Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson is an underestimated foe for
Napsal: sob 15. pro 2018 3:38:26The regular season is at last underway http://www.titansfootballauthentics.com/kamalei-correa-jersey-authentic , which means we get to look forward to the Titans’ week 1 matchup on the road against the Miami Dolphins.For this piece, I will be breaking down a key player on the Dolphins’ offense, which happens to be the newcomer Albert Wilson, previously with the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilson signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins in the offseason, and is expected to have a significant role in Miami’s offense. Behind guys like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, Wilson had 42 catches for 554 yards and three touchdowns. Now, several Titans fans I’ve talked to don’t really value Wilson’s presence on Miami’s receiving corps; In other words, he’s being underestimated. But with fourth-year wideout DeVante Parker being sidelined for week 1 in addition to struggling for most of his career, Wilson will start the season opener and is a receiver Tennessee needs to look out for.Let’s get to the tape.gamepass.nfl.comIn Miami, Wilson is essentially the underneath replacement for now Cleveland Brown receiver Jarvis Landry. It’s highly unlikely that Wilson ever sees the large target shares that Landry had with the Dolphins, but Wilson is the quicker, faster alternative. This is especially apparent in the screen game, where Wilson was a big piece for the Chiefs in 2017.Chiefs head coach Andy Reid loved putting Wilson in bunch formations, and it sounds like Dolphins coach Adam Gase is going to do the same. Wilson is the main target on this play in a bunch set. The other two receivers are there to block for him while the left tackle also goes into the open field to provide additional insurance. This play doesn’t look like much from Wilson since it relies more on the execution of the blocks, but it’s important to note his speed on the play. As long as he gets blockers in the open field, he’ll be able to do the rest and pick up yards after the catch.According to Football Outsiders, Albert Wilson was the most valuable screen receiver in regards to the replacement level in 2017, leading all screen receiver in Defensive-adjusted Yards Above Replacement with 51 DYAR in this area. This is an area the Dolphins look to exploit on Sunday against the Titans, as Wilson is basically a monster in the underneath game.But Wilson is more than just a screen receiver, giving him a little versatility on the line of scrimmage.gamepass.nfl.comAgainst the Broncos in week 17, Wilson formed a strong bond with the new starting quarterback for the Chiefs in Patrick Mahomes, In that game http://www.titansfootballauthentics.com/will-compton-jersey-authentic , Wilson caught 10 passes for 147 yards and was a key contributor on Kansas City’s game winning drive.This clip is not from said drive, but it illustrates how good of a route runner Wilson is. He’s running a simple curl route, but what makes it impressive is just how smoothly he executes it. He cuts inside against the slot defender to start off, putting the defensive back on skates as he comes back to the ball. What’s important about his route is how Wilson is able to space himself far enough that the slot defender has no shot (and let’s be honest it isn’t even close) at disrupting the pass.It’s not the kind of splash play you’d expect from a receiver like Antonio Brown or DeAndre Hopkins, but it illustrates how near flawlessly Wilson has the fundamentals down as a receiver.gamepass.nfl.comHere, Wilson gets to show off some of his athleticism. Again, he’s the screen receiver in a bunch formation, but this time the results look a little more impressive. Once Wilson sees a gap to go through, he accelerates and gets the first down with ease. But he doesn’t stop there, eluding the defensive back #27 with a nice cut to pick up additional yards after the catch.gamepass.nfl.comOn this play, Wilson runs a simple jerk route, where the receiver looks to be running a shallow crossing route before cutting back outside. This is effective when you want to isolate a receiver onto a linebacker, like so in the play above. Andy Reid disguises this as a pick play and instead schemes Wilson open with the jerk route. Despite Mahomes’ throw being behind, Wilson adjusts and cuts the corner, getting a first down in the process.Finally, Wilson can on occasion make the spectacular play. gamepass.nfl.comThis is an excellent catch. Wilson not only displays the tenacity and catch