Yards after catch.....playoffs: Lloyd

[borg]

I was going to post the new ESPN created stat.....YAD......."yards after dive" and anoint Brandon Lloyd the #1 ranked receiver.

However....after perusing the playoff stats on ESPN.com....this stat jumped off the page.

Post Season only:
Brandon Lloyd.....12 postseason catches this year.....YAC =.......get ready, sit down for this.....6 yards combined or an average YAC of 0.5 yds/catch
Post Season YAC ranking....tied for 55th

12 catches on 23 targets....102 yds=8.5 yd ave.....1 TD.....longest catch 16 yds......6 first downs.

For the regular season, Lloyd ranked #115 in YAC with 180 yds but with an incredibly high 50 1st downs. In fact Lloyd ranks 21st in the league with 50 1st downs

Conclusion: It is clear Lloyd is a possession receiver only and should be limited to 3rd downs. He is a very solid #3 WR but how effective can a team be with a starting WR incapable of advancing the ball after the catch.

 

[randomk1]

Umm...this is hardly surprising. That's been his game for like ever.

You weren't expecting a prime Steve Smith here?

 

[PatsFan2]

Which shows that Lloyd is average at best...no surprises there.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Yet the guy posted close to 1500 yards at almost 19 YPC just a couple of years before getting here! Maybe the Pats didn't use him properly this year?

 

[PatsFan2]

Two years ago is a LONG Time in Football Lloyd skills are declining!

 

[Onedaful]

Not trying to be negative but it is painful watching Lloyd for some reason. It seems hes always diving or on his knees when hes catching the ball. It's frustrating as hell

 

[Wilfork#75]

I actually just mentioned this in the draft forum. I get the feeling he tries to make a play look spectacular rather than looking for YAC, which is why he is constantly on the ground. Maybe its because he doesn't get the ball as much so he wants to make a splash when he does. Or maybe I'm wrong and just looking too much into things. Either way its a concern and I think it highlights another problem with him. His route versatility is very limited. He either goes deep and is unsuccessful or he catches short back shoulder throws or curl routes. There is very little versatility to his game and doesn't catch many balls in stride. Maybe thats because him and Brady don't have great chemistry, but I don't remember too many times with him being open and Brady missing him (apart from a few deep balls). I think he needs to step up and run some deeper, intermediate routes, especially over the middle.

 

[Rob0729]

Conclusion: It is clear Lloyd is a possession receiver only and should be limited to 3rd downs. He is a very solid #3 WR but how effective can a team be with a starting WR incapable of advancing the ball after the catch.

Huh?!? It is disappointing that he doesn't get YAC, but limiting him to third downs and limiting him to a #3 WR is ridiculous. His YAC average isn't much different than Marvin Harrison who is likely to go to the HOF. Harrison sucked at YAC. Would you consider him a #3 WR and be limited to 3rd downs?

Sorry, not every WR has to have impressive YAC. Lloyd is a solid #2 WR and starter. In the first half before everything was falling apart, he was a huge asset to the offense. The guy had 911 yards and 4 TDs this season. That is solid #2 WR numbers especially for a team that use their TEs and RBs in the running game as much as the Pats do.

It isn't about YAC. It is about receptions and yards. Not every receiver needs to catch a short pass and break it for a ton of yards. As a number #2 WR especially in a TE oriented offense like this, he is perfect for the outside stuff to free up the middle.

 

[RobertWeathers]

This is not surprising folks. Hes had two really, really good years and a bunch of ok to mediocre years. His year with this team was fine. He also was not the reason the team lost yesterday.

 

[borg]

Umm...this is hardly surprising. That's been his game for like ever.

You weren't expecting a prime Steve Smith here?

No....but I guess expecting him to make one complete stride covering an entire yard was too much to hope for.
But you are right, even in his best season at Denver, Lloyd ranked 105th in YAC despite averaging 18.8 yds/ catch.
The Pats blew this signing...believing a possession receiver would stretch the field and open up the middle. Back to square one

 

[Rob0729]

Two years ago is a LONG Time in Football Lloyd skills are declining!

