Reason for TO's "struggles"...?

[LittleBoyBlue]

It also takes some time to integrate a guy like that into the offense, especially if you're going to be changing the way your team lines up, goes into motion, etc.

I agree with Rack and others who have said his missed time in TC is the main culprit as far as that is concerned.

I could easily be wrong, but I don't recall seeing TO go in motion one time this season.

Yes it could be playing a part in whats going on here... BUT... if TO tells Drew just throw it my general direction and I will get it... then that should be a nice bridge until they get on the same page

 

[alancdc]

I just know that when he played in Philly and SF it seemed like he was in "space" way more than he has been with us. He used to be wide open in the middle, and streaking down the sideline. Now, he has been open on a few down the sideline, and drew just hasn't gotten him the ball, JAcksonville in teh first quarter, and the Philly game. Seems with us he catches a 5 yard in pattern, and gets crushed. He needs to be able to make one guy miss and be gone not catch a 2 yard pass and get drilled by 3 linebackers.

 

[Crown Royal]

I just know that when he played in Philly and SF it seemed like he was in "space" way more than he has been with us. He used to be wide open in the middle, and streaking down the sideline. Now, he has been open on a few down the sideline, and drew just hasn't gotten him the ball, JAcksonville in teh first quarter, and the Philly game. Seems with us he catches a 5 yard in pattern, and gets crushed. He needs to be able to make one guy miss and be gone not catch a 2 yard pass and get drilled by 3 linebackers.

I was thinking this same thing...






...about Keyshawn. He seems more open in Carolina.

Honestly, I think there is a lot of issue with a sub par WR coach in Haley (read LaTunaNostra's stuff on him) and lack of a real offensive coordinator. If we had a solid coordinator, we would be doing much better, I think.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Sure do, Dale. I was mentioning the same thing after the Eagles game when there was talk of T.O. freelancing routes. When your QB scrambles away and buys more time, you HAVE to freelance to some degree, even if it's on those old Bill Walsh "orchestrated" improvisations. Maybe that's where Owens got into that habit.

But obviously, that's never going to be an option with Bledsoe.

 

[alancdc]

Being here in Charlotte, Key has been increadible. He catches EVERYTHING like he always has, and they are loving him here. Since Steve Smith has come back they are a totally diffrent team. Key was a PERFECT fit for the Panthers.

 

[Alexander]

Sure do, Dale. I was mentioning the same thing after the Eagles game when there was talk of T.O. freelancing routes. When your QB scrambles away and buys more time, you HAVE to freelance to some degree, even if it's on those old Bill Walsh "orchestrated" improvisations. Maybe that's where Owens got into that habit.

But obviously, that's never going to be an option with Bledsoe.

When Bledsoe "free-lances" he simply doesn't readjust like many other QBs do. In other words, he is terrible at improvisation. It often appears he sticks to the primary play, sometimes even after a receiver has re-adjusted accordingly. The reason Glenn has great chemistry with him is not just familiarity, it is that he is so precise with his route running, he rarely has to adjust and Bledsoe can try and fit it in a hole.

Outstanding point by Dale, I do believe Owens has become conditioned to playing his position like that.

 

[InmanRoshi]

TO will never be a great WR here because this offense doesn't fit his strengths like the WCO. This offense is built around route running, which is not his strong suit. He can still be a very good WR that teams have to prepare for every week and can help us win football games. Whether he catches 1000 or 1400 yards in this offense matters very little to me, and I could really give a crap how TO feels about it. Parcells told him that was the way its going to be if he signed here. TO said he was fine with it when Jerry was holding that $10 million check in front of his face, so now its time to be a big boy and live up to it.

 

[Chuck 54]

I think a mobile QB helps...he's from the West Coast offense and probably doesn't run the most crisp routes around, something Glenn excells at.

 

[Cowchips]

Here's a math quiz.

Take TO's 10-12 easy passes that were dropped. Shift them from to the completions column and add 3 or 4 resulting touchdowns.

Suddenly, TO and Bledsoe are having knock out seasons and the team is 5-0 or 4-1.

