How good can we be with TM under center next year?

[bshirt]

maybe they need a Niles Paul drill in practice? :ahhhhhhhh

Nah, the "Jamal drill" is enough

The drops weren't isolated to Kinnie. Plenty of guys got flak for it. Some of it is fair, some of it was for plays where it was a really tough to catch ball. But I think even the ones where it hits the guy in his hands and it drops - yes, that's his fault. But it also shows a lack of trust between QB and WR. And it goes back to an inconsistent ball coming from the QB, in my opinion. There's a little bit of both.

The same route, 10 times results in the ball thrown in 10 different places. That is hard on a receiver no matter who you are.

Pathetic.

There isn't one qb alive who throws the ball to the same, precise small window ten plays in a row. You guys are really something....

 

[Hunter94]

maybe they need a Niles Paul drill in practice? :ahhhhhhhh

Nah, the "Jamal drill" is enough

The drops weren't isolated to Kinnie. Plenty of guys got flak for it. Some of it is fair, some of it was for plays where it was a really tough to catch ball. But I think even the ones where it hits the guy in his hands and it drops - yes, that's his fault. But it also shows a lack of trust between QB and WR. And it goes back to an inconsistent ball coming from the QB, in my opinion. There's a little bit of both.

The same route, 10 times results in the ball thrown in 10 different places. That is hard on a receiver no matter who you are.

Pathetic.

There isn't one qb alive who throws the ball to the same, precise small window ten plays in a row. You guys are really something....

OK, TM is awesome, our receivers suck.......better now?

 

[Hercules]

With the exception of 2008 with Nate Swift and Todd Peterson performing at a high level for us, drops have been a major issue at WR going all the way back to 2006 and 2005 with Zac Taylor. It was a problem when Zac Taylor was QB, it was a problem when Keller was QB, and it was a problem when Zac Lee was QB. Now that Taylor is QB, drops are all of a sudden the fault of the QB?

 

[zoogs]

The drops weren't isolated to Kinnie. Plenty of guys got flak for it. Some of it is fair, some of it was for plays where it was a really tough to catch ball. But I think even the ones where it hits the guy in his hands and it drops - yes, that's his fault. But it also shows a lack of trust between QB and WR. And it goes back to an inconsistent ball coming from the QB, in my opinion. There's a little bit of both.

Ridiculous.

There doesn't need to be any cum-bye-ya karma between the qb & wr. The ball hits the wr's hands, he supposed to catch it. Period.

I know, right. Crazy concept, chemistry between QB and WR.

Highlighted in bold some points I wanted to re-emphasize in my original quoted post.

Hercules, big difference between having some drops and drops being a huge problem. Drops happen to every team every year. Even 2008. Of course WRs are at fault too, concentration, focus, hands, consistency, all stand to be improved. I'm making the additional point that if they don't get a consistent ball from the QB, that goes into it, too.

 

[bshirt]

maybe they need a Niles Paul drill in practice? :ahhhhhhhh

Nah, the "Jamal drill" is enough

The drops weren't isolated to Kinnie. Plenty of guys got flak for it. Some of it is fair, some of it was for plays where it was a really tough to catch ball. But I think even the ones where it hits the guy in his hands and it drops - yes, that's his fault. But it also shows a lack of trust between QB and WR. And it goes back to an inconsistent ball coming from the QB, in my opinion. There's a little bit of both.

The same route, 10 times results in the ball thrown in 10 different places. That is hard on a receiver no matter who you are.

Pathetic.

There isn't one qb alive who throws the ball to the same, precise small window ten plays in a row. You guys are really something....

OK, TM is awesome, our receivers suck.......better now?

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

 

[zoogs]

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

Almost. It's not fine and the receivers have to try and do better. At the same time, if they don't have that level of trust every time the ball is thrown, to know how it's coming in and where it'll be - if they don't have the rapport that is essential in the QB/WR connection - then you would expect more drops, communication errors, etc.

There's enough to put on both parties, but let's not pretend Taylor is a consistent QB who throws an accurate ball, only to be let down by receivers at an elevated rate that is completely the fault of the WRs. It goes both ways.

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

To be clear, I am not finding another way to bash Taylor over nothing. All the complaining about our WRs is coming from the other side in this argument. I'm jumping in and saying, at least cut those guys a little slack. There's blame everywhere here.

 

[Hercules]

The drops weren't isolated to Kinnie. Plenty of guys got flak for it. Some of it is fair, some of it was for plays where it was a really tough to catch ball. But I think even the ones where it hits the guy in his hands and it drops - yes, that's his fault. But it also shows a lack of trust between QB and WR. And it goes back to an inconsistent ball coming from the QB, in my opinion. There's a little bit of both.

