If there is anything I hate seeing in football more then a FB draw on third and long or a 15 yd fade route on third and short, it is wide receivers dropping passes that hit both their hands. It is way to common in the NFL. It is so frustrating to watch a beautifully thrown ball hit a receiver only to fall harmlessly to the ground as an incomplete pass. Wide receivers should not drop passes. For a professional athlete whose job is to catch passes, dropping passes like that hit both your hands are inexcusable.
As a Seahawk's fan I have been forced to watch more then my fair share of these catching blunders. From the four seasons of Koren Robinson to the receiving disaster in the divisional playoffs against the Bears (although the NFL only credited four drops anyone that watched it knows there were way more), the Seahawks have a nasty history of pass dropping receivers. Numerous promising offensive drives halted by some receiver with brickhands.
NFL wide receivers have spent years honing their craft to become one of the best in the world. They have practiced the wide receiver skill set countless hours (unless they are converted college QB or something weird like that). Unlike other positions, such as quarterback or running back, wide receivers have a much more limit range of responsibilities. Of course they are required to do thing like block defensive backs on running plays or act as diversions to open up other receivers, but when you get down to it they have only one primary responsibility, catch the ball when it is thrown to them. This aspect of their job is so important it is right in the name, receiver. When they fail to hold on to a catchable ball, it is downright infuriating.
I dont know what needs to be done to make these world class athletes start playing better. Maybe the receivers need to spend more time on catching drills or the coaches need to issue bigger punishments for dropped passes. Whatever it is it needs to happen soon. I am sick of seeing million dollar athletes fail to complete the most important thing they get paid for.
Unfortunately, this is one of those things that will never go away. No matter how much one trains, there will always be a few times that it just goes wrong and a drop is the result. Of course, many players drop the ball much more than that, but I wouldn't expect them to work on it. If Steve Johnson, who blamed God himself for a dropped pass, is any indication, players don't like to take responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI agree that dropped balls will always exist. I just am sick of seeing them in this magnitude. They should be a rare thing. Not a weekly occurance. Some guys like Mike Williams seem to have to drop at least one pass a week before they can get in theor groove. This shouldn't be acceptable. There must be a way to reduce the large number of drops that happen.
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