Home Football Coaching Rumors/Sitake and Dropped Passes

Coaching Rumors/Sitake and Dropped Passes

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I know you guys want to talk about Sitake and who will replace him, if he leaves. Go for it. I’m indifferent to that because I don’t think he is a great coach like he’s made out to be. Then again, I didn’t think Shaw was a great coach, and it turns out he is pretty damn good even after the Harbaugh halo.

Anyway, what I find more interesting is the constant complaining by fans about dropped passes. Mostly Bolden. Obviously I understand why those people complained. Bolden did seem to drop a ton of balls, though I don’t see those stats logged anywhere. Here are the NFL figures and the explanation as to why a WR drops passes.

More about Dropped Passes

Usually receivers who play the slot position tend to drop the ball less because they catch shorter passes and are known for their ‘good hands’ over and above other physical attributes like speed and size.

It’s easy to blame the wide receiver for dropped passes, but partial blame can sometimes fall on the quarterback.  Consistently throwing into tight situations or slight accuracy issues can lead to a higher percentage of drops as well.

Under Mannion these same WRs had fewer drops (from memory, as we don’t have the stats). I think a lot of it was their lack of confidence in the QB, especially Collin’s hospital balls. Then MM and Mitchell were hit and miss with accuracy. All of that takes a tole on WRs. I think these WRs are much better than they looked, and that will be proven if there’s adequate QB play next season.

102 COMMENTS

  1. Sitake is better than Banker (yeah so is my dog) and also a good recruiter. Continuity is also good after nearly the whole staff changed last year.

    It’s not DEFCON 1 if Sitake leaves, but it’s a setback.

  2. It’s interesting that Julian Edelman, who is considered a good WR, drops over 9% of balls, and he has Tom Brady throwing to him…

    Amari Cooper, considered the best rookie WR talent, has almost an 8% drop rate, and has Carr throwing to him.

    Bolden had Seth Collins, MM, and Mitchell throwing to him…I’m not a Bolden apologist or anything, but I think his drops need to be put into context. He’s an amateur who had a WR/”playmaker” throwing him the ball most of the year. He didn’t drop nearly as many last year with Mannion. I don’t even like Bolden and thought it was insane when the media dubbed him a Cooks replacement. I think he’s okay as a #3 or 4 WR and is a good kick returner. I agree with some who said moving him to DB might be better for all, but short of that he’ll be serviceable as a #3 WR with a better QB, and he’s good on kick returns (Think he had two TDs this year and maybe one last year).

    In the article above, their definition of a drop is up for debate. I think it should be balls the WR gets two hands on, not just if he touches the ball.

    • Edelman is smart, which is why Brady targets him a lot. If he’s about to take a pass 4 yards deep and knows he’ll lose yardage because the D had the right call or someone busted the play, he’ll just drop the ball. He also gets a lot of passes down and between defenders where the ball gets there but distractions kepp him from making the play. He still earns his keep.

      When receivers drop it on the pro level, there are degrees of difficulty which can excuse some drops. It’s the ones where they turn their heads before catching it and one where it’s dropped in the bucket which are inexcusable. And those guys get paid for it.

      Since Bolden doesn’t get paid, his are excusable in a developmental sense. He seemed to have at least one or two of the NFL-inexcusable drops per game. But he knows that and has an obligation to correct it for next year if he wants to have fun. If it’s once every four games or disappears altogether, he’s good in my book.

      • Next year could be a great year for him if he works on catching those passes that have been hitting him in both hands, or on the numbers, or right into the facemask.

        But then again, if he can work on catching the ball and improves, then why hasn’t that already been worked on? Coaches putting cart before the horse maybe? Suspect WR coach??

        • I don’t see any problem with pointing at the coach as being mostly responsible. He is the one who prepares his crew and makes suggestions to GA about who is capable of what. If he’s playing and keeps making those mistakes, then it is the fault of the coaches in the end.

          Did we have anyone other than him left at the end of the season?

    • Thanks, for understanding Angry! Keep in mind next season will be the fifth QB to throw balls to me so its hard to learn how to catch all these wobbly passes. Each QB has a different wobble to their inaccurate passes.

      #TopWRcorpInPac12

    • Sitake will take it if it’s offered, but not all recruits are going to follow him to BYU unless they are ready for a severe lifestyle change. It has been noted, that Bronco felt chaffed under the strict environment at BYU and left for the freedom he will have at Virginia to run the program as he sees fit and get back to being himself again.

      • If That’s the first time you’ve seen a hit like that, welcome to football. By the way, Villamin, not anyone else was sent to the hospital trying to catch a pass from Collins.

