Studs & Duds - Los Angeles

[tynimiller]

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This play has been overanalyzed by far too many. Watching the All22 makes it even more impressive for Williams (the DB in coverage)...and only made possible by the underthrow by Love - which was made with one of our own essentially setting in Love's lap with the center of the pocket pushed massively on the play. Love back foot lobbed this ball and had it been just another yard or two Wicks isn't trying to high point this ball but catch it over the shoulder and likely is a touchdown....

Williams however was able to make up MASSIVE ground and when he jumps in the mere milliseconds before the ball arrives he pushes Wick's left wrist/hand completely off of alignment...vastly too late for Wicks to adjust and even try a proper one handed (right hand) catch.

Wick's has had a lot of drops this year - personally if I'm grading this play specifically I might still credit it as a drop but I don't know anyone in his body positioning and that late losing a hand makes that catch...sometimes the defender just makes a play.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Yeah, we are bracing for Milton hoping the worst of it goes north of us.

Today was the first game we got to see in its entirety.

Studs: Love, Kraft, Jacobs, secondary

Duds: Run D, Pass Rush, Wicks drops and self inflicted penalties

Stay safe Pugger. Are you in Tampa or nearby?

I was surprised yesterday at the lack of a pass rush, given the injuries to the Rams' OL. And Gary seems invisible. I understand that playing Hurts and Richardson required contain, but I expected to to see a pass rush similar to what we saw in the Titans' game. I did see a lot more of Wooden and Brooks, a good thing, and Clark played well. LVN allows the OT to continuously push him around and behind the QB.

I think the drops will get corrected. Then again I thought the penalty situation would be much better by now, and it's really not.

OK friend please stay safe.

 

[Heyjoe4]

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This play has been overanalyzed by far too many. Watching the All22 makes it even more impressive for Williams (the DB in coverage)...and only made possible by the underthrow by Love - which was made with one of our own essentially setting in Love's lap with the center of the pocket pushed massively on the play. Love back foot lobbed this ball and had it been just another yard or two Wicks isn't trying to high point this ball but catch it over the shoulder and likely is a touchdown....

Williams however was able to make up MASSIVE ground and when he jumps in the mere milliseconds before the ball arrives he pushes Wick's left wrist/hand completely off of alignment...vastly too late for Wicks to adjust and even try a proper one handed (right hand) catch.

Wick's has had a lot of drops this year - personally if I'm grading this play specifically I might still credit it as a drop but I don't know anyone in his body positioning and that late losing a hand makes that catch...sometimes the defender just makes a play.

I think the biggest cause for this incompletion was Love's throw. It was a good 2 or 3 yards short. Wicks had plenty of separation from the DB. You nicely described what happened on that play. It sure looked like a TD if the pass is thrown a bit further.

 

[AmishMafia]

That's a blast from the past. I really liked the Adams pick (no, I didn't think he would be as great as he's become, I just liked him out of college). He dropped a lot of passes his first two seasons, and he spent way too much time arguing with officials. I'm glad they had the patience to wait for year 3. Your subtle point on the calls for him to be cut is spot on.

I'd be much more concerned if the WRs weren't getting open, but they are. I think both Wicks and Reed had passes bounce off their hands because they were looking upfield. Those mistakes can and will be corrected. I don't like the drops but it's not a huge concern IMO.

I dont know if Wicks will make it, but I think it is likely. He has a high ceiling and he has the possibility of being at the Adams level with a more likely a very good WR . It is way too soon to write him off.

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

Ahhhh yes the days of some posters at that the time telling me how Adams was on the bubble and should be cut because of his hands..... Good times

I mean let's be honest for his first couple hands I was referring to him at times as Ronnie Garvin

 

[Magooch]

As best as I can find... Davante was credited with 12 drops in 2015 (which as I recall was worse than the year prior). He was ranked 118 out of 119 eligible receivers by PFF at that time, and it worked out to a drop percentage of roughly 13%.

Now of course "drops" are somewhat subjective and it depends on who is doing the grading/evaluating. I don't have a PFF subscription so don't know how their data has it, but interestingly Pro Football Reference does not have Wicks being credited with a drop yesterday (and it seems like a number of other sites are in agreement). That gives him four (4) on the season so far, though to be fair you could probably make a case for some more (IIRC, he had three passes hit him in the hands and go uncatched vs Philly, but only credited with one drop, for instance).

In any case by those same measures that puts him at a 2024 drop rate of about 14%. Take that for whatever it's worth...

 

[Magooch]

Good summary of the "drop" issue with the WRs, Wicks and Reed in particular.

I'd be more concerned if they weren't getting open, but they are. As you say, Wicks is terrific at creating separation, and Reed is good at it too. I don't know how often this happens, but a number of drops I've seen are from the classic mistake of looking upfield before the ball is secured. That is good because it means they're open, bad because it's resulting in too many drops. This is very fixable.

