Donald Hawkins at left while keeping Remmers on the right side. But Hawkins has played just one offensive snap between his six different stops since 2014, so there’s no certainly he’d be a better Band-Aid.
For now, Remmers and Williams are planning to line up this week like they did in Atlanta. At least, this time, they have more than 48 hours to prepare.
“You'll hear the play getting called, and normally you'll think, 'OK, it's coming to my side,' but now it's going the other way. So it takes a second and a little bit more processing,” Remmers said.
“I learned a lot about my technique and things I can do better for the upcoming week. It's a learning experience for me, one I can grow from.”