        • That’s because he threw them in the dirt or 15 feet over their head 48% of the time. And someone else got tossed on their head, I think in the colorado game, can’t remember who. He’s a shitty passer, how’s that.

      • Haha that pass was right on the money in a tight window. A receiver getting lit up crossing the field is a pretty normal football play. Guys like Tony Romo, Drew Brees and Kurt Warner have thrown passes that have been more dangerous for their receivers than that.

        • You mean that duck? Watch it, it hung in the air forever. He followed him acrossed the field, villamin was the only guy he was throwing to on that play. No check down, just stay with him and set him up with a slow lobbying pass.

        • If your QB throws you into that, your QB sucks.

          There is no other way to describe it. There is no reason a WR should get smacked like that. It happens. The best know how to not make it happen. If it happens a lot, then you need to start looking at someone who will leave your roster intact.

          • You’re seriously so dumb Jack. After you’ve played a down of football, then come back and talk like you know it. Every QB tries to fit it into a tight window. Sure, they aren’t trying to get their WR decked, but it happens. No matter who throws it, it happens.

          • Like, I’m so dumb. Everyone does it. Throwing late and high across the middle after telegraphing the throw is just the smartest thing ever, and WRs need to make those catches because everyone does it. Duh! I should get with it. That’s great football on any level if the WRs are fearless and hold on to the ball before they’re carted off the field. I mean, that’s what happens to every receiver because everyone does that… exactly that… everyone… a lot. Whaaaaah!

            Sheesh!

            Got any more fallacies in that there bag?

          • Led into? No.

            Do situations necessitate WRs having to go over the middle and taking some hits every now and then? Well no shit Sherlock! Thank you for that brilliant update.

            But do they lead them, unprotected, into sledgehammers? Are you fucking drunk? And do they do it multiple times per game? They wouldn’t be on an NFL roster if that was the case, let alone being who they are (or were). They would not have played D1 ball on the level they did, if D1 ball at all… because… you know… they can’t run and hurdle.

  3. The Bolden drops were the wide-open-gonna-score kind, like when he broke his finger last year. It’s like a guard that can shake and bake and always pull up to hit the jumper, but shoots 60% from the line.

    • Unless there are comparative stats, I’m not sure how to rank or rate Bolden, so I’m not sure of the point? Not to be so critical of him? Cooks was an elite college receiver, I’m not sure that was ever a fair comparison.

      • A remote comparison to Cookie is an offense to all that Brandin has achieved! Yes, QB play sucked this year but VB had so many hit him in the hands or right on the numbers and he still dropped them. He’s a special teamer at best in the Pac.

        • The one thing that sets Brandin apart, and will for another decade, is his attention to detail in every facet of his life. He knows where his bread is buttered. And he has never let anything distract him. He’s the type of person who if he does one thing right, he has to do everything right, or that diminishes the accomplishment.

          That’s what has been instilled over the last year at OSU. It wasn’t here. It was apparent that it wasn’t here for quite a while. Someone here may have said something about it once… maybe twice.

          Buying in means taking care of your business. If Bolden takes care of his business, he’ll be fine. I don’t think he has next level abilities, and I would like to have more next level guys. But he has ability enough to be a great receiver on this level (not elite). If he catches some of the easy drops we’ve seen, he can be at least a 1K receiver. That’s pretty great on the D1 level to me.

          And if he doesn’t, it will be apparent.

  4. Nobody on the current roster is necessarily known for having great hands. It’s part of the reason that none of the players were highly recruited.

    Players can improve with coaching and practice, but there’s also an element of a player either having “it” or not. I can’t see any of the current players on the roster at receiver or otherwise that have all of the tools to be an impact player in the NFL.

    If Andersen can recruit a good QB, the right player can make those around him better. Then start getting better players to play with a good QB, and you have a recipe for at least a competitive team that has a chance to win a game at the pac12 level.

    • The only one that was known for good hands was Mullaney. Saw a highlight of him catching a TD in the SEC championship game over the weekend.

    • In the film I saw Timmy Hernandez the JC recruit looked like he has exceptional hands, which may be why they recruited him even though it appears he is not highly recruited. Adding a receiver to the roster with really good hands.

    • Jarmon had offers from Baylor and Missouri. I always thought he had good hands from watching his HS film, but I remember him dropping one of the few passes he saw this year.

  5. We all over rated receivers last year. I like Angry’s use of stats rather than just relying on emotion. Bolden’s drops may be related to throws. Interesting. I would like to see Bolden improve awareness of yardsticks, and then learn to use quickness to prolong drives.