radius advantage on the defensive back, but manages to keep both feet in bounds close to the sideline. There’s not much else to say on this except for “Wow what a catch!”Simply put, Wilson is a threat the Titans need to watch out for. He is an extremely effective receiver underneath when asked to work in the flat, run screens, run shallow crossing routes and run jerk routes. He’s also a guy that can contribute in the intermediate passing game, as highlighted in that week 17 matchup at Denver. To conclude, as slot receivers go Youth Marcus Mariota Jersey , Wilson is pretty good, and needs to be surveyed by the Titans defense in DeVante Parker’s absence, as he’s a new piece in a Dolphins offense trying to turn the corner. It is no secret: the Tennessee Titans offense has struggled thus far in 2018.The run game has sputtered and been mostly ineffective for the better part of 5 games, as evidenced by the team’s current rank of 24th in rush DVOA (which accounts for strength of opponent) according to Football Outsiders.The Titans have played 21 total periods (counting overtime) this season. They have been held without a touchdown in 16 of those 21 quarters. The nerve injury sustained by Marcus Mariota, the multiple injuries suffered by Taylor Lewan, the devastating injury that ended Delanie Walker’s season, Jack Conklin’s recovery from a torn ACL, Dennis Kelly’s mystery illness, and the demise of Rishard Matthews have all factored in to the offense’s struggles, no doubt about it.Tyler Marz struggled mightily filling in for the injured Lewan on Sunday after the league’s highest-paid tackle exited the game with a foot injury.
But the crazy part is that despite all the injuries and all the ineffectiveness, the Titans offense could be doing much better if the team could simply eliminate mental mistakes and execute when it counted.One position group that has struggled consistently with making mistakes is the team’s pass catchers, particularly when it comes to... well... catching the ball.The graphic above was posted prior to Sunday’s game at Buffalo, but I can’t imagine the number improved much after Nick Williams’ costly drop in the 4th quarter.There are lots of things that could be better about the Titans’ offense, but for today’s article, we’re just going to look at the Titans drops, because those miscues are pretty easy to identify, and for the Titans, they’ve come in pretty huge moments.I reviewed all of the Titans’ incomplete pass attempts since Week 1 and determined that there were 8 (give or take) drops by Titans receivers on balls that should’ve been caught (the most questionable one is the downfield play against the Eagles where Taywan Taylor was egregiously interfered with, drawing no flag).6 of these 8 drops occurred on third down. Let’s take a closer look at each painful drop to assess just how much damage the receivers are doing to the offensive production...NFL Gamepass.This first one came on the Titans’ very first possession of the season. The offense drove to the Dolphins 28-yard line and, facing a 3rd-and-4, Mariota lofted one into the end zone for Taywan Taylor.Now this isn’t exactly an easy catch, and there may be a small amount of pass interference Youth Rashaan Evans Jersey , but the fact of the matter is the ball landed squarely in both of Taylor’s hands and bounced cleanly out, costing the team a touchdown. This is one you expect your starting-caliber receivers to catch.And I don’t mean this next part to be blaming Taywan Taylor for the disastrous start to the season, but hear me out - had Taylor caught this ball, every play that followed would have changed (you know, the butterfly effect and all), including (but not limited to) Marcus Mariota’s injury, Taylor Lewan’s concussion, and Delanie Walker’s broken ankle.So, all in all, a brutal first drop. Moving on...The second one came Week 3 against Jacksonville. Rishard Matthews questioned his role in the offense. Perhaps if he had managed to make this simple reception, he would’ve received more snaps...NFL Gamepass.As you can see from the endzone cam, this third-and-2 pass attempt deep in Jacksonville territory hits Rishard Matthews exactly where quarterbacks are instructed to hit their targets - in the hands directly in front of the facemask. Naturally, Rishard Matthews did not want to be a Titan anymore so rather than set the team up with a first down in the red zone, he dropped the pass, ending the drive.Moving on to later in this game...NFL Gamepass.In the second quarter, the Titans faced a 3rd-and-6 from their own 20 yard line. Tajae Sharpe does a nice job of getting open over