Can we move on from the Justin Hunter experiment now? He is who we thought he was.
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Can we move on from the Justin Hunter experiment now? He is who we thought he was.
I agree
But it was Ben who wanted Hunter to have more play time.
Array title="AtlantaDan has a reputation beyond repute">
It is not going to happen for Hunter
Hopefully Washington was benched yesterday to try and get him to focus rather than it being a case of Washington starting to enter the Eli Rogers zone
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Hunter has the tools but not the drive, next.
He was getting held like crazy, but as a big man you have to play big and catch through the penalties.
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Ben obviously sees something in Hunter, but, yeah, um, I got nuttin'.
Go with george washington
He didn't seem to track the ball well in the air, and screwed up a couple routes he was targeted, but he DID have a couple nice blocks. Not sure that garners a helmet over Washington, but he wasn't horrible.
The lack of a viable 3rd wideout will eventually bite this team in the butt.
I like Washington as a prospect, but this is why I hate relying on rookie WRs for much of anything. Juju is the exception that proves the rule - most take 1-2 years to develop into a useful player.
Imagine a playoff game. Critical 3rd down. Why not just leave Hunter or Washington in an obvious mismatch? I would take my chances with the ball going there than to AB or Juju.
I am perhaps letting the past get too much into my head, but I can't shake the memory of the final Steelers drive in the SB against GB. If the WRs had more experience, I really believe Ben pulls off a miracle and the Steelers win that game. But all the youth and inexperience (along with injuries) reared its ugly head in that game and that drive.
I just read somewhere that Detroit would consider a 4th rounder for Golden Tate. IF the Steelers really think this is the year they can win a SB (I don't, but they might) then that wouldn't be the worst idea any one ever had.
Mojo,Originally Posted by Mojouw
I disagree. We have two pro bowl level WRs, two TEs with good hands, and 1 (soon to be 2) RBs who double as WRs, both also pro- bowl level. Lack of viable passing targets is definitely not a problem for this offense.
While I am disappointed with the growth of Hunter and Washington thus far, I am pleasantly surprised by Ryan Switzer. He had a bad game this week, but he's been playing well the rest of the season. If it was me, I'd have him ahead of Hunter, but Tomlin knows more about it than I do.
Best,
-Slashy
"You've heard people brag about 'being in the zone'. They don't know what the Hell being in the zone is about. I played in the NFL for 15 years and I was only in the zone that one time." - "Mean" Joe Greene on the 1974 playoff victory over Oakland
I think (just my opinion) that is an overly optimistic viewpoint.
AB is dominant, but we have seen this season and the one where Sammi Coates and random dudes played WR that teams can slow him down if they are not scared of the other options.
Juju is great and can do a lot of wonderful things but his next playoff winning catch will be his first.
DHB, Hunter, Washington, Switzer, and whatever else they have laying around have never made a big critical play in the NFL. Not one.
McDonald looks like he can be a good weapon. Jesse James is what he is and he doesn't scare anyone as a match-up.
Remember 2010? Ward and Wallace and then an unproven Sanders and Brown (this was the two dogs one bone year). It never really got sorted out and in the SB, with Ward banged up the team resorted to playing Wallace (also slowed up I think), Sanders, and AB all out of position and that last 2 minute drill was keystone kops esque with no one knowing where to go and Ben and his pass catchers (including Miller at TE and Moore at RB) looking totally out of sorts and wildly ineffective.
Or the recent playoff run where Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers had to play big roles. Then a real quality team showed up in the form of the Pats and those guys didn't cut it.
I am not saying that the offense is without weapons, but they are one injury away from only having ONE WR on the roster that has any track record of NFL success. Two twisted ankles away from NONE.
At some point, the team needs someone to step up and be able to make teams pay for concentrating on AB and Juju. So far it has mainly been McDonald. It would be to everyone's long-term benefit if either Hunter or Washington could answer the bell and start carving teams up when they are left singled up on some team's 3rd or 4th CB.
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Inb4 "Trade Tate for Burns!"
I would do that...unless they were using that 4th for a CB
Enthroned Into The Good Old Boys Club - 2024
Washington hasn't become the #3 option we hoped for yet, but I think he can get there by late season and into the playoffs. In 2010, Sanders and AB didn't turn it up until late, and AB showed star potential in the big playoff games. But early in the season they didn't do much.
Don't see them adding Tate but wonder if the Raiders would trade Jordy Nelson for cheap? 7th round pick maybe? He's not the same receiver he once was but he is still good enough to make an impact as a #3 WR.
Edit:
Just a feeling, If Tate is traded he's going to the Pats. Perfect receiver for their offense.
Agree. Nelson would be decent. I think the Patriots will get either Tate or Thomas by the deadline.
either would make the Pats even scarier offensively.
Think the Tate deal gets done. He's a FA after the season and with former Patriot Matt Patricia as the Lions HC, I think a deal gets done for a 4th round pick.
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I really like what I saw out of Washington in the preseason. Tomlin has a way of holding guys back that only get better with experience. I realize that sword cuts both ways (e.g., Jarvis Jones, et al). But consider Conner; if Bell had reported we would all be nitpicking Conner and his 2-3 carries a game and talking about what a wasted pick he was. I'd prefer to keep Washington on the field and let him develop with some targets.
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The fact he was not even active makes me wonder if there was an issue with how he has been practicing or some sort of discipline (ESPN reported after Burns only played special teams yesterday that Burns was late for a meeting or walk through last week)
Ben has fallen for whatever tall receiver lands on the roster ever since Plaxico Burress dumped Ben for Eli Manning
I really thought that James Washington would be a productive 3rd WR by week 8 of this season. Still not going to write the kid off yet, but still think he can give more than Hunter can at this point, but he obviously isn't proving it in practice.
Bell is going to end up being the third receiver. He's going to be on the field along with Conner about 40-50% of the time, and they will move him all over the place. They probably already have plays in place. If they do it right, it will be a nightmare for defenses.
YES!!!
I was saying the exact same thing on Twitter this morning.
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I hope he nets more than 6-7 yards a catch.
Lining up along the LOS, he should. That 6-7 yards/catch stat was coming from out of the backfield.
6-7 yards are fine when that's what's needed to move the sticks. Probably the biggest weakness in Ben's game is that he doesn't value moving the sticks enough.
Bell being used a slot WR is probably in the plans, excited the think about.
On two different deep-pass-plays, Hunter has his man beat for a TD. Ben saw this and threw it Hunter’s direction... but, for whatever reason, Hunter slowed up. Thus, instead of two TDs (which would have made this game a blowout) it was two incompletions (and two punts).
SUMMATION (of HUNTER):
Body like Tarzan, brain like... well... Tarzan.
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