Film Room: How Jadeveon Clowney will fare against Pro Bowler Trent Williams

Finally, the hype stops. It can’t go any further. The college plays that ended up on YouTube and SportsCenter, the comparisons to Lawrence Taylor, the pre-planned enshrinement into the Hall of Fame. They’ve finally stopped. Jadeveon Clowney is now simply a rookie.

He is a first-year outside linebacker taking his first step to earning respect. The No. 1 overall pick will be getting a taste of real football this Sunday afternoon when he and the Houston Texans host the Washington Redskins. It won’t be easy, as he’ll be matched up with left tackle Trent Williams.

Williams was the best left tackle in the NFL in 2013. He went to the Pro Bowl. Four years earlier, he was taken No. 4 overall and had every bit of potential that Clowney does. Despite his 6-foot-5 and 337-pound stature, he’s quick like a ballerina and naturally fluid, easily kick-sliding outside to pick up rushers. Whether they’re outside linebackers, defensive ends or defensive backs, he erases them all at the first and second levels.

But as good as Williams is, there are opportunities for Clowney. Williams has mental lapses every now and then. Last season, he had a five-week stretch when he gave up six sacks, four hits and 12 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. Basic fundamentals and technique were problems.

In Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he gave up a sack, a hit and two hurries. The sack, in particular, happened because a simple punch went wrong.

Williams was in a two-point stance and set to block outside linebacker Trent Cole, who lined up at the ghost five-technique outside Williams’ left shoulder.

Williams kicked his left foot out and slid his right in the same direction to defend Cole’s outside rush. But when Cole suddenly swung his shoulders back inside, faking a rush into the B-gap, Williams became unsure of himself and staggered his right leg back. With his base unstable, he threw a weak left jab at Cole, who swatted it away and blew past him. Cole sunk his shoulder and threw his body horizontally at the quarterback, sacking him.

One week later, Williams ran into more problems against a deadlier pass-rusher: Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers. Smith is athletic and endlessly long like Clowney, with the ability to bend his knees and abruptly cut to wherever he smells blood.

The Redskins called play action and Williams had to sell the run even though he was in a two-point stance to begin. Along with the rest of the offensive line, he was expected to slide to the left.

But when Williams slid outside, Smith slid inside.

Williams over-set. His left leg was extended outside while his right leg was bent inside. No balance. No power. Smith slapped him down, folding him in half and straightening his legs out, and burst into the backfield to blow up the play.

After the rough stretch, Williams bounced back the rest of the season, giving up two sacks and four hurries in five games, according to Pro Football Focus. There’s a chance that Williams develops further and is consistent every week in 2014, which is rare. But if he doesn’t, could Clowney do in Week 1 what Cole and Smith did last season?

It’s hard to believe because Clowney’s a rookie, but consider that he has only 29 preseason snaps (13 pass rushing) of pro film and college film for Williams to study. Williams also hasn’t dealt with Clowney’s first step, which is lethal, as seen against the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason.

Clowney was at weak-side linebacker when the ball snapped. His first step, a long right across the 25-yard line, covered two yards. His teammates were barely across the line of scrimmage. The left tackle also barely moved and was already behind.

Clowney immediately ran diagonally toward the quarterback. He realized how far ahead he was of the tackle, who tried to push him wide of the pocket, where the quarterback was just at the top of his drop. The 266 pounder worked through the push by hooking his left arm under the tackle’s inside shoulder, sinking his shoulders and bending his left knee to square his body like a veteran pass rusher would. With his body square, he took a direct path to sacking the quarterback.

Although he’s still learning the art of pass rushing, what makes Clowney dangerous is he has power to go with his speed. He can set up a bull rush with a simple outside step.

Against the Arizona Cardinals in the preseason, the only other preseason game he played in because of sports hernia surgery and a concussion, he showed off brute strength by walking back left tackle Jared Veldheer.

On the game’s second snap, Veldheer kick-slid out and kept his hands low, inviting a bull rush from Clowney, who took advantage. Clowney raised his hands up and sunk them into Veldheer’s chest and chopped his feet forward, driving the tackle back. Initially too tall, Clowney lowered his pad level, uncorking his power into Veldheer’s chest and raising him off the ground. Eventually, he pushed Veldheer aside, but the quarterback was already sacked.

For all his talent, Clowney will have a tough matchup against Williams, who is an experienced blocker that has played against many pass rushers and seen their tricks. He’s rarely bull rushed like Veldheer was.

But if he has any mental lapses, Clowney could take advantage because of his outstanding quickness and tendency to capitalize on blockers’ mistakes.