Chad Ochocinco quote about patriots receivers

[rochrist]

Stanley Morgan

Yeah, but Morgan played in a totally different offense. I think he was referring to the current version of the Pats offense.

 

[Jackson 2]

Stallworth.

 

[New England Pride]

Branch
Patten
Givens

Next question

Totally agree on those three but it has been a while. I wonder what has changed to make our outside receivers so pedestrian. Has the offense gotten more complex or has the talent just not been there? Maybe a combination of both?

 

[RayClay]

He sucks. He didn't even know where to lineup.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

He sucks. He didn't even know where to lineup.

That is so true.

Inability to learn the playbook leads to rationalization and excuses.

 

[New England Pride]

Stallworth.

Nah. Lost snaps to Gaffney as the season wore on in 07 and was gone that offseason. Can't call that success by anyones standards.

 

[robbomango]

I wish the interviewer replied "compared to you a lot"

 

[Deus Irae]

Totally agree on those three but it has been a while. I wonder what has changed to make our outside receivers so pedestrian. Has the offense gotten more complex or has the talent just not been there? Maybe a combination of both?

Part of it is the weaker run game (OK, except against the Colts)
Part of it is a lack of ability to separate on the part of the outside receivers
Part of it is having the likes of Brandon Tate and the corpse of Ochocinco
Part of it is a lousy 2015 for Lafell
Part of it is a one-and-done for Lloyd despite a 74 catch season

They need an OWR who can consistently gain real separation downfield, and isn't a smurf, and that's what's not been there since Moss. Lloyd, for example, won with body position rather than separation.

 

[patsfan-1982]

extremely successful means star player and the pats have only ever had two with Brady at QB Moss and Gronk and both have put up record braking numbers in this offense. Johnson just had noting left when the pats signed him

 

[Sicilian]

Not sure I would call them "extremely successful"

I think his phrasing was meant to be intentionally flamboyant (surprise!), but the more appropriate question is how many outside wide receivers have come here and performed to a level commensurate with their talent? Of course we've had guys like Galloway, Ocho, etc who have failed, but I would absolutely consider LaFell and Lloyd to be successful, unless the only measure of success is for an average to above-average WR to become a superstar. If his definition of extremely successful is a Randy Moss type performance, then I would limit the people you hold to that standard to be players with Moss like talent (so almost no one).

Players I would say performed up to their talent:

Branch
Givens
Patten
Caldwell (shouldn't have been a number one, but that's a talent acquisition issue, not his fault)
LaFell
Lloyd
Stallworth
Moss

I would argue Gaffney also did well here, but I will concede an argument could be made against him since he had better statistical seasons both before and after his time here.

Point is, you can question the Patriots methodology for bringing in WR talent if you choose, but the idea that good wide receivers fail here at higher rates than elsewhere is overstated.

 

[everlong]

Lloyd had 74 catches for 911 yards and 4 TDs in his one season. If he hadn't been a head case he could have stuck around for a while. If Dobson put up those numbers people would be ecstatic.

 

[Froob]

Sick of that stereotype. "Oh, he's white and under 6 feet tall, so he is a slot receiver then." No, he's not. He's a straight up Wide Receiver.

Yeah I don't understand how people here watch every game and still call him a slot receiver.

 

[Triumph]

Stinko did not succeed in NE because you can place a lit candle near one of his ears and blow it out from the other side.

 

[brdmaverick]

Why would we expect Brady to have big numbers throwing to outside receivers when he's always had great, better options over the middle?

 

[patsfan13]

It isn't just the playbook it is the ability to choose the correct route on the fly based on the D being played and the technique on each play.

Randy had an off the charts football IQ to compliment his athleticism. Ocho was off the charts just not with his football IQ.

 

[RobertWeathers]

i really don't think he's a jerk tbh

Maybe not.

I can't stand it when people blame others for their own deficiencies and refuse to take accountability.

Pet peeve of mine.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

His time with the Pats summed up with one picture:

Well he did catch a cold once. Does that count?

 

[GrogansArmy]

I really had high hopes for Chad. I was hoping BB would sign him and then when he did I was excited and thought he would be able to take our offense to the level that Randy Moss did. But he was such a huge disappointment .

Now years later Chad is trying to claim that he only failed here is because we never cared about the outsider receivers unless their name is Randy Moss and only worked on the slot receivers. The fact is, the only reason he failed in NE is due to himself. Weather due to losing a step or not working hard enough (don't believe that though), he failed here because he kept dropping perfectly placed passes. Pretty much the same reason Lafell was just let go.

 

[DaBruinz]

Also said it wasn't that he couldn't learn the playbook, as football is the same everyone. only the verbiage changes. but there are basically just 9 routes.

Sorry, Chad. But you didn't learn the playbook. That was plainly obvious. And you couldn't figure out how to get in sync with Brady.

 

[jmt57]

For the sake of argument, here is a look at the production of the New England Patriots' best 'outside receiver' over the last few years, with how they ranked overall on the team in receiving stats.

2015
Danny Amendola
(or are we going to classify both DA and Jules as slot receivers?)
648 yards (3rd; Gronk, Edelman)
65 receptions (2nd)
87 targets (3rd; Gronk 120, JE 88)
3 TD (5th)
46.3 yards per game (5th: Gronk 78.4; JE 76.9; Dion Lewis 55.4; LaFell 46.8)

2014
Brandon LaFell
953 yards (3rd: Gronk 1124. JE 972)
74 receptions (3rd: JE 92 Gronk 82)
119 targets (3rd: JE 135. Gronk 130)
12.9 yards per catch (2nd among those w/at least 10 receptions)
7 TD (2nd)
59.6 yards per game (3rd: Gronk 74.9; JE 69.4)

2013
Danny Amendola was 2nd behind Edelman, but for the sake of argument we will say they were both 'inside receivers'
Aaron Dobson
519 yards (4th: JE 1056, DA 633, Gronk 592)
37 receptions (5th: Edelman 105, Amendola 54, Vereen 47, Gronk 39)
74 targets (3rd)
14.0 yards per catch (2nd: Kenbrell Thompkins, 14.6)
4 TD (T-2nd)

2012
Brandon Lloyd
911 Yards (2nd; Wes Welker, 1354)
74 receptions (2nd)
130 targets (2nd)
4 TD (4th)
12.3 yards per catch (2nd among all w/at least 10 receptions)

2011
Deion Branch
702 yards (4th: Welker, Gronk AH)
51 receptions (4th)
90 targets (4th)
13.8 yards per catch (3rd)
5 TD (4th)
Chad 88's #'s: 276 yards; 15 receptions on 32 targets; 1 TD; 18.4 yards per catch; 18.4 yards per game; 8.6 yards per target.

2010
Deion Branch
706 yards (2nd; Welker, 848)
48 receptions (2nd)
74 targets (2nd)
12.5 yards per catch (2nd: Tate: Brandon Tate, 18.0)
5 TD (4th)

2009
Randy Moss had 83 receptions for 1264 yards, 13 touchdowns, 62 first downs, and 18 receptions for 20 or more yards, so I will assume the reference to outside receivers with the Patriots can end here.



Are the Patriot outside receivers going to put up fantasy football winning numbers, or stats that deliver a free post-season trip to Hawaii? No.

But isn't his comment "outside receiver that has ever been extremely successful" stating the obvious, considering the type of offense that the Patriots currently run? Belichick and Brady have proven that they are capable of running an offense with a deep threat outside the numbers, but the team being 'extremely successful' is what is important - not an individual player.

Ochocinco was never able to understand the Foxborough playbook; perhaps to this day he still does not understand the whole idea is for the team to win, and not just one individual.