Curran: Amendola gutsy performance quiets critics

[fnordcircle]

Why can't we thank Wes for his contributions and hope Amendola is a great player for us in the same breath?

You know, it's entirely possible to say "I'm really appreciative for what a previous player gave us but I think that the new guy has some abilities that surpass his."

Which is what I believe. Based on seeing Amendola make difficult catches in traffic when we needed it most. These weren't easy catches and they weren't catches I would criticize Welker for not being able to make.

I don't know why being stoked about Amendola has to be interpreted as thinking Wes sucked or something.

 

[borg]

Lloyd isn't with the team because he was a headcase, not because he didn't get YAC.

You are oversimplifying things. YAC is an important thing to have, but it clearly isn't the be all and end all measurements. Plenty of HOF caliber WRs were not great YAC guys most notably Marvin Harrison who was basically just a far more talented version of what the Pats got from Brandon Lloyd last year. His career average was 2.2 YAC. Cris Carter wasn't a YAC guy either. His career average was 1.3 YAC.

To value slot WRs, YAC is a great way to figure out who is elite. Percy Harvin is the only slot guy that comes close...of course Harvin can't stay healthy...which goes to show exactly how valuable WW was/is.
It will be interesting, at least for me, to see what kind of numbers Brady puts up without WW. It may more than a coincidence that Brady became the "elite" passer when WW came aboard. Brady's "air yards" were ranked 29th last year with WW turning 4 yards into 8 yards....taking a lot of pressure off the QB. We'll see how this plays out. I feel bad for DA because he will be the focus of secondaries, at least until the Gronk arrives. No doubt WW had more space with Moss and the TEs on the field

 

[fnordcircle]

It may more than a coincidence that Brady became the "elite" passer when WW came aboard.

 

[Bruins29]

TIt may more than a coincidence that Brady became the "elite" passer when WW came aboard.

But nobody mentions the coincidence that WW became an elite WR once he had TB throwing him the ball. Also TB won 3 superbowls without WW and without a superstar cast of WRs.

To this date, WW has not even had a great season much less and elite season in his career without TB

 

[Rob0729]

To value slot WRs, YAC is a great way to figure out who is elite. Percy Harvin is the only slot guy that comes close...of course Harvin can't stay healthy...which goes to show exactly how valuable WW was/is.
It will be interesting, at least for me, to see what kind of numbers Brady puts up without WW. It may more than a coincidence that Brady became the "elite" passer when WW came aboard. Brady's "air yards" were ranked 29th last year with WW turning 4 yards into 8 yards....taking a lot of pressure off the QB. We'll see how this plays out. I feel bad for DA because he will be the focus of secondaries, at least until the Gronk arrives. No doubt WW had more space with Moss and the TEs on the field

Brady was an elite passer long before Welker came aboard. His offensive explosion in stats from 2007 on was due to a number of things including his upgrade in receivers, rules changes making it easier to throw and harder for the defense to defend, the maturation of McDaniels as an OC, etc. To say Brady's stat explosion is because of Welker is a complete misnomer.

Also, many of Welker's key receptions of the years have had zero YAC. It is being in position beyond the first down marker on third down when he is going to get hit as soon as he caught the ball makes him as or more special than him taking a slant pass and getting 15 yards after he caught the ball.

Again, YAC is a key component for a receiver, but it isn't the be all and end all for WRs. With a slot receiver, I would look at the number of converted first downs especially on third down as a far better indicator for an elite player. Elite players make clutch plays (which for a slot receiver would be indicated by converting first downs especially on third downs).

Personally, I was always more in awe of Welker's ability to convert first downs especially on third downs than I was on his YAC.

 

[chasa]

Why can't we thank Wes for his contributions and hope Amendola is a great player for us in the same breath?

because wes left like a diva.

 

[Ozymandias]

Why can't we thank Wes for his contributions and hope Amendola is a great player for us in the same breath?

I'll always respect and appreciate what Wes did for the Patriots organization for the time he was here. Statistically, he's obviously the most productive to have ever put on the uniform in terms of production at the WR position.

However, the problem that I have is with his fans and apologists. Since, Thursday's Broncos game we've had to endure a ridiculous amount of vitriol on Twitter and other social media sites. And I'm not even talking about fans of other teams, I talking about from so-called Patriots "fans."

And on Sunday they were saying some very disgusting things about Danny because he pulled a groin in a very physical contest, calling him soft, weak. Hearing them get glee from this, makes me somewhat embarrassed to be a Patriots fan. This is the team they claim to root for and yet they're just covertly waiting for him to fail so they can say "see I told you he's a porcelain china doll," and calling him names like Danny Glassmendola.

It was vindicating to see him be able to shut up for those haters/fake fans, even if it's only for one week. When the team absolutely needed it most, he came up clutch. That's where the difference is between he and Wes. While Welker made a lot of catches and so on, he wasn't very clutch when really, really they needed him to be. On that last drive alone the 2012 and 2013 version of Welker probably would've dropped many of those passes that Danny caught.

Simply put, I'm happy that Danny is on the Patriots team.

 

[BrickPat]

Why can't we thank Wes for his contributions and hope Amendola is a great player for us in the same breath?

Because some fans act like they were jilted by an ex- girlfriend. Once appreciated players morph into overrated has beens if they leave. Dare to point out his contributions as you'll be accused of Tebow worship like behavior.

It's funny how the jilted fanbots brag about how they've moved on while taking pot shots at a player who is no longer on the team, the hypocrisy is laughable.

Amendola can do more than Welker and will continue to be an electrifying and sure handed receiver if he stays healthy.

Welker's was a huge cog in the Pat's offense during his time here and will likely do the same for Denver.

There, I made a complimentary and common sense observation about both players and the world did not end.

 

[VinnyPatrollie]

because wes left like a diva.

He did? Me thinks you're rewriting history. While it may be true that Wes and his agents overvalued what his next deal should be, he was hardly a diva on the way out the door.

 

[BadMoFo]

At this rate, Amendola will only play half a season.

 

[Ivan]

You know, it's entirely possible to say "I'm really appreciative for what a previous player gave us but I think that the new guy has some abilities that surpass his."

Which is what I believe. Based on seeing Amendola make difficult catches in traffic when we needed it most. These weren't easy catches and they weren't catches I would criticize Welker for not being able to make.

I don't know why being stoked about Amendola has to be interpreted as thinking Wes sucked or something.

Because you are claiming that a guy with exceptionally average numbers to date is better than a guy who produced like a HOF player for the past 6 years, and while hoping he can produce like that is fine actually claiming he is better with absolutely nothing to support that is absurd. Welker made tough catch after tough catch after tough catch for 6 years and was a first down machine, he broke records that belonged to jerry Rice and only 2 receivers in the league had comparable number the last few years, and they were named Johnson and Fitzgerald. I like Amendola and think those taking shots at him or claiming he can't be highly productive are being idiots but a player actually has to produce like a HOF quality player before people can start claiming he's better than someone who has performed like one.

The ****** Salk is making this claim every single day, spouting over and over that Amendola is a better player than Welker, which is ridiculous and has no basis in fact, and when he is challenged to support it with anything factual is incapable of doing so. Let Amendola have a couple of seasons where he actually surpasses Welker's production and then start talking about it, right now it just looks like fanboy stupidity. Right now claiming that Amendola is better than Welker is akin to claiming that Eddie Lacy is better than Adrian Peterson.

 

[captain stone]

As someone in the Amendola Groin Injury thread mentioned, DA = tough glass (but glass nonetheless).