Miami writer: Stevie Johnson's a No. 2

[mrags]

Stevie is a very good number 2, he is not a number one.

by factual knowledge, Stevie is a #1 considering he is the best WR in this team and is #1 on the depth chart. So if your saying hes pretty good, that means he's pretty good for a #1.

 

Just saying.

[section122]

The people that don't think Stevie is a #1 are stuck in the old way of thinking. Back in the days of x y and z receivers. Where the x was your #1 and all around, y was your deep guy and #2, while z was your smaller slot #3. Football has moved past this and so should posters on this board.

 

A #1 receiver is now whomever your go to guy is on offense. It was Welker, it is Steve smith, and it is Stevie Johnson. #1 now means the #1 option in your receiving corp. Stevie Johnson has been that for 3 years running now.

[Armchair GM]

Lofton is a HOFer, so that's one, Reed had a similar game to Stevie and was a RAC. I put Stevie at neither player's level YET. But if he keeps improving and starts making some of the clutch plays he's been missing on.... Who knows?

 

 

Edit: I'll add that he could be one of the bigger question marks in the new offense. West coast offense emphasizes disciplined route running and Marrone is all about speed. These are both things Stevie is not known for, and in particular the unorthodox route running has been cited as his key asset. If the new o clamps down on that, he might see a serious drop off in his production.

 

So, you think they are going to tell him to clean up his routes and get open less often?

 

Statistically, SJ13 is a #2...a very good # 2. But, the reaons he's a "#2" are the same, IMHO, that make him a #1:

 

1.) No legitimate threat across the field from him...or on the field at the same time unless Spiller of FJ are spread out.

 

2.) No #1 QB throwing him the ball...ever

 

3.) Has played through a nagging groin injury for 2 years

 

4) a combo of 1 and 2 as the handcuffs he's had on, while still breaking 1,000 yards for 3 straight years.

[PJBrown7]

Stevie has had 3 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons and lets face it, it wasn't exactly Jim Kelly throwing him the ball.

 

1,2, 3 or 10...who cares. Totally irrelevant. Just keep producing.

[thebandit27]

Stevie is a very good number 2, he is not a number one.

 

Other than your BS statement above, do you have anything on which to base your opinion, as I asked those of you to do in my previous post in this thread?

 

Because literally every discernible fact would indicate that you're wrong.

[#34fan]

All the more reason to retain and develop Brandon Kaufmann. Fit him in there with Dickerson, and you've got one hell of a red-zone package. Hell, at 6'5" he can even be a threat downfield... Wtf are they gonna do? -Grab onto his arm? Thanks, that's fifteen yards. Arm-bar? -That's a kneecap you're barring, midget.

 

Some may see Kaufman as overkill. I say it's about time we had something to over-kill someone with. A guy like that could open up the field for other targets, leaving incompetent, beat-writers to figure out how fish guts ended up all over Sun Life Stadium.

 

Hope you like chum, Armando. -It's on like MOFO.

[DC Tom]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the author claims the Dolphins have the #1 receiving corps in the division...and given that the Bills have Johnson and a bunch of rookies, the Pats lost Welker and may not have Gronk, and the Jets have basically no one, he might be right. The Dolphins may very well have the best receiving corps in the division.

 

And you know what? The Fins receivers still suck, badly. Congrats, Dolphins, on being the highest functioning cripple.

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

The people that don't think Stevie is a #1 are stuck in the old way of thinking. Back in the days of x y and z receivers. Where the x was your #1 and all around, y was your deep guy and #2, while z was your smaller slot #3. Football has moved past this and so should posters on this board.

 

A #1 receiver is now whomever your go to guy is on offense. It was Welker, it is Steve smith, and it is Stevie Johnson. #1 now means the #1 option in your receiving corp. Stevie Johnson has been that for 3 years running now.

 

Excellent point. There's no denying that Stevie has the highest production, and will likely continue to do so. Might he be more effective in the middle of the field? Maybe, but he's doing a pretty good job right now. Really, I'm stoked about the talent that we've brought in this offseason: Woods seems ready to start, Goodwin might be that deep threat we need, and Kaufman and Rodgers are looking like possible UDFA gems. Between them, and with Stevie returning, and throwing Brad Smith, TJ Graham and Dorin Dickerson in the mix I think there's going to be a lot of scrapping for who is in the top six.

[MOFO]

So, you think they are going to tell him to clean up his routes and get open less often?

 

Statistically, SJ13 is a #2...a very good # 2. But, the reaons he's a "#2" are the same, IMHO, that make him a #1:

 

1.) No legitimate threat across the field from him...or on the field at the same time unless Spiller of FJ are spread out.

 

2.) No #1 QB throwing him the ball...ever

 

3.) Has played through a nagging groin injury for 2 years

 

4) a combo of 1 and 2 as the handcuffs he's had on, while still breaking 1,000 yards for 3 straight years.

 

Good points...this may have changed my mind...could I be wr ..wrr .wrrroo...wrong?

[benderbender]

Who knew a Miami writer would have unkind things to say about a division rival?

[C-Man]

I think Stevie is a good player - not great. I like his pop, but I need to see him mature a bit more. He will never be the game changer Reed or Lofton were.

 

We are a team still waiting for our big time WR.

