Jason Witten The Underappreciated YAC Monster?

[Roadtrip635]

We all know Jason has lost a step, there was an article during pre-season saying that he basically just catches the ball and falls down. I know many here joke about how slow and how little YAC (yards after catch) Jason gets. I was reading an article about a couple top flight WR's struggling with their YAC this season and decided to check out how Jason stacks up in the league.

YAC Monster may be stretching it, but it was quite surprising to see some of the players that have a lower YAC per reception than Witten this season. I found a sortable stats chart for the 2016 season here http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/yards-after-the-catch/2016/

Here are a few of the names that have a lower YAC/reception

• Jason Witten 4.2
• 
  
• Phillip Dorsett 4.0
  
• Mike Wallace 3.8
• Jordan Reed 3.7
• Todd Gurley 3.7
• TY Hilton 3.6
• Larry Fitzgerald 3.1
• Jordy Nelson 3.1
• Jeremy Maclin 3.1
• Kyle Rudolph 3.0
• Kelvin Benjamin 2.6
• Emmanuel Sanders 2.5
• Antonio Brown 2.3
• Dez Bryant 2.3
• Allen Robinson 1.8
• Michael Crabtree 1.5
• DeAndre Hopkins 1.5
• Mike Evans 1.2

Zeke averages 10.6 for those that want to know

Witten still has it!

 

[itsaboat]

Well Witten always gains at least 3 yards after every catch when he falls forward

 

[T-RO]

We all know Jason has lost a step, there was an article during pre-season saying that he basically just catches the ball and falls down. I know many here joke about how slow and how little YAC (yards after catch) Jason gets. I was reading an article about a couple top flight WR's struggling with their YAC this season and decided to check out how Jason stacks up in the league.

YAC Monster may be stretching it, but it was quite surprising to see some of the players that have a lower YAC per reception than Witten this season. I found a sortable stats chart for the 2016 season here http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/yards-after-the-catch/2016/

Here are a few of the names that have a lower YAC/reception

• Jason Witten 4.2
• 
  
• Phillip Dorsett 4.0
  
• Mike Wallace 3.8
• Jordan Reed 3.7
• Todd Gurley 3.7
• TY Hilton 3.6
• Larry Fitzgerald 3.1
• Jordy Nelson 3.1
• Jeremy Maclin 3.1
• Kyle Rudolph 3.0
• Kelvin Benjamin 2.6
• Emmanuel Sanders 2.5
• Antonio Brown 2.3
• Dez Bryant 2.3
• Allen Robinson 1.8
• Michael Crabtree 1.5
• DeAndre Hopkins 1.5
• Mike Evans 1.2

Zeke averages 10.6 for those that want to know

Witten still has it!

Receivers are catching balls going 10-30 yards down the field. By the time the ball arrives the tacklers usually have too.

Running backs will likely have quite high YAC because they are catching the ball behind the LOS or in the flat..and usually QB only goes that way when there's daylight for back. Some backs are used on down-the-field routes.

Tight ends are running something in-between these two extremes.

Any meaningful comparison will look at Witten versus other tight ends.

 

[mattjames2010]

Someone post here a couple months ago some kind of "Gotcha!" chart where Witten was 8-9 in total YAC. What they didn't explain is, with most of the TEs on the list, he had about 20-30 more catches than those TEs.

Witten really isn't a great YAC TE. He's a great route runner, finds soft spots, but that's really about it. Really hate that we couldn't get Hunter Henry.

 

[Echo9]

We all know Jason has lost a step, there was an article during pre-season saying that he basically just catches the ball and falls down. I know many here joke about how slow and how little YAC (yards after catch) Jason gets. I was reading an article about a couple top flight WR's struggling with their YAC this season and decided to check out how Jason stacks up in the league.

YAC Monster may be stretching it, but it was quite surprising to see some of the players that have a lower YAC per reception than Witten this season. I found a sortable stats chart for the 2016 season here http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/yards-after-the-catch/2016/

Here are a few of the names that have a lower YAC/reception

• Jason Witten 4.2
• 
  
• Phillip Dorsett 4.0
  
• Mike Wallace 3.8
• Jordan Reed 3.7
• Todd Gurley 3.7
• TY Hilton 3.6
• Larry Fitzgerald 3.1
• Jordy Nelson 3.1
• Jeremy Maclin 3.1
• Kyle Rudolph 3.0
• Kelvin Benjamin 2.6
• Emmanuel Sanders 2.5
• Antonio Brown 2.3
• Dez Bryant 2.3
• Allen Robinson 1.8
• Michael Crabtree 1.5
• DeAndre Hopkins 1.5
• Mike Evans 1.2

Zeke averages 10.6 for those that want to know

Witten still has it!

I think you make a good point. We have all seen the jokes. This year I think we've seen something different. Take our game-time chats for example, He catches the ball fights for yards and someone exclaims " OMG he got YAC!" as if it's like finding a Sasquatch. Then he does it again, followed by another exclamation. And so on. If someone is shicked by something that is now happenned 3 to 4 times in game, they are more love with the supposedly clever quip than they are with what's going on in the game.