Things will continue to improve as long as TO starts catching more of those easy passes.

 

[Cowchips]

Being here in Charlotte, Key has been increadible. He catches EVERYTHING like he always has, and they are loving him here. Since Steve Smith has come back they are a totally diffrent team. Key was a PERFECT fit for the Panthers.

Carolina's doing ok but they will need a lot more than their 20 ppg average to beat Dallas.

With 2 "great" receivers, I expected to see scores in the 30's.

 

[alancdc]

Well, I hope so. They have looked better now that 89 is in the lineup. They have a makeshift line with a AZ Cardinals castoff playing LT. We should blitz all day. They did score 23 against the Ravens D. I think we can run on them though. Anyway, I will worrry about this week's game first I guess.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Do you think the presence of a pure pocket passer is restricting his game and limiting one of his strengths, that being the ability to break free with a mobile QB running around?

Dale,

Your question is a very valid one, and "Yes!" we have not had the true "busted play" this season that led to a big T.O. gain from a scrambling QB. But I think this is much less the reason for T.O.'s truggles than other things, like him having legitimate leg and hand injuries and limited practice time with his new QB. This was best evidenced in the Eagles game where we saw Bledsoe underthow T.O. on a long pass because Bledsoe did not anticipate T.O.'s tendencies. That had more to do with the lack of chemistry between QB and WR due to lack of practice, than any player's weaknesses.

Someone in this thread brought up Randy Moss as an example of a WR who needs the busted play to be effective. But I don't think you can make a fair comparisson between Moss and T.O. Moss, as documented, does not practice hard, takes plays off, and does not run disciplined routes. The last one is especially critical because T.O. does run good patterns, which is critically impoertant when you have a pure pocket passer like Bledse throwing to you. T.O. also practices hard, he just needs more practice reps with Bledsoe so that they can get hteir timing and tendencies down. I think that as this happens you will see the big plays from T.O. mount.

**

 

[tecolote]

I don´t think missing time is the problem anymore, we´re a month and a half into the season, yeah he missed a lot of training camp but he has had time to make up for the missing time since then.

In SF (post Rice) and in Philly he was clearly the first choice in the offense, he is not the first choice here, that, along with the mobility of the QB may explain his diminished production.

I don´t think his skills are a problem in any way.

 

[Angus]

I had stumbled upon a TO highlight package from Philly over at YouTube.com after watching that rap video posted earlier.

Quick question: Do you think one reason TO isn't have as much of a statistical impact is that he doesn't have a mobile QB throwing him the ball?

This is not an indictment of Bledsoe (this thread doesn't need to become that). But watching some of TO's bigger plays over the years, it seems like a number of them have been undesigned when McNabb -- or even Garcia -- scrambles around to eventually find an open TO for a big game.

Heck, even before McNabb and Garcia, he had Steve Young throwing him the ball.

Do you think the presence of a pure pocket passer is restricting his game and limiting one of his strengths, that being the ability to break free with a mobile QB running around?

Just a thought...

Yes, indeed.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Here's a math quiz.

Take TO's 10-12 easy passes that were dropped. Shift them from to the completions column and add 3 or 4 resulting touchdowns.

Suddenly, TO and Bledsoe are having knock out seasons and the team is 5-0 or 4-1.

Things will continue to improve as long as TO starts catching more of those easy passes.

Not bad... but you have Fuzzy Math.... TO has not dropped 10-12 easy passes....

Your equation has MORE to do with Drew doing his part

 

[Dale]

Not bad... but you have Fuzzy Math.... TO has not dropped 10-12 easy passes....

Your equation has MORE to do with Drew doing his part

Yeah, and most of his drops came against Washington -- a game we won. Hardly impacted the W-L column there.

The other TD pass he juggled came against Tennessee -- another game we won.

 

[tecolote]

Yeah, and most of his drops came against Washington -- a game we won. Hardly impacted the W-L column there.

The other TD pass he juggled came against Tennessee -- another game we won.

And he broke a bone in his hand in that game.