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WR Martavis Bryant (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter Faust
- Start date
Damn it! It's my fault. I started him this week. Sorry guys, I jinxed him.
A game where the Steelers decided to emphasize the run; who could have seen that coming? Too bad someone didn't listen to local talk radio or read local newspapers & suggest this was a possibility.
Seriously, though, this was one of my concerns about Bryant. The Steelers have always (since I've lived in Pittsburgh) felt some need to have a strong running game, and after the loss to the Jets, the call to "emphasize the run" was once again sounded around here (radio and print). Gruden even talked about it last night.
It almost cost them last night; the game shouldn't have been that close, but the results were a 200 yard rushing day for a Steelers RB, a win for Pitt, and WHEN Ben dropped back to pass, he was getting drilled.
I'm not sure they are going to return to those 2 pass-happy games, and if they don't, Brown will get his, but it will be tougher for Bryant to get his.
BTW-the "lob" pass Ben threw should have been throw better, but why did Bryant just stay on his feet & wait for the ball to get there? It was a #### pass, but if he would have gone up and attacked the ball, I would have won my FF game
A game where the Steelers decided to emphasize the run; who could have seen that coming? Too bad someone didn't listen to local talk radio or read local newspapers & suggest this was a possibility.
Seriously, though, this was one of my concerns about Bryant. The Steelers have always (since I've lived in Pittsburgh) felt some need to have a strong running game, and after the loss to the Jets, the call to "emphasize the run" was once again sounded around here (radio and print). Gruden even talked about it last night.
It almost cost them last night; the game shouldn't have been that close, but the results were a 200 yard rushing day for a Steelers RB, a win for Pitt, and WHEN Ben dropped back to pass, he was getting drilled.
I'm not sure they are going to return to those 2 pass-happy games, and if they don't, Brown will get his, but it will be tougher for Bryant to get his.
BTW-the "lob" pass Ben threw should have been throw better, but why did Bryant just stay on his feet & wait for the ball to get there? It was a #### pass, but if he would have gone up and attacked the ball, I would have won my FF game
It was a bad pass, but Bryant didn't even jump for the ball. If he goes up for it, the DB (who just got lucky by sticking his hands there after he was beat) wouldn't have been able to deflect the ball.
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Jack White
Footballguy
I thought both passes could have been better, but agree he should have made a better effort to go get the ball.
On the big picture, I think we all knew he wasn't going to continue to score every game. And every WR in the league will lay one or more fantasy eggs over the course of the season. He's had one bad game out of five in his career.
The fact is, he did get three end zone targets. That bodes well for future production.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
No unexpected. He wasn't going to keep up his blistering pace without volume. He looked ok.
mnmplayer
Footballguy
Critique:
1. Bryant needs to show more "my ball" mentality. He easily has the height/vertical jumping ability to catch that lob pass, although poorly thrown by Ben. I saw poor execution by both QB and WR there. I want to see Bryant come back for the ball in that situation and pick up his QB, or at least try. This is what an elite WR would try to do.
2. On his 2nd end zone target there was another poorly thrown ball that was way to high. However, this is a Bryant critique, not a QB critique so on that pattern I would have liked to see Bryant push his route deeper into the end zone making the corner think he was headed for the back corner of the end zone, then settle back 5 yards for a back shoulder rather than just kinda of fade to the middle of the end zone along with the defender.
3. On his third pass in the end zone I thought the corner made a great play. If he didn't get that hand in there at the last second it was a TD. However, I feel like if he extended his arms more instead of body catching it again like the first TD target, he would have increased his odds of muscling the ball away from the tip attempt by the cb.
The good news is all these facets of the game can be taught and worked on. The 6'4 sub 4.4 40 with 39" vert can't be taught and he has that in the bag already and I only seen him drop one uncontested ball so he has shown good focus for a rookie. The 1st end zone target would have been an easy TD if Ben put some mustard on it because he had a 5 yard separation on the cb, but then had to wait forever for the pass to get there. He is creating large separation on most of his TD passes so far, but to take it to the next level he will need to learn some better technique for close quarters catches. He needs to body catch less and come back for the ball more. He is very raw in those aspects of his game. Obviously he needs work or he would not have been deactivated for the first 6 games of the season. But what he can do well, he does at an elite level already. The technique should come with experience.