the middle, and Mariota delivers a great throw that hits his receiver right between the numbers.Sharpe tries to corral this pass between his arms as if he’s fielding a punt. As he rolls over, the ball squirts free. Incomplete pass, drive over, Titans punt. Shall we discuss the next one?NFL Gamepass.Onto Week 4: here we have one of Mariota’s best plays as an escape artist in the pocket. Notice that it is again third down. Mariota, evading the rush, somehow keeps his balance and maneuvers back around to find an open Jonnu Smith just beyond the first down marker. Rather than use his hands http://www.titansfootballauthentics.com/dion-lewis-jersey-authentic , Smith goes for the ole’ bread basket catching technique, and the ball doinks straight off his chest into the ground, killing another Titans drive deep in opponent territory. Mariota’s reaction is a reflection of how we all felt. Later in the game...NFL Gamepass.This one was not on third down, and it should’ve been flagged for a pass interference penalty, as Leodis McKelvin clearly grabs Taywan Taylor’s facemask. For those reasons, this is the least egregious drop of this breakdown. Even so, Mariota delivered a beautiful pass that hits Taylor in the hands. PI or not, it’d be nice to see him catch this ball.Let’s take a look at another...NFL Gamepass.This next one, again in the Week 4 game, is a bit tougher to see, but using the end zone cam you can tell that this ball hits Taywan Taylor squarely in the chest - again on third down - and Taylor is again unable to secure the pass, thus ending another Titans drive.This next one belongs in a slapstick comedy routine...NFL Gamepass.The speedster Darius Jennings runs straight past the Philadelphia defense and Mariota delivers a perfect downfield strike, in overtime, needing a touchdown to win the game.Jennings feels compelled (for reasons unknown) to jump as the pass is arriving and thrust his chest upwards into the ball while alligator-arming the attempt to secure it. And so, with the chance to set the Titans offense up inside the red zone, the undrafted free agent proved that he is indeed capable of being yet another Titans receiver to drop a crucial pass.The Titans are very lucky that this drop did not cost them a win. I wish I could say the same about the next one...NFL Gamepass.I don’t think I need to elaborate on how devastating this drop was, as Marcus Mariota says enough with his reaction at the end of the play.Converting on third down is a great way to gain an edge in any given week. If the offense can sustain drives, it keeps the opponent off the field while increasing the team’s chances of putting points on the board. This much is obvious. So while the Titans certainly have a lot of kinks to iron out with the offense after five weeks, they’d be in a lot better shape if they hadn’t turned 6 sure-fire first downs into incompletions.Was Mariota throwing shade at his receivers with his word choice during his press conference on Sunday?(Just kidding, that’s a joke...)Before we end this breakdown focusing on the mistakes of Titans pass-catchers, I’ll leave you with one more play...
But the crazy part is that despite all the injuries and all the ineffectiveness, the Titans offense could be doing much better if the team could simply eliminate mental mistakes and execute when it counted.One position group that has struggled consistently with making mistakes is the team’s pass catchers, particularly when it comes to... well... catching the ball.The graphic above was posted prior to Sunday’s game at Buffalo, but I can’t imagine the number improved much after Nick Williams’ costly drop in the 4th quarter.There are lots of things that could be better about the Titans’ offense, but for today’s article, we’re just going to look at the Titans drops, because those miscues are pretty easy to identify, and for the Titans, they’ve come in pretty huge moments.I reviewed all of the Titans’ incomplete pass attempts since Week 1 and determined that there were 8 (give or take) drops by Titans receivers on balls that should’ve been caught (the most questionable one is the downfield play against the Eagles where Taywan Taylor was egregiously interfered with, drawing no flag).6 of these 8 drops occurred on third down. Let’s take a closer look at each painful drop to assess just how much damage the receivers are doing to the offensive production...NFL Gamepass.This first one came on the Titans’ very first possession of the season. The offense drove to the Dolphins 28-yard line and, facing a 3rd-and-4, Mariota lofted one into the end zone for Taywan Taylor.Now this