NFL.com: Why can't Sammy Watkins be Bills' Deandre Hopkins?

[Kelly the Dog]

I don't know how you can say that. If the pass is thrown in bounds to the 15 yd line, it's an easy catch and the safety is still a few yards away.

Exactly. It has to be thrown right to the 15 yard line. And there is a rusher coming so he had to throw it right then. I said it could have been completed and maybe should have. But he couldn't have lofted it. Couldn't throw it a little left (OB) or little right (safety). It wasn't an easy throw like some or most others he missed.

[Billy in 4C]

I know everyone on here loves Tyrod, but it comes down to him. Watkins is consistently getting open and we know that he has big play ability when we get him the ball. Tyrod struggles making his pre-snap reads and going through his progressions. I'm not sure if he can't see over the line or what the issue is but he doesn't see the middle of the field. Until Tyrod improves, its going to be more of the same for Watkins.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

‏@AdamBenigni

#Bills Rex Ryan on Sammy Watkins: "We gotta find ways to get him the football... that's a challenge to our staff and quarterback." @wgrz

The guy was unbelievable at Clemson with screen passes. When we drafted him I thought that was what he would get alot of, and The downfield stuff he would grow into. Instead never uses him on screens, and throw him long low percentage fades a couple times a game. Jeez

[TheFunPolice]

Sammy is every bit as good but this offense seems to lack any sort of complex passing game.

 

It's deep bomb or 2 yard checkdown.

 

I find it funny that once it's desperation time suddenly the throw to Sammy and he starts making play after play.

 

I should re-phrase the word "funny" because I usually go ballistic when I see it.

 

DO IT WHEN THE GAME IS STILL THERE TO BE WON!

[GG]

 

Eureka! Missed opportunities along with less targets is one reason Sammy isn't shining like Hopkins and other WRs.

 

 

So it is bash TT thread

[TheFunPolice]

Where are the screens? The drags? The Slants?

 

It's not Tyrod's fault that the OC cannot design a complex passing game.

 

It's all deep down field or nothing, which is why Tyrod can hit a few deep balls, complete 70% of his passes, and barely finish with 200 yards. We just don't have a reliable short to intermediate passing game, which is what moves the chains.

Edited November 25, 2015 by TheFunPolice

[26CornerBlitz]

 

 

So it is bash TT thread

 

Exactly!

[TheFunPolice]

I call it a bash Roman thread.

 

He did the same thing in SF with Kap. It was all run, run, run, deep bomb. QB run, rinse, repeat.

 

It works well when you get up on a team (see Miami games). When you are behind or in a close one and need to move the chains forget it.

 

The problem is that the deep ball is not reliable enough. It's too low %.

 

Brady throws 3 yard passes and his annoying dinky little WR run for an extra 7-10 yards every play. And they are virtually unstoppable when healthy.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

It is an old school Marty Schottenheimer Play Action Pass Offense. When you can run it looks wonderful, everything is open and works. Pound Pound Pound big play! When people slow the run down or contain it like NE did, his offenses always struggle to sustain drives. This is in contrast to current offenses which either pass to setup the run or just plain pass.

Edited November 25, 2015 by The Thurmanator

[Kelly the Dog]

Part of the problem is that we want Shady to have the ball running and receiving. We want Karlos running and receiving. We want Woods involved more. We want Clay involved more. We want Sammy to have 10 targets.

 

Complicate that with the fact it takes forever to get the play in and Taylor often has to tell the line and receivers where to be. It not only hurts his time to read pre snap but it cuts down the number of plays per game.

 

Complicate that with stupid penalties we get for not lining up or other such nonsense.

 

A lot of this is on Roman. A lot on Tyrod who needs to be better. A lot on just circumstance.

 

There were a dozen plays to be made against the Pats that weren't.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

No slants, no screens, no-end arounds for Sammy. Not one. How do you not design plays to get the ball to Sammy? Also, where was Clay. Not one seam pass down the middle last night. Not one. Terrible game plan by Roman. The All-22 will once again show that Sammy was open lots. Also, thank you for not taking this on to the 900-page Sammy thread.

Clay was running down the seam all game. Not roman's fault that TT wasn't attempting those passes.

[TheFunPolice]

There is absolutely no excuse for Sammy not being a focal point of this offense. Whoever is to blame it needs to get fixed.

 

What's worse than losing having never really gone to your top weapon?