Ridiculous.

There doesn't need to be any cum-bye-ya karma between the qb & wr. The ball hits the wr's hands, he supposed to catch it. Period.

I know, right. Crazy concept, chemistry between QB and WR.

Highlighted in bold some points I wanted to re-emphasize in my original quoted post.

Hercules, big difference between having some drops and drops being a huge problem. Drops happen to every team every year. Even 2008.

I know the difference. Drops have been a huge problem going back to 2005, with the exception of 2008 when they weren't as big of an issue.

It's too bad statisticians don't keep track of drops, so instead I'll just refer you to 1:20 of this video that we've all seen of the 06 Texas A&M game, where Todd Peterson drops an easy first down catch, and the announcer says, "Again, the dropped pass haunts Nebraska."

The drops have been a problem for a while, and they have been a big problem, one that has been hindering our offense for some years (just like fumbles and penalties), and it's been on the WRs, not on the QB.



Maybe once we have a QB who is not named Zac or Taylor, we'll finally be able to move past the drops.

 

[bshirt]

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

Almost. It's not fine and the receivers have to try and do better. At the same time, if they don't have that level of trust every time the ball is thrown, to know how it's coming in and where it'll be - if they don't have the rapport that is essential in the QB/WR connection - then you would expect more drops, communication errors, etc.

There's enough to put on both parties, but let's not pretend Taylor is a consistent QB who throws an accurate ball, only to be let down by receivers at an elevated rate that is completely the fault of the WRs. It goes both ways.

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I'd gladly trade all that "outrageous talent" for a Swift, Peterson or Davison any day of the week. Give me a wr who...

1. can remember his routes

2. catches the ball

...anything else is pure gravy. Lastly, if we're going to shoot for the stars a wr who can and will actually block someone would be great also.

 

[Hercules]

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I think I'd disagree with that, actually. I haven't really seen anything to make me think our WRs are "outrageously talented"... It seems almost like you're holding the WRs to a lower standard than the QB.

In my opinion, outrageously talented would be Alshon Jeffery, Justin Blackmon, etc.

We've had some fairly talented guys here over the past 10 years, such as Niles Paul and Maurice Purify. Neither of those guys have even shown that they could succeed in the NFL, and none of our WRs are close to being at their level yet.

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

Almost. It's not fine and the receivers have to try and do better. At the same time, if they don't have that level of trust every time the ball is thrown, to know how it's coming in and where it'll be - if they don't have the rapport that is essential in the QB/WR connection - then you would expect more drops, communication errors, etc.

There's enough to put on both parties, but let's not pretend Taylor is a consistent QB who throws an accurate ball, only to be let down by receivers at an elevated rate that is completely the fault of the WRs. It goes both ways.

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I'd gladly trade all that "outrageous talent" for a Swift, Peterson or Davison any day of the week. Give me a wr who...

1. can remember his routes

2. catches the ball

...anything else is pure gravy. Lastly, if we're going to shoot for the stars a wr who can and will actually block someone would be great also.

Enunwa, and Kinnie are EXCELLENT downfield blockers.... I don't think they come much better then Enunwa. How many long games were busted with the help of an Enunwa block.... For his size, I even think Bell does a nice job....

 

[zoogs]

You're talking about one game, Hercules! That clip was the first thing I thought of. Maybe I am just not remembering that year very well, but I don't think it was an epidemic that year, the way folks are down on our WRs this year. Drop passes hinder offenses on every team, every year.

Really I think the attitudes towards the problem from the fanbase has changed dramatically ever since 2010. And I don't say 2010 to pin this all on Taylor, Niles Paul deserves a lot of the criticisms he got for the lack of focus and the mind-numbing mistakes he made that year.

I don't think it is very disputable about the magnitude of the dropped passes problem taking off, even in 2011 compared to 2010.

By the way, the 'outrageously talented WRs' line was borrowed from bshirt himself, if I am not mistaken. I do think we have as promising a group at that position as we have had here in a long time, though. Absolutely, they're young and green and have a lot to improve on.

Ah, here we are:

Yeah, I didn't see this monster upsurge of outrageously talented wrs coming either. Those kids are freakin good! Just now thinking about it I can see why Beck's willpower couldn't resist trying to get them the ball. Damn, they're really something.

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I think I'd disagree with that, actually. I haven't really seen anything to make me think our WRs are "outrageously talented"... It seems almost like you're holding the WRs to a lower standard than the QB.

