ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Ezekiel Ansah dug his hands into the ground daily during training camp for the Detroit Lions. He picked his angle and looked at Riley Reiff, standing feet from him, preparing to block.
The goal was simple. Ansah wants to beat Reiff off the snap and make a move to reach and knock down a blue bag hanging on a hook resembling a quarterback in the pocket. Reiff's goal is to keep Ansah from reaching the bag and keeping the pocket intact for the bag.
It is a violent few seconds where a big offensive line win is driving the defensive lineman into the ground or standing him up. For the defensive lineman, it is blowing by the offensive lineman to smash down the bag.
The one-on-one competition between the offensive and defensive linemen during this pass rush technique drill was among the most exciting in training camp. It's something most of the public couldn't see because it was on a side field far from the stands.
But it is a drill that will be invaluable when it comes to actual games and both protecting and rushing the passer. It also doubles as a point of both camaraderie and excitement for players and coaches in practice.
And each day was highlighted by two matchups between Reiff and Ansah.
"It's a fun matchup to watch," offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn said. "I just enjoy it, man. That's when I take the coaching stuff off and I become a fan. That's two grown men now. I love watching those two."
The byproduct is both Reiff and Ansah push each other in the drill -- something Washburn has seen before. Gosder Cherilus and Cliff Avril would go up against each other in the one-on-one drill daily when they were with the Lions. Washburn saw daily progress.
Reiff and Ansah were fairly even, too. By unofficial calculations, Reiff had a 7-5-2 record against Ansah in the reps ESPN.com observed over the past three weeks -- and there were times it got so testy it looked like a skirmish might break out. It didn't, but facing each other in practice should help when games begin to count in September. It should be noted that wins could be difficult to deduce. Some were based on time calculations the Lions didn't want to disclose based on five-or-seven-step drops.
"As a defensive end, you have to rush the passer," Ansah said. "That is how we can simulate it, with the one-on-one. That's how it is in the game."
It is a more accurate depiction for defensive linemen than offensive linemen because the offensive line often schemes help, particularly on the interior. However, the drill forces both sides to refine technique and footwork constantly.
"It just takes perfect technique to win," offensive tackle Michael Williams said. "Your feet have to be good, your hands have to be good and you have to figure out how to stop them from getting to that bag."
Williams, who converted from tight end to tackle before the 2014 season, said it took him half of last season to feel comfortable in the drill. The refinement then might help him toward a roster spot now.
The drill also offers something unique during a Lions practice. There are times, both Washburn and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek said, where it is fine for a player to lose the one-on-one battle. Sometimes, the coaches will want a player to work on a certain move he hasn't used in team drills or a game yet.
This is the area where he can perfect it, even if it comes at the expense of one-on-one wins.
"If we want to set the tone out there, I might say, 'Hey, I don't care if you win this one, I want to see you bull this guy,' " Kocurek said. "I want to see you set the tempo of the drill. So you take it up field, turn on him and bull him."
Those situations happen daily. And it can carry over into games. Kocurek said the Lions first saw flashes of George Johnson's capabilities during the one-on-one drill. That carried to team drills and eventually to games, where he had a six-sack season in 2014.
So while it is a drill tucked away in the corner of the Lions' practice field, it is one that has extreme importance to how Detroit will fare this season -- especially in a pass rush pressure defense like the Lions run.
"The more you learn in individual periods, the more you feel comfortable in games," defensive end Devin Taylor said. "So when the situation comes up where you're one-on-one with a tackle, you're more likely to have a better chance of beating him."
