Ertz’s biggest strength is undoubtedly the ease with which he gets open. His jukes near the line of scrimmage and ability to create separation downfield resemble a wide receiver’s, not a tight end’s.
Those skills were showcased in last week’s Rose Bowl. Late in the first quarter, he blew by Wisconsin defenders out of a run formation for a 43-yard, leaping grab to set up Stanford’s second touchdown, but arguably more impressive were his other two catches of the afternoon. He used the same spin move on both — the first one from the right side of the formation, the second one from the left — freezing the Badger secondary for mirror-image, nine-yard gains. Both came during Cardinal scoring drives.
Ertz’s elusiveness also paid dividends when Josh Nunes and Kevin Hogan were under pressure. Take his best game of the season, an 11-catch, 106-yard performance in Stanford’s upset at No. 2 Oregon. About half of Ertz’s receptions came when Hogan had time and found him open at the end of a route, but what about when the Ducks got into the backfield? Twice Ertz escaped a block and became an easy safety valve for his quarterback; three times he abandoned his route and came back to the ball for a downfield catch.
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/01...ar-on-the-farm