[Boatdrinks]

It's really quite simple. Bills QBs have been downright dismal since the first 8 games or so of the Drew Bledsoe era. Any NFL observer knows it, even casual ones. It's so bad that Bills fans have actually gotten excited about less than mediocre game managers a la Trent Edwards. Watkins has elite skills. He has no stats because our QBs relative to the rest of the league have stunk. TT doesn't turn the ball over and he can run. He doesn't exhibit the willingness or maybe the ability, to get his best WR the football. In a sense, he's playing a different game than the rest of the league. The passing game is now about the deep sideline putting the ball where your guy can go get it and maybe draw a flag, and using the middle of the field on slants etc. it's not about throwing to stopped WRs underneath coverage. I need to see TT be accurate on those types of throws, not just hitting a go route once in awhile that has little risk of an INT.

[bobobonators]

In defense of Watkins, at least Hopkins gets the ball thrown to him. Did Yates care that Revis was covering Hopkins? Nope. We don't even target Watkins some games which is flat out embarrassing.

[DriveFor1Outta5]

When you have a quarterback that can't read a defense you end up with lots of check downs to backs. You also see tons of short passes over the middle to tight ends and slot receivers. Finding the deep options requires anticipation, and the ability to see what the defense is doing. Tyrod does not have this. He has four tricks up his sleeve, and they're all he has: Scramble and hope to find someone get wide open, scrambling to pick up yards, short passes, and deep passes to receivers running go routes. Go routes are the only deep passes he is capable of. It requires simply throwing the ball up to said receiver. Any down field throws that require reading the defense are out with Tyrod as QB. We will never see Sammy become a down field threat with Tyrod at QB.

That being said Roman has simply been terrible as well. We need to find ways to get the ball in Sammy's hands that work for our QB. We need screens and short patterns, in addition to the Go routes. Roman should also try moving Sammy around more. Try things such as playing him in the slot more often. We still find ways to get the ball to Hogan, but why can't we get it to Sammy? I'm not bashing Hogan at all, but your biggest playmakers need the ball in their hands. I thought Hackett was the only OC capable of such incompetency, but maybe I was wrong.

[26CornerBlitz]

@SalSports

Taylor: Coverage dictates where the ball goes ultimately. I don't go into a game trying to force it to one guy.

@JoeBuscaglia

#Bills QB Tyrod Taylor on Watkins: Coverage dictates where the ball goes. I'm not going to try and force it into spots that aren't there.

@mikerodak

Tyrod Taylor on lack of targets to Sammy Watkins: "I don't go into a game looking to force it to one player."... http://espn.go.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0461241869787994028-4

[Billsguy]

Hopkins has been targeted 137 times. Watkins has been targeted 38 times.

 

Hopkins has caught 76 balls. If Watkins had been targeted at the same rate, he would project to 90 receptions. This is another example of horrible coaching and tactics from Rex Ryan and Greg Roman.

 

You can't win with talented players if you have inferior coaching, but you can win with superior coaching. The Bills erred massively hiring Rex Ryan!

[26CornerBlitz]

Hopkins has been targeted 137 times. Watkins has been targeted 38 times.

 

Hopkins has caught 76 balls. If Watkins had been targeted at the same rate, he would project to 90 receptions. This is another example of horrible coaching and tactics from Rex Ryan and Greg Roman.

 

You can't win with talented players if you have inferior coaching, but you can win with superior coaching. The Bills erred massively hiring Rex Ryan!

 

Bring back John Rauch!

[bobobonators]

Hopkins has been targeted 137 times. Watkins has been targeted 38 times.

 

Hopkins has caught 76 balls. If Watkins had been targeted at the same rate, he would project to 90 receptions. This is another example of horrible coaching and tactics from Rex Ryan and Greg Roman.

 

You can't win with talented players if you have inferior coaching, but you can win with superior coaching. The Bills erred massively hiring Rex Ryan!

Wow those numbers are unacceptable

[Joeziehmer]

We should have canned Doug Whaley, Buddy Nix, and Canned Chan Gailey on the same day Canned Chan and his staff got the ax. Whaley is happier being a Loser with a big fat pay check than actually winning.

How often do we blame Sammy for not being able to take advantage over a long distance of breaking seams? Oh, we talk of his talents and his speed. How many times has he been rotated when he has been gassed? The same front office that drafted CJ also drafted Sammy. While you pan Rex just remember that.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Joeziehmer