HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Connor Heyward spent his first four seasons in Pittsburgh, playing a mixture of tight end and fullback for the old-school Steelers.
With the chance to go elsewhere as a free agent, Heyward was given an opportunity by first-year Raiders coach Klint Kubiak to focus on fullback and exhibit his varied abilities. Heyward knew Las Vegas was his destination.
While fullbacks aren't nearly as common in the NFL these days given the popularity
of spread offenses, some teams have committed to using the position and taking an older style of football and updating it with modern philosophies.
That includes Heyward and the Raiders. He not only often lines up in the backfield, he also plays out of a receiver spot and even as the quarterback in the Jalen Hurts-style “Tush Push” when the Raiders need to convert on fourth-and-short.
“It's just fullback doing the dirty work,” Heyward said. “I've always prided myself on that, but in Pittsburgh, I wasn't able to showcase this, but here I'm able to play a true fullback position. I did fullback stuff, but was playing tight end.”
Heyward said he sees the fullback position making a comeback, but most coaches opt to go without it because of the movement toward passing offenses that use three- and four-receiver sets. A fullback is more of a throwback to the offenses favored by those who prefer a more traditional approach, though young, innovative coaches such as Kubiak and San Francisco 's Kyle Shanahan often employ that position.
“The fullback position is a key position on our team,” Kubiak said. “A guy that can play special teams, all four quarters. He can protect. He can clean up things in the run game. He can fit in at running back if needed. So the fullback has to be a very versatile player. That’s what Connor is.”
Entering this week's games, only eight teams had used fullbacks 10 or more plays per game. The Raiders had the third-highest rate at 22.6 plays per game, behind the New York Giants (25.2) and Los Angeles Chargers (25), teams coached by the Harbaugh brothers who emphasize a physical style of football.
The average of 14.2 plays per game for a fullback throughout the league was the third-lowest average since 2006, when it was 50.3. That rate has been below 20 plays each season since 2015.
Because of the scarcity of fullbacks, teams that use the position could have a strategic edge given opposing defenses don't prepare for it much on a weekly basis.
The 49ers gained 198 yards and scored two touchdowns when using at least two backs in Monday night's 23-17 victory over Washington. They have gained at least 160 yards in multiple-back sets in four of their six games.
“We’re in a lot of 11 formations (one running back, one tight end), so people like to go nickel-defense to defend one-back formations,” Shanahan said. "But when you have a fullback on the field at any time, there’s a threat of I-formation. So defenses have to account for that. And there’s some things that you do on one-back that aren’t very sound versus two-back. So sometimes it could limit the looks we get and things like that.”
His fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, gives the 49ers the ability to keep defenses off balance because he doesn't line up strictly at that position. But when he does, Juszczyk uses his blocking ability to clear out defenders.
“He’s extremely smart — not just because he went to Harvard. It’s actually real,” Shanahan said. “He can handle anything we give him. When you play fullback at that level, people have to honor what a fullback does compared to a third receiver, which changes personnel.
"Then when it comes to putting him in other spots, it doesn’t matter really what it is. He’s got as good of hands as anyone I’ve seen on the team. And he’s not scared of the moment. He makes big plays and he is fearless.”
Hunter Luepke is used similarly by Dallas, and he doesn't like to define himself as only a fullback.
“I think you have to be an athlete," Luepke said. "You have to be able to block. You have to be able to play special teams.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer agreed it wasn't fair to pigeonhole Luepke nor the fullback position itself.
“It’s athletes that can do it,” Schottenheimer said. “They give you more run-pass flexibility. Former linemen can do it, I mean, 310-pound men that just lean on people. So I do think it’s a fascinating position that will never go away. I don’t think it ever leaves the game because there’s going to be times in every game that you need to run it and make a couple yards, and those guys can be very, very helpful to do it.”
Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins is thankful to have a player like Heyward line up behind him and provide that kind of flexibility. Cousins said he has played with fullbacks since his freshman season at Michigan State in 2008.
“Fullbacks and tight ends, I think tend to be that Swiss Army knife player where if you have one who’s as versatile as you want him to be at the position,” Cousins said, "he should be able to run a seam route. He should be able to set the edge and block the edge. He should be able to handle protection. The ability to wear a lot of hats gives you a lot of flexibility.
"That’s something Connor Heyward can do here, and I think it makes a big difference.”
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AP Pro Football Writers Josh Dubow in Santa Clara, California, and Schuyler Dixon in Frisco, Texas, contributed to this report.
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