Let Plaxico Burress’ Rookie Year Remind You To Not Lose Faith In James Washington

[polamalubeast]

There are three guarantees in life – death, taxes and the Pittsburgh Steelers turning young wide receivers into stars. The team has held an excellent track history of developing wide receivers, turning young wide outs into superstars almost at will.

The team has produced big time stars in Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and now JuJu Smith-Schuster. But that is not to say that the team has not struck out on its fair share of prospects. Limas Sweed was a colossal failure and the biggest blunder of the group. Sammie Coates could not catch a cold and Markus Wheaton never developed into a legitimate second option. Some in Pittsburgh are ready to throw James Washington’s name into the bunch but let the rookie season of Plaxico Burress serve as a history lesson as to why giving up on receivers early is often a foolish decision.

Long before Washington was struggling, Burress was dropping footballs left, right and center as a rookie. Washington’s 42.1 catch percentage fails in comparison to Burress’ rookie numbers. Burress caught just 22 of his 65 targets during his rookie year, good for a 33.8 catch percentage, in fact, only one wide receiver has posted a lower catch rate during their rookie season than Burress (min. 35 targets).

An excerpt from former NY Times writer Mike Freeman really hits home when describing the struggles Burress went through during his rookie year.

“He had so many drops that the news media, even teammates, began anticipating when the ball would slip through his mitts instead of when he would make a play. He soon got the nickname Plexiglass.

Compounding the problem was that Burress was having trouble reading defenses and running precise pass routes, a difficulty for every rookie. But because Burress was such a high draft selection, more, perhaps unfairly, was expected of him.”

read more

https://steelersdepot.com/2019/07/let-plaxico-burress-rookie-year-remind-you-to-not-lose-faith-in-james-washington/



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNOvBSTqLoc

[tube517]

I wonder if Farmer spikes the ball at the 2 yard line on his first long (almost) TD pass. :scratchchin:

[Fire Goodell]

plexiglass butterfingers was what i called him in his rookie season :chuckle:

[86WARD]

plexiglass butterfingers was what i called him in his rookie season :chuckle:

Why would you have cAlled him Plexiglass at that stage? He wasn’t injured off and on until 2004. He missed some games at the end of 2000 but not like he did in 2004. Just think it’s odd to throw that nickname on him at that stage in his rookie year.

[Fire Goodell]

Why would you have cAlled him Plexiglass at that stage? He wasn’t injured off and on until 2004. He missed some games at the end of 2000 but not like he did in 2004. Just think it’s odd to throw that nickname on him at that stage in his rookie year.

Cause the dude seemed soft at the time lol, and of course with players you dont like you take any opportunity possible to butcher their names

Like calling Limas Sweed, Limas Peed the bed lol. Yeah he didn't really wet the bed, but it was satisfying to call him a bed wetter

[teegre]

Why would you have cAlled him Plexiglass at that stage? He wasn’t injured off and on until 2004. He missed some games at the end of 2000 but not like he did in 2004. Just think it’s odd to throw that nickname on him at that stage in his rookie year.

Didn’t Plaxico give himself the nickname Plexiglass...???

“I bend, but I don’t break.”

[polamalubeast]

Why would you have cAlled him Plexiglass at that stage? He wasn’t injured off and on until 2004. He missed some games at the end of 2000 but not like he did in 2004. Just think it’s odd to throw that nickname on him at that stage in his rookie year.

Maybe I'm not right, but I always thought it was the Ravens before our playoffs game in 2001 against them that gave Plaxico that nickname.

[Fire Goodell]

Maybe I'm not right, but I always thought it was the Ravens before our playoffs game in 2001 against them that gave Plaxico that nickname.

Yeah Shannon Sharpe. Plaxico said something like "we lost the first game to the ravens but we beat them up", or something along those lines.

Shannon Sharpe had a problem with that and fired back "If a physical, tough player, like Hines Ward said that, then I might let that slide. But Plexiglass, no"

I think Plax had like 160 yards and a TD that game, it was basically his coming out party.

[Butch]

LOL for an insult it's pretty funny because Plexiglass is actually much tougher than glass.

[Fire Goodell]

LOL for an insult it's pretty funny because Plexiglass is actually much tougher than glass.

insults sometimes don't have to make sense. Look at Lamarr "WoodenDong" Woodley for instance. I mean if you think of it literally that'd probably be more a compliment than an insult. There's a billion dollar industry in giving ED patients the wooden dong :chuckle:

[polamalubeast]

Yeah Shannon Sharpe. Plaxico said something like "we lost the first game to the ravens but we beat them up", or something along those lines.