Really?!? Two years ago, he was the primary WR in an offense without offensive talent. This year, he was the third or even fourth option in a lot of games. It isn't about skills declining. It is Brady has other guys to throw to.

Lloyd is a solid #2 WR. No way to spin it any other way.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Post Season only:
Brandon Lloyd.....12 postseason catches this year.....YAC =.......get ready, sit down for this.....6 yards combined or an average YAC of 0.5 yds/catch
Post Season YAC ranking....tied for 55th

Huh, how can that be possible? I distinctly remember one catch last night where he spun away from a Ravens defender and ran for at least 10 yards. And that's just one play. What about the TD against the Texans that's at least another 5 yards. How do they come up with 6 yards combined?!

 

[robbomango]

Since he's usually at, near or past the 1st down marker on any given down it doesn't really bother me....

 

[PatsFan2]

Really?!? Two years ago, he was the primary WR in an offense without offensive talent. This year, he was the third or even fourth option in a lot of games. It isn't about skills declining. It is Brady has other guys to throw to.

Lloyd is a solid #2 WR. No way to spin it any other way.

A solid #2 who doesn't go over the middle??? who did Lloyd run by consistently this year? Lloyd's route tree leaves alot to be desired... we NEED someone better than him so we don't have to count on him the way we do.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

Really?!? Two years ago, he was the primary WR in an offense without offensive talent. This year, he was the third or even fourth option in a lot of games. It isn't about skills declining. It is Brady has other guys to throw to.

Lloyd is a solid #2 WR. No way to spin it any other way.

It's too bad the Pats didn't figure out ways to get him the ball downfield more. He obviously was once capable of posting high YPC totals.

As for his age ..... he's the same age as Wes, and younger than Boldin for example.

 

[Rob0729]

A solid #2 who doesn't go over the middle??? who did Lloyd run by consistently this year? Lloyd's routes tree leaves alot to be desired... we NEED someone better than him so we don't have to count on him the way we do.

The Pats use him as an outside receiver to draw coverage away from the center of the field. Why would they run him over the center of the field a lot only to make it easier to cover/stop Welker, Hernandez, and Gronk?

Jeez, last year the Pats were killed because they had no outside WR. This year they had a fairly consistent one and now he sucks because he does what the Pats needed him to be that threat on the sidelines.

The Pats were perfectly fine with him as a #2 WR and based on his production down the stretch this year, he will likely be a north of 1,000 yard receiver next year. You do realize he had 56 more yards this year than Torrey Smith and only 10 less yards than Anquan Boldin who the Pats played yesterday as their #1 and #2 WR.

 

[borg]

Huh, how can that be possible? I distinctly remember one catch last night where he spun away from a Ravens defender and ran for at least 10 yards. And that's just one play. What about the TD against the Texans that's at least another 5 yards. How do they come up with 6 yards combined?!

Just going with ESPN's stats.....they do seem light. Maybe all those dives push him backwards

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

A solid #2 who doesn't go over the middle??? who did Lloyd run by consistently this year? Lloyd's route tree leaves alot to be desired... we NEED someone better than him so we don't have to count on him the way we do.

Some of you guys have unrealistic expectations. You're expecting the team to pay Gronk (best at his position, requires top dollar), Hern (stud, requires close to top dollar), Welker (stud but aging, requires close to top dollar), AND a WR who can do better than 900 yards. How do you expect to pay all these guys in ONE facet of the game and still have $$ to field a respectable defense/OL/RB once Ridley/Vereen rookie contracts run out.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Just going with ESPN's stats.....they do seem light. Maybe all those dives push him backwards

Something seems wrong with those stats. I don't remember him running backwards, let alone at least 10 yards backwards to offset the 2 plays I brought up.

 

[PatsFan2]

So Rob and PATSYLICIOUS you are both telling me that NFL Defenses fear Brandon Lloyd...I don't think the Ravens did yesterday outside WR's are to be feared that Lloyd is NOT!