Steelers wide receivers have been productive, but turnovers are limiting their impact

[zulater]

In his first NFL game, the first time he touched the ball, Antonio Brown returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown at Tennessee. For the longest time, it seemed Brown could do no wrong.
Other big plays followed the kick return in his rookie year in 2010. Brown caught a 58-yard pass that set up the winning touchdown in an AFC divisional-round playoff victory against the Baltimore Ravens. In the AFC championship game, Brown caught the first-down pass from Ben Roethlisberger that clinched victory against the New York Jets.
Brown followed up his highly productive rookie season by earning team MVP honors last season. He compiled 1,108 receiving yards and went to the Pro Bowl for his work on special teams as a kick-returner.
The Steelers rewarded him with a six-year, $42.5 million dollar contract during training camp.
But, in his first season as a full-time starter, Brown's expected breakout year has been spoiled by a few untimely errors and an ankle injury.
He has fumbled twice in crucial situations that allowed opponents to come from behind to beat the Steelers. In the third game of the season at Oakland, he fumbled in the fourth quarter with the Steelers leading by three. The Raiders marched down the field for the tying field goal with 6:30 left, then kicked the winning field goal on the final play of regulation.
Last week in Dallas, Brown fumbled after a long punt return with the Steelers up by a touchdown. The Cowboys scored the tying touchdown with 6:55 remaining in regulation and won in overtime.
In between, Brown missed three games with a sprained ankle.
"You have to rise up," Brown said. "It's definitely time to rise up. I'm not looking backward on those moments. I just know I have to better, and this week presents another opportunity."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-wide-receivers-have-been-productive-but-turnovers-are-limiting-their-impact-667390/#ixzz2Fn16vUQe

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Fellow third-year receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who has three fumbles, said coach Mike Tomlin has spent the week reinforcing to players the importance of protecting the ball.
"This entire week we've been focused on keeping the ball high and tight," Sanders said. "Coach has made a great emphasis on ball security. Whether it's fumbling or interceptions or dropping passes -- just take care of the football. We know we have to do that. We've lost the majority of games because of turnovers. It's a problem we have to handle, and we're going to try to handle it this week."


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-wide-receivers-have-been-productive-but-turnovers-are-limiting-their-impact-667390/#ixzz2Fn1dH3u6

[Psycho Ward 86]

hell, they havent even been that productive. other than heath miller. everyone else has just been a bunch of underachievers.

[Moose]

Heath has been the only player this season in my book !! He's there EVERY game and ready to kick butt. The man is awesome.

[ALLD]

What a brilliant deduction. Similarly, the Pope is Catholic.

Sent from my G3 via Tapatalk.

[Seven]

What a brilliant deduction. Similarly, the Pope is Catholic.

Sent from my G3 via Tapatalk.

:applaudit:

[steelreserve]

I wouldn't call them productive. They hardly get open, and whatever they don't drop for incompletions they drop for fumbles. Apart from Miller, they've basically sucked shit all year.

[Edman]

The WR's have collectively useless this year. Wallace I'm not surprised about him, because I never believed he was that good to begin with, but I'm disappointed in Brown and Sanders this year. I thought they were going to step up this year and they've bumbled and stumbled. Wallace's crappiness seems to have rubbed off on them.

As said, Heath Millers has been the go-to guy this year. That's pretty sad on their part.

[steeldawg]

Heath 68 rec 771 yds 8 tds = go-to-guy
Wallace 63 rec 823 yds 8 tds = useless

If you actually thought wallace was crappy to begin with calling one useless and one a go-to-guy makes no sense.

[Moose]

Yea, if I needed a definite catch for a few yards....and both were open......I'd go to Heath. Just my opinion.

[steeldawg]

Yea, if I needed a definite catch for a few yards....and both were open......I'd go to Heath. Just my opinion.

if they are both open than neither one is being useless.

[Moose]

if they are both open than neither one is being useless.

True, but a pass to Wallace only to be dropped is useless.

[zulater]

Heath 68 rec 771 yds 8 tds = go-to-guy
Wallace 63 rec 823 yds 8 tds = useless

If you actually thought wallace was crappy to begin with calling one useless and one a go-to-guy makes no sense.

Personally I agree with the article from the OP. For the most part they have been productive. But untimely mistakes by these guys have really put a crimp in the season. I wouldn't single out any of them as being especially bad, nor good. They've all had some individual shining moments, and they've all made critical mistakes that have hurt the team.

In the end it comes down to this. All receivers drop balls. But it's about when you drop them as much as anything. And these guys have displayed an uncanny ability to screw it up at the exact wrong time this season.