    • The counter argument was that even Nikegon’s WRs were better. They weren’t. And then they were. And then they weren’t again. And then they were.

      Drops, lapses in concentration, production… all of it determined by how well the QB was playing. The same guys who couldn’t hold on to a bubble screen from QB2 could do so just fine from QB1.

  6. I believe in Coach A’s vision and believe he would bring in somebody that meets his standards. I am not overly concerned with Sitake’s imminent departure. It would surprise me a little if BYU went for a guy with no HC experience, but maybe they feel he is ready?

    I think it would hurt recruiting, however BYU is forever going to be strong with the Poly’s so I don’t know if it would be a huge blow.

    • I agree. I don’t believe Sitake has proven enough to be a HC. I would think he would go after a lower division program, but he feels he could get one in D1. Good for him. I have trust in GA to bring in someone who can do the job.

      As far as recruiting, I don’t know if many recruits would head to BYU. I mean playing at an independent school vs a Pac12 school? I only see Mormon guys maybe making the switch. I also wonder if Sitake would take any of the assistants. Too many whatifs, but I think we’re OK whether or not he leaves.

  7. OSU having an in home with a kid that’s also getting visits from the likes of LSU and Oklahoma. Yikes.

    I suspect that didn’t happen very often if at all during the Riley era.

  8. Andersen has openly stated he thinks Sitake would make a good HC and expects him to be hired away at some point, so I don’t think this would be a shock, and he probably has someone in mind. Or he can promote from within if any of the D coaches are ready. I don’t understand the Sitake love. I saw nothing at Utah or OSU that said great DC or great future HC.

    • I completely agree Angry…. One thing about Andersen is he is from an elite coaching tree and because of that has many connections. Guaranteed he has a plan for that exact situation. GA is a big picture guy, stuff like that is always on his mind.

    • I think Sitake is a good coach, but he has not really had much chance to prove he is a great coach. I think good coaches are a dime a dozen in college football. My qualifications for a great coach may not be very high, but I think that most of the head coaches in the Pac-12 have shown themselves to be great coaches.

      If Sitake were to leave it would be a hindrance, but not a game changer. I prefer that he not leave at this point, but it would next man up if he did. I am pretty confident that Tuiaki would be gone with him.

    • Sure we get a new D coordinator who may or may not be better. But it’ll be the second offseason in a row in which we have to scramble to keep recruits instead of trying to close on top uncommitted targets. Recruiting was the only bright spot of this disaster season and now it seems we may lose that too

  9. On to bball. I’ve seen some Kansas games. They are on another level for sure. Beavs will need a repeat of the AZ game last year. Slow the pace way down, force tough shots late in the shot clock. They will not be able to run with Kansas at all.

    • It will be a good barometer of where we are right now. Kansas didn’t overwhelm last opponent, however the Beavs have not looked good at times. I think they have alot of good parts, but I don’t know if the roles have been defined yet and they look a little lost. Reid came back last game and Gomis should be back for FWC, so this team may still need to “mesh” along the way.

      I would just like to see them play Kansas with a uniformed effort that looks fluid.

    • Kansas is always hot and cold (see:Harvard game and the tourney) but when they’re hot they can beat any team anywhere. If good Kansas shows up then I don’t think there’s anything we can do. Look for Diallo to murder us on the boards. Another great test/experience for Eubanks

      • Hot and cold? They never trailed in the game against Harvard.

        Eubanks will be neutralized pretty quickly by Kansas. Eubanks is pretty much limited to put backs and alley oops. Don’t think I’ve seen him with a jump shot or a post move. He’d be pretty deadly if he added a sky hook to his game.

        • They’ve been inconsistent. They started without Diallo. Then Greene got suspended. Until Greene gets back, they’ll be vulnerable to any team that can shoot well from outside.

          We have not been consistent either. But there are some dormant shooters on our roster. Stevie is the only one I feel comfortable green-lighting right now… and Malcolm in heat check situations. If we start making treys all together, we beat anyone who is vulnerable.

          I don’t expect it, but there is a path to victory.

          Edit: It would be nice to see N’diaye get more time because he is a difference in the middle. Daniel will make the team that much better by himself. But Cheikh needs to volunteer solid D minutes. Big G is still letting others get in his head. Until he stops that, we need to keep their bigs occupied with someone other than Olaf.

    • $2.5M plus. If he gets bought out he gets an automatic one year extension at his new gig plus a bonus for his staff that is yet to be named… Oops, got confused. I was thinking about Opie.

  10. I don’t think we have to worry about this. BYU has a tradition of being offensive minded, not defense minded (read: Lavell Edwards) and they will hire Darrel Bevel, OC from the Seahawks.

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