In my opinion, outrageously talented would be Alshon Jeffery, Justin Blackmon, etc.

We've had some fairly talented guys here over the past 10 years, such as Niles Paul and Maurice Purify. Neither of those guys have even shown that they could succeed in the NFL, and none of our WRs are close to being at their level yet.

I found that guy so overrated, I will never understand Huskernation's fascination with him.... Give me Swift, or Peterson over him anyday....

I agree with zoogie to a point, I think that Bell, and Enunwa have very nice futures, and Bell looks like he could be on pace to be the best WR we've had in a long, long time.... I am excited to see Tariq Allen play, there is a lot of hype there, but he sure looks the part....

 

[bshirt]

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

Almost. It's not fine and the receivers have to try and do better. At the same time, if they don't have that level of trust every time the ball is thrown, to know how it's coming in and where it'll be - if they don't have the rapport that is essential in the QB/WR connection - then you would expect more drops, communication errors, etc.

There's enough to put on both parties, but let's not pretend Taylor is a consistent QB who throws an accurate ball, only to be let down by receivers at an elevated rate that is completely the fault of the WRs. It goes both ways.

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I'd gladly trade all that "outrageous talent" for a Swift, Peterson or Davison any day of the week. Give me a wr who...

1. can remember his routes

2. catches the ball

...anything else is pure gravy. Lastly, if we're going to shoot for the stars a wr who can and will actually block someone would be great also.

Enunwa, and Kinnie are EXCELLENT downfield blockers.... I don't think they come much better then Enunwa. How many long games were busted with the help of an Enunwa block.... For his size, I even think Bell does a nice job....

Sure, I agree. That's why they're on the field. Now, if they could just catch the ball....

 

[B.B. Hemingway]

OK, dropping TM's passes is just fine because they're not the same location every pass......better now?

Almost. It's not fine and the receivers have to try and do better. At the same time, if they don't have that level of trust every time the ball is thrown, to know how it's coming in and where it'll be - if they don't have the rapport that is essential in the QB/WR connection - then you would expect more drops, communication errors, etc.

There's enough to put on both parties, but let's not pretend Taylor is a consistent QB who throws an accurate ball, only to be let down by receivers at an elevated rate that is completely the fault of the WRs. It goes both ways.

Besides, I think you'd agree, we have some outrageously talented young WRs.

I'd gladly trade all that "outrageous talent" for a Swift, Peterson or Davison any day of the week. Give me a wr who...

1. can remember his routes

2. catches the ball

...anything else is pure gravy. Lastly, if we're going to shoot for the stars a wr who can and will actually block someone would be great also.

Enunwa, and Kinnie are EXCELLENT downfield blockers.... I don't think they come much better then Enunwa. How many long games were busted with the help of an Enunwa block.... For his size, I even think Bell does a nice job....

Sure, I agree. That's why they're on the field. Now, if they could just catch the ball....

Aside from blocking Kinnie is awful....just awful.... quit tweeting, and catch a f'n pass!

 

[Hercules]

You're talking about one game, Hercules! That clip was the first thing I thought of. Maybe I am just not remembering that year very well, but I don't think it was an epidemic that year, the way folks are down on our WRs this year. Drop passes hinder offenses on every team, every year.

Really I think the attitudes towards the problem from the fanbase has changed dramatically ever since 2010. And I don't say 2010 to pin this all on Taylor, Niles Paul deserves a lot of the criticisms he got for the lack of focus and the mind-numbing mistakes he made that year.

I on't think it is very disputable about the magnitude of the dropped passes problem taking off, even in 2011 compared to 2010.

You think the magnitude of the drops problem was worse in 2011 than in 2010? See the Texas game, which was lost on the WRs' hands, with both Martinez and Lee unable to get the ball into the endzone as a result of their WRs dropping the ball.

This year, the biggest scapegoat was Brandon Kinnie. Before him, it was Niles Paul. Before him, it was Curenski Gilleylen. Before him, it was Terrence Nunn. Drops have plagued the offense back to the Callahan era, regardless of who was playing QB for us.

To say that "drops are a problem for every offense," is like saying, "fumbles are a problem for every offense." It's a ridiculous excuse that has no merit in a thread where you criticized a single interception from Martinez in the Ohio State game. Would it be reasonable to argue that his OSU interception isn't that big of a problem because, "interceptions are a problem for every offense?"

If Nebraska wants to go to the "next level," there are number of things that have to happen. The WRs heavily cutting down on their drops is one of those things, and that has very little to do with the QB.