[KeisterHollow]

Oh man! Another thing about the Bills resurgence - should we begin to get competitve and good again, which I believe we'll be even this year - is that we can begin to cherish old rivalries again! It's been SOOOOOOOO long since I've felt anything close to a rivalry for Buffalo, with the exception of the Patriots. In fact, I'd say the Patriots is Buffalo's biggest rivalry - despite the fact that they'd disagree. Yet, if we beat them good a few times and challenge for the division, I think the Patriots could quickly come to hate us; in fact, I get the impression the Patriots really despise Buffalo more than most teams.

 

Anyway, with the Dolphins coming up - which, by the way, I think they'll definitely be improved; that coach is potentially to them what Marrone will be for us, which is to say he was the brains behind an excellent system in Green Bay and is implanting that system, and the excellence, into the Dolphins - we should be able to look forward to the next decade of Miami vs Buffalo, two young QB's growing together, both drafted in the same range, two new coaches... It's going to be great to look forward to games that matter again!

 

And, of course, there's the Jets - who Buffalo will play very tough since they're so frequently beating us good, and since we now have Rex's pupil/protege here - that'll make for excellent story and build-up.

Edited May 14, 2013 by KeisterHollow

[San Jose Bills Fan]

^^^^^^^^ In the Class of '83 QB Draft the Bills (Kelly), Fish (Marino) Cheatriots*** (Eason) and Nyets (O'Brien) all took QBs in the first round.

 

With regards to the Jets you'll have the EJ Manuel vs Geno Smith storyline for many years to come.

[Malazan]

If you really think Beebe is better than Stevie Johnson then you are on a whole different level of crazy and I don't know why I even bother arguing this with you.

 

Some people need to disregard all sense and reason to get through the day. It's better if you just leave them alone.

[eball]

Am I imagining things or did a Miami sportswriter call Stevie a piece of schitt?

[OCinBuffalo]

Good for 3 reasons:

 

1. Telling Steve Johnson he's a #2, is like feeding spinach to Popeye.

 

2. Please talk more schit Brian Hartline, when your WR corps haven't played a down together, or with your 19th best QB in the league. (see here http://espn.go.com/nfl/qbr). This way, when you come to your senses and realize that the 2 guys they got are overpaid, and merely mediocre, it will be funnier for us.

 

3. I don't want anybody to know anything about this team. The more stories that say we have nothing but rookies and a not #1 at WR, the better. I want ESPN et al to completely ignore us. I am displeased with John Clayton mentioning our WRs today, and calling Woods a potential steal, after 5 days of practice. I want us to come out and shock the hell out of people, exactly the same as 1988.

 

Why? Because that was what created the mystique of the old Bills. All of sudden, some guy from Kutztown State was leading the league in receptions, and had no fear of going over the middle and getting hit by LBs, and this USFL Qb was winning game after game, and had a better record than Marino, Moon, Elway, and Montana.

 

"Let them spin, we will win"

[Alphadawg7]

I find it comical that he's not considered a number 1. It sounds like some of the posters here that claim he's not a number 1 because he doesn't put up Larry Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson numbers.

 

Andre Reed was a number 1, he should be in the HOF and Stevie is quickly entrenching himself as possibly the best Bills receiver in history. When all is said and done, I have no doubts he will be.

 

Why is Stevie a number 1? Because he puts up similar or better numbers than a WR did in a completely different era where WR stats were overall lower than today?

 

I love Stevie, but here are some important facts that can not be ignored.

 

1. He compiled a LOT of stats in meaningless points of games or against very weak teams. He way too often was a ghost for large stretches of games, especially key points where we were still in them.

 

2. He does not go up and fight for balls and generally is only open when he is actually open...not a guy you can throw it up for generally or that fights for position.

 

3. He has come up short in several key moments in games, and on 3 occasions off the top of my head he dropped easy passes to either outright win the game or extend the final drive that outright lost us a game.

 

4. He drops too many passes overall. T.O. dropped a lot of passes, but he made up for it where he could take over games. Stevie does not go out and take over games as he has neither the hands, size, or speed to do so. His production comes from being an excellent route runner.

 

That being said, he is talented and I liked him since we drafted him and still do. But he is not a number 1 WR and would not be considered that on many teams around the league. He was a #1 here because he was the best we had. And no, you don't have to be Fitz or Calvin to be a #1 guy, but when you don't fight for balls, never take over games, drop too many passes, come up short in key moments, don't have game breaking speed, and disappear way too often then I think it's very fair to say he is not a true number 1 guy.

 

Now, all that being said, QB play has also been atrocious, so maybe if we can finally get the QB situation settled he may make more if a consistent impact. Right now, I still think Woods has a shot of eventually becoming the #1 guy if he lives up to his potential.

Edited May 14, 2013 by Alphadawg7

[BuffaloBill]

There is a chicken and egg dilemma here as Stevie has not had a great QB but there is truth to the idea that he does not strike fear into opposing defenses. A true #1 should perhaps with a better QB Stevie emerges as a game changer. Right now he is a talented receiver looking for a supporting cast.

[Malazan]

Good points...this may have changed my mind...could I be wr ..wrr .wrrroo...wrong?

 

No, don't stop believin; Gotta hold onto that feeling.

[Rockinon]

Considering the way they cleaned house at the WR position and brought in all of this young talent, I really think that it ain't going to be all about Stevie this year. BTW, that's how it should be.