He said as much himself just last week:

“Just like everybody else, I’ve had some drops, I’ve had some good catches. Try to critique myself on the bad plays, and seeing what was the reason for them. The drops are just taking my eyes off the ball before I finish the catch.”

 

[Cornelius Weems]

I think the biggest cause for this incompletion was Love's throw. It was a good 2 or 3 yards short. Wicks had plenty of separation from the DB. You nicely described what happened on that play. It sure looked like a TD if the pass is thrown a bit further.

This is not a good take, are you serious in saying that the pass that he had to jump up for, (not to the side) but a pass that was thrown to a point that he had to jump up for (still incomplete), was 2-3 yards short? I think you were thinking it may have been overthrown, and just mistyped. I think it would have been a very good catch, but I'm not extremely disappointed that he didn't. My biggest gripe by far is with the defense. The defense looked mostly pedestrian (until late) against a makeshift O-line.

 

[mradtke66]

This is not a good take, are you serious in saying that the pass that he had to jump up for, (not to the side) but a pass that was thrown to a point that he had to jump up for (still incomplete), was 2-3 yards short? I think you were thinking it may have been overthrown, and just mistyped. I think it would have been a very good catch, but I'm not extremely disappointed that he didn't. My biggest gripe by far is with the defense. The defense looked mostly pedestrian (until late) against a makeshift O-line.

No, I agree with the poster. It was a poorly thrown ball--Wicks had to stop. Now Love did have pressure which likely caused it, but it was an under throw.

 

[mradtke66]

As best as I can find... Davante was credited with 12 drops in 2015 (which as I recall was worse than the year prior). He was ranked 118 out of 119 eligible receivers by PFF at that time, and it worked out to a drop percentage of roughly 13%.

People seem to have a very goofy memory of Adams. His rookie year, he was, appropriately number 3 behind Jordy and Cobb. He didn't get a ton of targets and had a mediocre catch rate, though I can't find his drops right now. Nothing wrong with this season.

2015, he was thrust into the limelight a year early due to Nelson's ACL and then he himself had an injury in week 3 (sprained ankle?) and it clearly got in his head.

 

[OldSchool101]

People seem to have a very goofy memory of Adams. His rookie year, he was, appropriately number 3 behind Jordy and Cobb. He didn't get a ton of targets and had a mediocre catch rate, though I can't find his drops right now. Nothing wrong with this season.

2015, he was thrust into the limelight a year early due to Nelson's ACL and then he himself had an injury in week 3 (sprained ankle?) and it clearly got in his head.

I couldn’t find drops for Adams past 2017, but did come across this just for information.

Adams
2014 57.6% completion (Rookie)
2015 53.2% comp
2016 62.1% comp

Wicks
2023 67.2% comp (Rookie) 39/58
3 Drops 5.2% Drop rate

2024 34.5% comp 10/29
4 Drops 13.8% drop rate

So maybe I’m jumping the gun. Wicks actually had a lower Drop rate in 2023 Rookie season on larger sample.
He’s 56.3% completion career
Wicks is right at 8.0% Drop rate career

 

[tynimiller]

I couldn’t find drops but did come across this just for information.

Adams
2014 57.6% completion (Rookie)
2015 53.2% comp
2016 62.1% comp

2018 or so was when most sites started tracking drops or crediting guys and tracking them.

 

[Pugger]

Stay safe Pugger. Are you in Tampa or nearby?

I was surprised yesterday at the lack of a pass rush, given the injuries to the Rams' OL. And Gary seems invisible. I understand that playing Hurts and Richardson required contain, but I expected to to see a pass rush similar to what we saw in the Titans' game. I did see a lot more of Wooden and Brooks, a good thing, and Clark played well. LVN allows the OT to continuously push him around and behind the QB.

I think the drops will get corrected. Then again I thought the penalty situation would be much better by now, and it's really not.

OK friend please stay safe.

I am

Stay safe Pugger. Are you in Tampa or nearby?

I was surprised yesterday at the lack of a pass rush, given the injuries to the Rams' OL. And Gary seems invisible. I understand that playing Hurts and Richardson required contain, but I expected to to see a pass rush similar to what we saw in the Titans' game. I did see a lot more of Wooden and Brooks, a good thing, and Clark played well. LVN allows the OT to continuously push him around and behind the QB.

I think the drops will get corrected. Then again I thought the penalty situation would be much better by now, and it's really not.

OK friend please stay safe.

Hubby and I are 105 miles south of Tampa. We hope the brunt of this storm stays away from us. Our home is sturdy but storm surge could be an issue. *Fingers crossed*