At some point, as he continues to rack up YAC, the joke stops making sense. Sure, he has slowed, but the joke has always been an exaggeration and this year, it's just flat out false. I don't know what he did, but he really has been fighting hard for YAC this year. Maybe the commentary got back to him,and he got mad? Who knows.

 

[Vinnie2u]

Witten has perfected the 7 yard and drop to the ground catch.

 

[xwalker]

We all know Jason has lost a step, there was an article during pre-season saying that he basically just catches the ball and falls down. I know many here joke about how slow and how little YAC (yards after catch) Jason gets. I was reading an article about a couple top flight WR's struggling with their YAC this season and decided to check out how Jason stacks up in the league.

YAC Monster may be stretching it, but it was quite surprising to see some of the players that have a lower YAC per reception than Witten this season. I found a sortable stats chart for the 2016 season here http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/yards-after-the-catch/2016/

Here are a few of the names that have a lower YAC/reception

• Jason Witten 4.2
• 
  
• Phillip Dorsett 4.0
  
• Mike Wallace 3.8
• Jordan Reed 3.7
• Todd Gurley 3.7
• TY Hilton 3.6
• Larry Fitzgerald 3.1
• Jordy Nelson 3.1
• Jeremy Maclin 3.1
• Kyle Rudolph 3.0
• Kelvin Benjamin 2.6
• Emmanuel Sanders 2.5
• Antonio Brown 2.3
• Dez Bryant 2.3
• Allen Robinson 1.8
• Michael Crabtree 1.5
• DeAndre Hopkins 1.5
• Mike Evans 1.2

Zeke averages 10.6 for those that want to know

Witten still has it!

Good example of how statistics can be deceiving.

 

[T-RO]

Witten has perfected the 7 yard and drop to the ground catch.

With gems like this you should post more often. Somewhere else.

He's not a YAC monster but if anything a little under-rated in his run after catch skills

 

[DanTanna]

This year is different than the last 5. He actually IS getting by the first tackler on occasion and that leads to a long YAC. We need that from him.

 

[Doomsday101]

Witten has perfected the 7 yard and drop to the ground catch.

amazing considering he is avg 9.8 a catch.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Really hate that we couldn't get Hunter Henry.

We had and have far more pressing needs on our team than to spend that kind of resource on a TE.

 

[Maxmadden]

Witten has perfected the 7 yard and drop to the ground catch.

You also forgot that he has perfected the first down catch.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

I wish we would track broken tackles, because Witt would have about 3.

They were all stiff arms that worked.

 

[Reality]

We had and have far more pressing needs on our team than to spend that kind of resource on a TE.

We still have our 2017 second round pick?

 

[MileyDancer]

That stiff arm might be up there with the no helmet Philly play. I could watch that on a loop forever.

 

[conner01]

You also forgot that he has perfected the first down catch.

And the first down pass. He has a 100% completion pct and averages 40 yards per pass. One amazing stat is he has only fumbled 6 times in his career and lost 4

 

[mattjames2010]

We had and have far more pressing needs on our team than to spend that kind of resource on a TE.

Oh you mean like wasting a second round pick on a LB who may never play a game again?

Hunter Henry was one of the more polished offensive players coming out of college. I'd say one of the best TE prospects in a while. We have a 34 year old TE in his twilight years in a league where TEs can be quite valuable in blocking and receiving.

You have a guy like Hunter Henry there (He wasn't, which is why I said i wish) you freakin' draft him.

Also, Chargers have a lot of "pressing needs" as well. I'm sure they'll get those needs in future drafts, but I doubt anyone is regretting grabbing Henry who has over 300 yards, 3 TDs, and a 16.3 YPC average in 4 games as a starter.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Can we just agree that Witten has never been the type of tight end with excellent speed and elusiveness? Those are the Jordan Reeds of the NFL, and they are completely different types of players.

Witten has been the model of consistency his entire career. He runs textbook routes and catches every pass he should; and even at his age still blocks like an extra offensive lineman. Any YAC Witten gets is gravy, because he's already going to be past the sticks when he catches the ball anyway.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Receivers are catching balls going 10-30 yards down the field. By the time the ball arrives the tacklers usually have too.

Running backs will likely have quite high YAC because they are catching the ball behind the LOS or in the flat..and usually QB only goes that way when there's daylight for back. Some backs are used on down-the-field routes.

Tight ends are running something in-between these two extremes.

Any meaningful comparison will look at Witten versus other tight ends.

There's definitely truth in that, but how many people would have guessed that Witten has a higher YAC than WRs like TY Hilton, Mike Wallace, Jordy Nelson or Antonio Brown? Those aren't normally known as "possession" type WRs, except Brown to an extent, but guys that can get separation and get big yards after the catch.

 

[dogunwo]

Witten has perfected the 7 yard and drop to the ground catch.

And being one yard short of the first down.