Has Watson become a liability?

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I hope you forgot Troy Brown. He knows the routes, he's just old however and is being used on the other side of the ball meaning his production on offense is inevitably going to decline.

Obviously Brown is not setting the world on fire at this point on offense.

Watson would not look like so much of a liabilty if we didn't depend on him so much.

He has been a huge asset to this team and somewhat of a liability.

I would rather see him being a decent asset and not much of a liability. That means cutting back on his touches.

And those hands of stone......Another season with the Jugs machine before we feature him so much!

 

[PATSNUTme]

For all the complaining people do about Faulk, it's kind of funny how Watson gets no mention at all. This guy has had a severe case of fumbleitis this season and every time he touches the ball I just cringe.

He's doing it just to piss you off.

Yes he's going through a streak but i wouldn't cut him just yet. It's frustrating but his positives out weigh his negitives.

 

[skri65]

In short, no. He needs to work on his ball security. But he's the only legitimate target on our team in the passin game.

If he was cut now, I find it hard to believe that you all would be pleased. He is one of most talented TE's in the league.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

He's doing it just to piss you off.

Yes he's going through a streak but i wouldn't cut him just yet. It's frustrating but his positives out weigh his negitives.

Who the heck are we playing next week? I've come to rely on your peeing guy to tell me.

 

[stcjones]

For all the complaining people do about Faulk, it's kind of funny how Watson gets no mention at all. This guy has had a severe case of fumbleitis this season and every time he touches the ball I just cringe.

Alk...I don't honestly think you can put Watson and Faulk in the same sentence when it comes to TO's. Faulk has had horrific TO's at the worst, most pivotal, most important moments of KEY games....where that VERY play kills our ability to win the game. I am STILL cringing everytime he touches the ball. The guy is a phenomenal talent and can step in and make INCREDIBLE contributions.......but overall Faulk is a liablility in alot of ways......Watson...hasn't turned the ball over in the "serious" situations enough to be mentioned in the same category with Faulk. For example, Today...we ended up winning....vs last year against Denver when Faulk's fumble was one of the things that sealed our fate..........How many drops does watson have now.....will have to look it up....the guy will be alright though....needs some work...but will be ok.....didn't fumble that much in college did he? Faulk was known for it at LSU though I believe ....

 

[stcjones]

The Raiders had a very promising tight end 5 - 6 years ago that couldn't hold onto the ball named Rickey Dudley. They ended up cutting him. If this guy can't hold onto it much longer either, cut his a** too.

wow...fanfrom1960....I appreciate your posts....hope this is the beers talking......Watson is a tremendous asset to this team........he will be fine.....don't agree with you here.....but ...one man's opinion

 

[PATSNUTme]

Who the heck are we playing next week? I've come to rely on your peeing guy to tell me.

It's up, the image that is.

I think we should let Watson play out his contract.

 

[alamo]

Let's not go overboard, all his fumbles are in the last three games, he had none before that this season. Obviously he needs to work on his ball handling, but Brady needs to be more cognizant of whether his receiver is about to get creamed.

It turns out they have won every game in which he fumbled, and he made significant contributions otherwise to help them win those three games.

 

[kolbitr]

I'm not sure, but noone is actually suggesting Benjamin be cut, right?

Dudley had terrible hands, period. "Hands of Stone", he was called, IIRC. Watson's problem is relatively recent, and although alarming, not identical.

 

[RayClay]

So are you going to catch the passes Alk?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I'm not sure, but noone is actually suggesting Benjamin be cut, right?

Dudley had terrible hands, period. "Hands of Stone", he was called, IIRC. Watson's problem is relatively recent, and although alarming, not identical.

Nobody is seriously saying he should be cut.
He IS a liability, as he kills drives. That is a fact.
Remember, in the games preceding his fumbles he also made several DROPS of passes he should have caught.

 

[stcjones]

He's doing it just to piss you off.

Yes he's going through a streak but i wouldn't cut him just yet. It's frustrating but his positives out weigh his negitives.

Talking about "cutting" Watson at this point is sheer lunacy........

 

[Seneschal2]

Watson is not a liability. He is being over used as a WR because we don't have any WRs other than Caldwell who know the routes or contribute much.