Also this team is thin across the board talent wise. (imo) So every mistake of the players you went into the season dependent on is magnified.

In a really good year a drop here or there is quickly forgotten because someone on the defense steps up and makes a play to stem the tide.

This year we're operating on a tight wire, and every mistake comes back to ultimately cost the team the game.

So in other words we're probably putting too much of this on the receivers.

[Edman]

Heath 68 rec 771 yds 8 tds = go-to-guy
Wallace 63 rec 823 yds 8 tds = useless

If you actually thought wallace was crappy to begin with calling one useless and one a go-to-guy makes no sense.

I said Wallace was never that good to begin with, not that he was crappy. He's resoundingly mediocre. Signing him to a new deal will get more of the same next year and beyond. He's simply not good.

It makes plenty of sense, when you watch the games. Heath Miller has been the man of the season in 2012.

I watch the games, not look at the stats. Wallace as well as the rest of WR core Impact has been minimal this season. In fact, you could argue that they've been a detriment more than an asset. Drops are an everyday occurrence, all players drop balls, but these guys have been dropping balls and fumbling at an alarming rate, not to mention making a back-breaking mistake at the worst possible time. Antonio Brown lost the Cowboys game. Forget the mess about "Losing as a team", Brown lost last week's game. That's all there is to it.

[steeldawg]

I said Wallace was never that good to begin with, not that he was crappy. He's resoundingly mediocre. Signing him to a new deal will get more of the same next year and beyond. He's simply not good.

It makes plenty of sense, when you watch the games. Heath Miller has been the man of the season in 2012.

I watch the games, not look at the stats. Wallace as well as the rest of WR core Impact has been minimal this season. In fact, you could argue that they've been a detriment more than an asset. Drops are an everyday occurrence, all players drop balls, but these guys have been dropping balls and fumbling at an alarming rate, not to mention making a back-breaking mistake at the worst possible time. Antonio Brown lost the Cowboys game. Forget the mess about "Losing as a team", Brown lost last week's game. That's all there is to it.

I disagree ben was having an mvp season before he went down he cant do that without his wideouts. We have completely abandoned the running game and are throwing the ball more so it may look like we are dropping the ball more but we have more chances to, also in an offense were we throw alot of shorter passes that means more traffic and tougher catches. The fumbles are due to mental lapses, yes brown killed us last game with the mental mistakes but he did have 8 catches and 1 td wallace had 4 catches for 95 and set up a td, you cannot totally discount what they do the whole game and only focus on the mistakes. The point is you cant look at 2 guys with essentially the same numbers and call one a go-to-guy and the other useless it makes no sense, if you want to argue heath has made less untimely mistakes i will go with that but they are a good group and far from useless.

[zulater]

I disagree ben was having an mvp season before he went down he cant do that without his wideouts. We have completely abandoned the running game and are throwing the ball more so it may look like we are dropping the ball more but we have more chances to, also in an offense were we throw alot of shorter passes that means more traffic and tougher catches. The fumbles are due to mental lapses, yes brown killed us last game with the mental mistakes but he did have 8 catches and 1 td wallace had 4 catches for 95 and set up a td, you cannot totally discount what they do the whole game and only focus on the mistakes. The point is you cant look at 2 guys with essentially the same numbers and call one a go-to-guy and the other useless it makes no sense, if you want to argue heath has made less untimely mistakes i will go with that but they are a good group and far from useless.

:applaudit: Good post.

[steeldawg]

Personally I agree with the article from the OP. For the most part they have been productive. But untimely mistakes by these guys have really put a crimp in the season. I wouldn't single out any of them as being especially bad, nor good. They've all had some individual shining moments, and they've all made critical mistakes that have hurt the team.

In the end it comes down to this. All receivers drop balls. But it's about when you drop them as much as anything. And these guys have displayed an uncanny ability to screw it up at the exact wrong time this season.

Also this team is thin across the board talent wise. (imo) So every mistake of the players you went into the season dependent on is magnified.

In a really good year a drop here or there is quickly forgotten because someone on the defense steps up and makes a play to stem the tide.

This year we're operating on a tight wire, and every mistake comes back to ultimately cost the team the game.

So in other words we're probably putting too much of this on the receivers.

well i think thats it, the fumbles and the mental mistakes at crucial points have really hurt. i can deal with a guy dropping a pass but i cant deal with a guy fumbling all by himself in the open field (sanders) or not fielding a punt when you should or not running out of bounds, but these guy are young and are still developing, this is why i dont want us getting rid of any of them if we can minimize the mistakes (coaching) these guys will be deadly, untill then we might have to live with some growing pains. Lets also add the fact we implemented a new offense this season.