Shannon Sharpe had a problem with that and fired back "If a physical, tough player, like Hines Ward said that, then I might let that slide. But Plexiglass, no"

I think Plax had like 160 yards and a TD that game, it was basically his coming out party.

And Plaxico was right when he said that despite our loss in the first game against the Ravens, the steelers had been the better team ... I mean, Kris Brown had missed 4 FG in this game in a 13-10 loss!

If I would have been Cowher, I would have fired Kris Brown after this game, since he had been awful all year long.

[fansince'76]

So, can we eventually count on Washington to also alligator-arm a sure TD catch in a conference championship game, then piss and moan about "not getting enough touches" in the locker room afterward, and then diss the entire city of Pittsburgh as "racist" after he moves on in free agency?

I hope not.

[Mojouw]

So, can we eventually count on Washington to also alligator-arm a sure TD catch in a conference championship game, then piss and moan about "not getting enough touches" in the locker room afterward, and then diss the entire city of Pittsburgh as "racist" after he moves on in free agency?

I hope not.

I mean, that's the dream when you draft a guy. But I think we need to be realistic. Maybe 2 out of 3 is possible?

[FrancoLambert]

I haven’t lost faith in James Washington.
It’s his second year. I think he will show improvement.
I trust the way we draft and develop WR’s.

[polamalubeast]

So, can we eventually count on Washington to also alligator-arm a sure TD catch in a conference championship game, then piss and moan about "not getting enough touches" in the locker room afterward, and then diss the entire city of Pittsburgh as "racist" after he moves on in free agency?

I hope not.

This article talked about Buress as a player,not as a person

[teegre]

Yeah Shannon Sharpe. Plaxico said something like "we lost the first game to the ravens but we beat them up", or something along those lines.

Shannon Sharpe had a problem with that and fired back "If a physical, tough player, like Hines Ward said that, then I might let that slide. But Plexiglass, no"

I think Plax had like 160 yards and a TD that game, it was basically his coming out party.

That sounds right.

What I do remember vividly was Plax saying the words “I bend, but I don’t break.”


SIDENOTE:
Plax talking trash before big games was commonplace. He took that torch from Eric Green... both of whom never actually showed up in big games (to back up their words).

[hawaiiansteeler]

Plax talking trash before big games was commonplace. He took that torch from Eric Green... both of whom never actually showed up in big games (to back up their words).

I'm always willing to forgive Plaxico because of this one play:

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/06/06/5_Burress_Weapons_Charges_Football.sff_custom-1137a5e3dd8219e21775d3e1dcfb21f9c9adbd12-s800-c85.jpg

[polamalubeast]

I'm always willing to forgive Plaxico because of this one play:

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/06/06/5_Burress_Weapons_Charges_Football.sff_custom-1137a5e3dd8219e21775d3e1dcfb21f9c9adbd12-s800-c85.jpg

Buress had predicted that the Giants would have won 23-17 in SB 42 .... He was wrong!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhw_YLGmvKw

[polamalubeast]

1154814385870782469

[hawaiiansteeler]

James C Wexell
‏@jimwexell

@jimwexell how did James Washington do today? Excited to see his progression throughout this season. #SteelersCamp

James C Wexell Retweeted Black And Yellow Insider

He looked great. Such an exciting pass/catcher, the way he gets up and rips it out of the air

https://twitter.com/jimwexell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7 Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[Butch]

I never had a problem with Plex, he was a knucklehead but I can forgive that.

[teegre]

I'm always willing to forgive Plaxico because of this one play:

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/06/06/5_Burress_Weapons_Charges_Football.sff_custom-1137a5e3dd8219e21775d3e1dcfb21f9c9adbd12-s800-c85.jpg


I cheered just about as loudly for that TD, as I did for Tone’s TD in the following Super Bowl.

[polamalubeast]

1155219897158422529

It does not count since it was against Burns!

[polamalubeast]

It was still a great play...

1155220215283748864

[hawaiiansteeler]

It was still a great play...

1155220215283748864

Washington is now as good as Swann and Stallworth :yay3:

[polamalubeast]

Washington is now as good as Swann and Stallworth :yay3:

Many WR in the NFL looking like a HOF last year when they were against Artie Burns!

Seriously, I hope that Tomlin will give a bigger challenge to Washington soon!

[FrancoLambert]

Beats Burnt Toast without pads...:coffee: doesn’t mean much but I do expect him to be more productive.