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Caldwell, Brady make connection
By Karen Guregian
Boston Herald General Sports Reporter and Columnist
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Given Reche Caldwell’s less than inspiring performances at the start of the season, I’d challenge anyone who thought he would blossom into a go-to receiver to take a lie detector test.
Between all the dropped balls and the pedestrian pass routes, there’s no way anyone was predicting that the wideout would become such an important part of Tom Brady's arsenal.
Go-to guy?
The names Caldwell was called early on were hardly flattering. Many wondered why the Patriots would compensate for the loss of David Givens by bringing in a guy who couldn’t break the San Diego Chargers lineup.
Chemistry with Brady?
The two couldn’t have been more mismatched or out of sync during the preseason and the first few weeks of the regular season.
But thanks to Caldwell’s work ethic and his desire to be that go-to guy, he’s evolved into one of the quarterback’s favorite targets. He’s second on the team (behind Benjamin Watson) in catches with 38 for 462 yards. While those numbers don’t rate incredibly high in the NFL, they do represent a career best.
“(Caldwell) and I are definitely more on the same page now than ever before, and it’s very comforting,” Brady said. “He’s doing the right thing. He’s catching the ball. He’s really made a lot of progress and he’s done some great things. We have to continue to find ways to get him the ball and integrate him into the offense.”
Caldwell indicated yesterday that Brady was instrumental in getting him plugged into the offense and better connected with him. It seems the quarterback opted for a little method acting, as he would physically run the routes and show Caldwell exactly what he was looking for, right down to the blade of grass he needed to be on.
“Yeah, he taught me how to run routes,” Caldwell said yesterday. “He showed me how to attack the corner, how he wanted the corner routes run, the easiest way to get open. So he was really helpful.”
The mental image of the slow-footed Brady attempting to show the speedy Caldwell a sideline route drew laughter from the peanut gallery.
“It doesn’t look as good as when the receivers run it,” Caldwell said, joining in for a chuckle, “but he had the correct technique.”
Against Chicago, Caldwell made three catches, two of them coming in the final 3:26 when the Pats were attempting to kill the clock. One went for 22 yards, the other for 20.
Given his tough start to the season, Caldwell takes some pride in winning over the quarterback.
“Every receiver wants to be that guy in the defining moments of the game,” Caldwell said. “The quarterback is looking for you when you need a big play. He can count on you to get open. And you’re going to make the play. But that’s with all the guys. It’s not just me. Whoever’s open, he’s going to find you. But a lot of times, it’s been me, so we’re building a good chemistry.”
Caldwell knew about his reputation early in the season, but he also realized he deserved some of the criticism from Patriot Nation. But it went beyond the fans and scribes. Dropping balls, running bad routes and making mistakes aren’t accepted in the locker room, either.
In San Diego, where Caldwell played for four seasons before joining the Patriots, he could get away with the miscues. Not here. That’s why he gave a “my bad” signal when he went out of bounds after one of those late-game catches against the Bears, when the Pats were trying to run out the clock.
“A lot of the mistakes, they don’t allow around here,” Caldwell said. “Everything is so precise. They want everything perfect. That’s why they win around here.”
That’s also why Caldwell is no longer looking like he doesn’t belong. He’s figured out what he has to do make people stand up and take notice of him in the offense.
He’s got Brady’s attention. Go figure.
Caldwell, Brady make connection
By Karen Guregian
Boston Herald General Sports Reporter and Columnist
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Given Reche Caldwell’s less than inspiring performances at the start of the season, I’d challenge anyone who thought he would blossom into a go-to receiver to take a lie detector test.
Between all the dropped balls and the pedestrian pass routes, there’s no way anyone was predicting that the wideout would become such an important part of Tom Brady's arsenal.
Go-to guy?
The names Caldwell was called early on were hardly flattering. Many wondered why the Patriots would compensate for the loss of David Givens by bringing in a guy who couldn’t break the San Diego Chargers lineup.
Chemistry with Brady?
The two couldn’t have been more mismatched or out of sync during the preseason and the first few weeks of the regular season.
But thanks to Caldwell’s work ethic and his desire to be that go-to guy, he’s evolved into one of the quarterback’s favorite targets. He’s second on the team (behind Benjamin Watson) in catches with 38 for 462 yards. While those numbers don’t rate incredibly high in the NFL, they do represent a career best.
“(Caldwell) and I are definitely more on the same page now than ever before, and it’s very comforting,” Brady said. “He’s doing the right thing. He’s catching the ball. He’s really made a lot of progress and he’s done some great things. We have to continue to find ways to get him the ball and integrate him into the offense.”
Caldwell indicated yesterday that Brady was instrumental in getting him plugged into the offense and better connected with him. It seems the quarterback opted for a little method acting, as he would physically run the routes and show Caldwell exactly what he was looking for, right down to the blade of grass he needed to be on.
“Yeah, he taught me how to run routes,” Caldwell said yesterday. “He showed me how to attack the corner, how he wanted the corner routes run, the easiest way to get open. So he was really helpful.”
The mental image of the slow-footed Brady attempting to show the speedy Caldwell a sideline route drew laughter from the peanut gallery.
“It doesn’t look as good as when the receivers run it,” Caldwell said, joining in for a chuckle, “but he had the correct technique.”
Against Chicago, Caldwell made three catches, two of them coming in the final 3:26 when the Pats were attempting to kill the clock. One went for 22 yards, the other for 20.
Given his tough start to the season, Caldwell takes some pride in winning over the quarterback.
“Every receiver wants to be that guy in the defining moments of the game,” Caldwell said. “The quarterback is looking for you when you need a big play. He can count on you to get open. And you’re going to make the play. But that’s with all the guys. It’s not just me. Whoever’s open, he’s going to find you. But a lot of times, it’s been me, so we’re building a good chemistry.”
Caldwell knew about his reputation early in the season, but he also realized he deserved some of the criticism from Patriot Nation. But it went beyond the fans and scribes. Dropping balls, running bad routes and making mistakes aren’t accepted in the locker room, either.
In San Diego, where Caldwell played for four seasons before joining the Patriots, he could get away with the miscues. Not here. That’s why he gave a “my bad” signal when he went out of bounds after one of those late-game catches against the Bears, when the Pats were trying to run out the clock.
“A lot of the mistakes, they don’t allow around here,” Caldwell said. “Everything is so precise. They want everything perfect. That’s why they win around here.”
That’s also why Caldwell is no longer looking like he doesn’t belong. He’s figured out what he has to do make people stand up and take notice of him in the offense.
He’s got Brady’s attention. Go figure.