isn’t exactly an easy catch, and there may be a small amount of pass interference Youth Rashaan Evans Jersey , but the fact of the matter is the ball landed squarely in both of Taylor’s hands and bounced cleanly out, costing the team a touchdown. This is one you expect your starting-caliber receivers to catch.And I don’t mean this next part to be blaming Taywan Taylor for the disastrous start to the season, but hear me out - had Taylor caught this ball, every play that followed would have changed (you know, the butterfly effect and all), including (but not limited to) Marcus Mariota’s injury, Taylor Lewan’s concussion, and Delanie Walker’s broken ankle.So, all in all, a brutal first drop. Moving on...The second one came Week 3 against Jacksonville. Rishard Matthews questioned his role in the offense. Perhaps if he had managed to make this simple reception, he would’ve received more snaps...NFL Gamepass.As you can see from the endzone cam, this third-and-2 pass attempt deep in Jacksonville territory hits Rishard Matthews exactly where quarterbacks are instructed to hit their targets - in the hands directly in front of the facemask. Naturally, Rishard Matthews did not want to be a Titan anymore so rather than set the team up with a first down in the red zone, he dropped the pass, ending the drive.Moving on to later in this game...NFL Gamepass.In the second quarter, the Titans faced a 3rd-and-6 from their own 20 yard line. Tajae Sharpe does a nice job of getting open over the middle, and Mariota delivers a great throw that hits his receiver right between the numbers.Sharpe tries to corral this pass between his arms as if he’s fielding a punt. As he rolls over, the ball squirts free. Incomplete pass, drive over, Titans punt. Shall we discuss the next one?NFL Gamepass.Onto Week 4: here we have one of Mariota’s best plays as an escape artist in the pocket. Notice that it is again third down. Mariota, evading the rush, somehow keeps his balance and maneuvers back around to find an open Jonnu Smith just beyond the first down marker. Rather than use his hands http://www.titansfootballauthentics.com/dion-lewis-jersey-authentic , Smith goes for the ole’ bread basket catching technique, and the ball doinks straight off his chest into the ground, killing another Titans drive deep in opponent territory. Mariota’s reaction is a reflection of how we all felt. Later in the game...NFL Gamepass.This one was not on third down, and it should’ve been flagged for a pass interference penalty, as Leodis McKelvin clearly grabs Taywan Taylor’s facemask. For those reasons, this is the least egregious drop of this breakdown. Even so, Mariota delivered a beautiful pass that hits Taylor in the hands. PI or not, it’d be nice to see him catch this ball.Let’s take a look at another...NFL Gamepass.This next one, again in the Week 4 game, is a bit tougher to see, but using the end zone cam you can tell that this ball hits Taywan Taylor squarely in the chest - again on third down - and Taylor is again unable to secure the pass, thus ending another Titans drive.This next one belongs in a slapstick comedy routine...NFL Gamepass.The speedster Darius Jennings runs straight past the Philadelphia defense and Mariota delivers a perfect downfield strike, in overtime, needing a touchdown to win the game.Jennings feels compelled (for reasons unknown) to jump as the pass is arriving and thrust his chest upwards into the ball while alligator-arming the attempt to secure it. And so, with the chance to set the Titans offense up inside the red zone, the undrafted free agent proved that he is indeed capable of being yet another Titans receiver to drop a crucial pass.The Titans are very lucky that this drop did not cost them a win. I wish I could say the same about the next one...NFL Gamepass.I don’t think I need to elaborate on how devastating this drop was, as Marcus Mariota says enough with his reaction at the end of the play.Converting on third down is a great way to gain an edge in any given week. If the offense can sustain drives, it keeps the opponent off the field while increasing the team’s chances of putting points on the board. This much is obvious. So while the Titans certainly have a lot of kinks to iron out with the offense after five weeks, they’d be in a lot better shape if they hadn’t turned 6 sure-fire first downs into incompletions.Was Mariota throwing shade at his receivers with his word choice during his press conference on Sunday?(Just kidding, that’s a joke...)Before we end this breakdown focusing on the mistakes of Titans pass-catchers, I’ll leave you with one more play...