Remember that he still doesn't even have 100 catches yet between his entire college and pro experience, maintaining a supremely high TD catch rate.
1. Bryant needs to show more "my ball" mentality. He easily has the height/vertical jumping ability to catch that lob pass, although poorly thrown by Ben. I saw poor execution by both QB and WR there. I want to see Bryant come back for the ball in that situation and pick up his QB, or at least try. This is what an elite WR would try to do.
2. On his 2nd end zone target there was another poorly thrown ball that was way to high. However, this is a Bryant critique, not a QB critique so on that pattern I would have liked to see Bryant push his route deeper into the end zone making the corner think he was headed for the back corner of the end zone, then settle back 5 yards for a back shoulder rather than just kinda of fade to the middle of the end zone along with the defender.
3. On his third pass in the end zone I thought the corner made a great play. If he didn't get that hand in there at the last second it was a TD. However, I feel like if he extended his arms more instead of body catching it again like the first TD target, he would have increased his odds of muscling the ball away from the tip attempt by the cb.
The good news is all these facets of the game can be taught and worked on. The 6'4 sub 4.4 40 with 39" vert can't be taught and he has that in the bag already and I only seen him drop one uncontested ball so he has shown good focus for a rookie. The 1st end zone target would have been an easy TD if Ben put some mustard on it because he had a 5 yard separation on the cb, but then had to wait forever for the pass to get there. He is creating large separation on most of his TD passes so far, but to take it to the next level he will need to learn some better technique for close quarters catches. He needs to body catch less and come back for the ball more. He is very raw in those aspects of his game. Obviously he needs work or he would not have been deactivated for the first 6 games of the season. But what he can do well, he does at an elite level already. The technique should come with experience.
Remember that he still doesn't even have 100 catches yet between his entire college and pro experience, maintaining a supremely high TD catch rate.
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Futz
Footballguy
Yeah, I can't argue with you. I saw the same thing but they were good lessons learned for a young WR. He might have won those matchups in college but he's going to have to work harder in the pros to do it consistently.
I'm not afraid to call him a poor man's Randy Moss who is rough around the edges unlike the polished Moss fresh out of college. I really think his upside is limitless and will target him in all formats going forward in the years to come.
lod01
Footballguy
I sure hope someone on that coaching staff sees this and coaches him on it. We all see it. You have to attack the ball.
Sir Psycho
Footballguy
Starting Bryant (vs NO) over Harvin and Boldin !
Gvindy
Footballguy
Same over Harvin here. He seems hungry, just needs to learn to catch with his hands...
mnmplayer
Footballguy
I have Gordon/Green starting so it comes down to Sanu or Bryant for me. Sanu has a great matchup, gets more targets and has produced all season, but I am leaning towards Bryant even in PPR. He just gets so many RZ/scoring opps also has a good matchup and has the speed that any catch can go for a long TD. 1 in 4 catches is a TD since his college days. Last game he only had two catches so he's due! 
FF Wiseguy
Footballguy
Starting over Crowell @ BUF and Stills. Starting over Watkins vs. CLE based on Haden and weather in Buffalo, assuming that's where it's played.
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steelers1080
Footballguy
He's probably going to be boom or bust the rest of the year. The saints have a weak secondary but their run defense is horrible. Bell could have over 200 yards again this week which would mean less targets for Bryant.
Also, gotta like that he trained with some MMA fighters during the bye week to learn some hand fighting techniques to learn how to separate from CBs.
Also, gotta like that he trained with some MMA fighters during the bye week to learn some hand fighting techniques to learn how to separate from CBs.
