INDIANAPOLIS -- Falcons second-year lineman Joe Hawley got called to the coaches’ office on Monday.
Usually, that’s not really a bad thing, unless they tell you to bring along your playbook. That’s when you know you’re in trouble.
For Hawley, who made three starts for center Todd McClure earlier this season, it was good news.
Hawley was told that he’d been doing a good job and that his reward was a starting position at right guard for Garrett Reynolds against the Colts on Sunday.
The right guard spot has been troublesome for the Falcons every since Harvey Dahl left to sign with the St. Louis Rams.
Reynolds won a protracted training camp battle with Mike Johnson for the spot. Johnson, who suffered a severe foot injury against Detroit on Oct 23, was recently placed on injured reserve.
Over the bye week, the coaches did their film review of the first seven games and wanted to firm up the interior of the offensive line. They felt Hawley could handle the duty.
“It was something that we determined that we needed to do,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “I think that it paid off for us."
Smith made the official announcement after the Colts game.
“Nothing is permanent in this league, but right now that’s the way that we will be going moving forward,” Smith said. “Joe will be playing the right guard position.”
Hawley, a center by trade and widely considered the heir apparent to McClure, opened the season as the starting center against Chicago. McClure was out with a knee injury.
“It was a little different playing guard,” said Hawley, a fourth round pick from Nevada Las Vegas in the 2010 draft. “Now, I’ve got some experience at it. I can only improve from this game.”
Reynolds was still involved in the game plan. When the Falcons went to their power formations near the goal line, they used him as an extra tight end.
When they went to the power formations in the middle of the field, Reynolds went to guard and Hawley was used as an extra tight end. When Hawley was at tight end, he was used to help block on Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney.
“It’s a little different being on the outside, but I thought I played well,” Hawley said.
Right tackle Tyson Clabo is fine with Hawley or Reynolds, in sort of an alternating guard/tight end role.
“I think they did a good job of communicating who was in and who was lining up where and who was doing what,” Clabo said. “I have confidence in both of those guys. For me, it’s easy to not really have to worry about if they are going to be there for me. I know that it’s important to both of them. It’s fun playing with them.”
Not too many teams will rotate their guards in and out of the game.
“I think they just want to get the best combination on the field as possible,” Clabo said. “They are probably are going to keep tinkering with it. For me, it doesn’t really matter because I feel that either one of those guys are capable."
Hawley said the pass protection part of his new job will be the hardest thing for him. At center, there are times when there isn’t a player lined up over him. At guard, he’ll have someone on most plays.
“I need to definitely work on that,” Hawley said.
The position is key because in pass protection Hawley must block in unison with McClure and Clabo when defensive linemen try to confuse them with stunts.
“On one third and long, they ran some twists and some games, but luckily we ran the ball well and weren’t in many of those situations,” Hawley said. ”If we get to third and manageable, it keeps them out of that stuff.”
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