PORT ARTHUR — Even knowledgeable football fans sometimes wonder things like, why did they do that? Questioning a head coach became so popular in previous years that they created a whole phrase for it (Monday Morning Quarterback). You have questions, so let’s talk about the answers.

This is a weekly series breaking down different schemes and how they impact local teams. The X’s and O’s in this feature won’t give anything away to opposing coaches, so don’t worry. It’s just a look at how various plays and formations can change things on the gridiron.

What’s our first question? Why did Port Arthur Memorial’s move standout defensive end Matthew Romar inside to tackle?

On the surface, it’s a curious move to take a first-team all-district player on the outside and move him inside.

That’s where it pays to check out the scheme and how Memorial’s other players will complement Romar and possibly make him even better than he was a year ago.

How, you say? Look no further than nose tackle Walter Oliver. The big man was listed at 6 foot, 255 lbs last season and plays like a true nose tackle. He can eat space in the middle of a line and gave linebackers like Elandon Roberts and Davonte McMillian plenty of opportunities for clean tackles last year, just by eating up blockers.

That’s why Oliver made  second-team all-district as a junior, despite not really putting up traditional statistics like sacks and the like.

How he frees up Romar is exactly how he helped the linebackers, but in a slightly different way. See, Oliver plays the nose, which just means he’s likely lined up on the center most plays. That’s called a “1” technique in defensive parlance, and usually means he’s on the outside shoulder of the center opposite him.

If he were a true nose, he’d like up right across from the center, and Memorial may choose to do that some, but putting him in that “1” technique allows him to fill the gap between the center and the guard to that side.

Romar, on the other hand, will likely be playing a “3” technique, which means he’ll be lined up on the guard opposite Oliver. He’s usually shaded on the outside shoulder of that guard, and is responsible for the gap between said guard and the tackle.

There’s plenty a team can do to block both a space eater like Oliver and Romar in the running game, but what makes Romar special is his athleticism in the pass rush. He’s so big, so physical and so quick that the team used him as a goal line back last year.

So, Romar may be the team’s best pass rusher on the defensive line, but it still doesn’t make sense moving him inside. That is, until you consider his possible matchups. Put him inside one-on-one with a guard, and he’s  a force to be reckoned with.

Most teams choose guards because they’re quick and can get out in front in pulling situations. Rarely does a team keep its best pass blocker inside at a guard spot. So, automatically, Romar goes from facing off with left tackles, who are generally very good pass blockers, to guards, who are generally not as good.

What’s more, the presence of Oliver inside takes away what a team can do to double-team Romar away, because it’s going to be hard for the center to get away from Oliver if he’s trying to block down on Romar. To do that, he’s going to have to fire off, avoid engaging with Oliver, who’s lined up on his shoulder, and crash down on Romar. Or, he’s going to have to slide over immediately after snapping the ball and pick up Romar alongside the guard, leaving Oliver free for the moment.

I’m sure any offensive line coach worth his salt would have his other guard reaching to get to Oliver at that point, but you’ve still got a big, pretty agile guy who is left alone while you double Romar. In most situations, that won’t happen, and the team will simply leave Romar one-on-one with the guard.

So, that’s just the basics. Moving Romar inside gives Memorial an edge in the pass rush and Oliver’s presence means Romar will generally avoid double teams. If defensive coordinator Nelson Barnes dials up a few middle linebacker blitzes up the middle? QBs are really going to have to be on their feet.

That’s why it makes sense to move Romar inside. He’s big enough to stop the run and last year, he showed he was explosive enough to really be a matchup problem in the passing game. If he stays healthy, don’t expect much of a dropoff from his numbers last year.