We lack talent on offense, except at running back. Since we don't appear willing to run the ball many times, we end up using Watson more than he can handle. He is still learning, and is doing okay for a TE who didn't do much in college and missed his rookie season.

We need more guys out there that can contribute, and cut back Watson to the level he is comfortable with. Watson is still learning the game of TE, and doesn't block well, but we have him out there acting like a WR.

He will get better at what he does, and he is not a liability, but we just can't rely on him so heavily to make up for our lack of WRs.

:agree:

Quick, lock the thread. This post is on the money.

 

[stcjones]

Let's not go overboard, all his fumbles are in the last three games, he had none before that this season. Obviously he needs to work on his ball handling, but Brady needs to be more cognizant of whether his receiver is about to get creamed.

It turns out they have won every game in which he fumbled, and he made significant contributions otherwise to help them win those three games.

You are dead on on this one.....Brady has been threading it in there at the last possible moment which is a great thing but he is also setting his receivers up to take a huge hit.....again, alot of times he can see what is coming......Watson and the other receivers can not.......good points.....

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Let's not go overboard, all his fumbles are in the last three games, he had none before that this season. Obviously he needs to work on his ball handling, but Brady needs to be more cognizant of whether his receiver is about to get creamed.

It turns out they have won every game in which he fumbled, and he made significant contributions otherwise to help them win those three games.

We're talking about a guy who is, essentially, playing his second year.

He fumbled once his first year.

He went the 10 first weeks of the year without a fumble.

Fumbles in 3 consecutive games isn't good, but since he didn't have a fumble history prior to it, I'd say it's a bit premature to assume this will be a chronic issue and label Watson a "liability."

After all, at the start of the season, there were some questions about his hands -- and his improvement in that regard over the course of the season has been remarkable.

 

[cstjohn17]

I think it's a case of his routes leading him into defenders. If you noticed he had two where he had to dive over oncoming defenders tackles. The second one led to a fumble.

If anything I think Brady has tried to thread the needle too much and when watson catches the ball and turns his head he gets popped. this was the case with one of the fumbles in the bear game. back in the bear game the other fumble was becuase he was hlding the ball too loosely and it got poked away.

so to answer your question, no he hasn't become a liability. sure he ahs fumbled alot and needs to work on fundamentals. but i think the defense has has keyed on some of his routes and the safeties take bee-line routes to hit him a split second after the cathc is made.

Welcome to the life of a NFL TE, he plays a tough guy position. It is not like WR where they can hide on the outside. As Lawrence Taylor used to say, when plays go into the middle where the LBs roam that is where the "Mother ******* bullets start to fly". He has to man up and expect the hit and hold onto the ball.

I have lowered by expectations on Watson, I think he will be a valueble weapon and put up pretty good number but will never be in the elite TEs in the league. He is a tease, very fast, can move the chains but still drops too many, can't block and needs to take better care of the ball.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

wow...fanfrom1960....I appreciate your posts....hope this is the beers talking......Watson is a tremendous asset to this team........he will be fine.....don't agree with you here.....but ...one man's opinion

I'm not giving up on Watson, but Dudley was supposed to be all world coming out of college too, just couldn't catch the ball often enough. Hopefully, Watson can learn to hold on. Tiki Barber was a fumble machine until he was convinced to change the way he holds the ball. Maybe someone can work with Watson. I hope he turns it around on the fumbles.

 

[dhamz]

It seems every week he is either dropping balls he should catch or fumbling. Last week he did both.

No one can seriously suggest cutting him. That is lunacy.

However, this is a guy who has Pro Bowl physical skills and is coming nowhere near his potential because he can't keep the ball in his hands consistently. There is no way anyone can say it is not a huge concern right now.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Welcome to the life of a NFL TE, he plays a tough guy position. It is not like WR where they can hide on the outside. As Lawrence Taylor used to say, when plays go into the middle where the LBs roam that is where the "Mother ******* bullets start to fly". He has to man up and expect the hit and hold onto the ball.

I have lowered by expectations on Watson, I think he will be a valueble weapon and put up pretty good number but will never be in the elite TEs in the league. He is a tease, very fast, can move the chains but still drops too many, can't block and needs to take better care of the ball.

I agree. I think he'll be good, but not elite like you said. I'd like to see the Pats put him in motion more.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I see it this way
Right now, I would not let Watson hold an infant