FYI (although some people in here have discredited my attention to local reporters/sports radio); in an interview yesterday afternoon, a local reporter (Ed bouchette, I think) was asked if the Steelers could lean on the run more, in order to try to "protect" their defense by keeping them off the field. He said that was a possibility, but he didn't consider it likely. He believes the Steelers want to be "balanced." For what it's worth.
Jack White
Footballguy
R-E-L-A-X
(KFFL) Pittsburgh Steelers WR Martavis Bryant (illness) fully participated in practice Friday, Nov. 28, and is listed as probable for Week 13.
Ketamine Dreams
Footballguy
Not a bad flex guy against the Saints. I wonder if his snaps increase coming off the bye?
Jack White
Footballguy
Only four targets, though two of them were in the end zone.
2 poor games in a row.
He's not involved when they go no-huddle, and has dropped a couple catchable balls in/near the EZ the last few games.
Pitt is 1-2 the last 3 games against teams where they should have gone AT LEAST 2-1, maybe 3-0. The only win came when they went away from the pass game and relied on the run in the 2nd half against the Titans. The other 2 games, the pass game & the D were problems.
I know many will downplay it, but there is likely going to continue to be a call (from locals, some reporters, and possibly the coaching staff/management) to run more, to "protect" the D.
If Pitt gets down, Bryant isn't as involved when they are in the "hurry-up," and if they emphasize the run, Bryant won't be as involved.
His future still looks very bright, but for this year, (in the FF playoffs!), I don't know if he can be relied upon.
He's not involved when they go no-huddle, and has dropped a couple catchable balls in/near the EZ the last few games.
Pitt is 1-2 the last 3 games against teams where they should have gone AT LEAST 2-1, maybe 3-0. The only win came when they went away from the pass game and relied on the run in the 2nd half against the Titans. The other 2 games, the pass game & the D were problems.
I know many will downplay it, but there is likely going to continue to be a call (from locals, some reporters, and possibly the coaching staff/management) to run more, to "protect" the D.
If Pitt gets down, Bryant isn't as involved when they are in the "hurry-up," and if they emphasize the run, Bryant won't be as involved.
His future still looks very bright, but for this year, (in the FF playoffs!), I don't know if he can be relied upon.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
I was saying that his value was falling back to Earth. Since that very post he has caught 5 passes (two right after I posted that). 5-123-1 in three weeks. Blistering.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Papa John's
Footballguy
With you, but not as much lost. Started him over D. Adams this week.
One of the problems with him is the fact that, when the Steelers are completely healthy, he loses snaps since he does not play in the hurry up offense.
Cheesedawg
Footballguy
Nobody said anything about local reporters...another straw man! Your credibility was questioned when you started quoting talk show callers, rightfully so!
Sabertooth
Footballguy
5-110-2 this week book it.
flapgreen
Footballguy
Kool-Aid Larry
Footballguy
I think there might have been a third from around the 6 that got wiped out by penalty right at the end before the brown td with 3 seconds left.
think they had 5 drives inside the nos 30 and bryant got looks down there on 3 of them, so he'll be pretty td dependent.
here are his snap % for weeks 7-13
34% 39% 49% 59% 45% BYE 36%
kind of a disappointing regression this past week, and he's hard to trust, although there are probably a lot of people out there with options like him, m lee, ch johnson, or s bailey trying to figure out who to play and who to drop this week, along with the playoffs
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Cheesedawg
Footballguy
Seven games, seven TD's. Part-time player or not, he's scored 13+ points in four of the seven games. He is WR9 in my scoring system over those 7 weeks.
Reminds me of when Mike Wallace used to use his speed to get behind the secondary, and Ben is a good deep ball QB. Man, 6'4", over 210 lbs, and he just ran by Leon Hall like Leon was a defensive lineman!
Reminds me of when Mike Wallace used to use his speed to get behind the secondary, and Ben is a good deep ball QB. Man, 6'4", over 210 lbs, and he just ran by Leon Hall like Leon was a defensive lineman!
offdee
Footballguy
I'm debating if he's a good play or not this week. Will he get his opportunities or will LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown just bogart and dominate against this crappy D?
