Welker Routes

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Guys I would like input.

I would like McDaniels to draw up a few deeper routes with Welker. He has some serious speed and he can run a great route, he can certainly cut in the slot.

Why not send him deep?

I hope they draw something up either this week or next and send Wes on a couple deeper routes. Nothing to the sidelines though...

Thoughts?

 

[signbabybrady]

He is the best slot man in the game and we have the best deep threat in the game and you want more routes with the slot guy going deep. Hmmm. Welker runs plenty of deeper routes just not many GO routes. The catch to the sideline yesterday was about a 15-20 yard flag route, the pass he fell down on that wound up a pick in the Rams game was a 15-20 yard out just to give a few examples.

So basically my answer is he goes on the right kind of deeper routes for his skills.....lets leave most of the go routes to the outside WRs Moss and Gaff

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Guys I would like input.

I would like McDaniels to draw up a few deeper routes with Welker. He has some serious speed and he can run a great route, he can certainly cut in the slot.

Why not send him deep?

I hope they draw something up either this week or next and send Wes on a couple deeper routes. Nothing to the sidelines though...

Thoughts?

His top-end speed isn't all that impressive, but his acceleration and his ability to change directions are about as good as they come. (Even Madden 09 realizes this--his acceleration is rated a 99.) As signbabybrady suggests, on a 40- or 50-yard go route, the DBs would probably be able to catch up with him.

 

[mgteich]

Welker does occasionally run deep, but I agree that his role is as one of the vey best slot receivers in the game. Our receivers are very good in their roles. Welker and Faulk both occasionally go deep. We are getting reasonable receiver production from Moss, Gaffney and from Welker and Faulk. Welker is the new Troy Brown. Aiken even makes a catch once a game. And Washington is still on the bench, to get reps if needed.

The folks that I would like to see more involved in the passing game are the TE's. Also BJGE needs to learn to catch an occasional checkoff.

 

[maverick4]

Defenses routinely key on Welker for short and middle stuff. I bet if Welker did a fake inside move and then did a deep post route, that could be an easy 6.

 

[signbabybrady]

Defenses routinely key on Welker for short and middle stuff. I bet if Welker did a fake inside move and then did a deep post route, that could be an easy 6.

You would have to do that on the opposite side of Moss as most teams have been very careful to make sure there is deep safety help on Moss' side on almost every play (starting to seem ridiculous how much they double the guy but I guess thats evidence of how good he truly is).

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Welker's low center of gravity and quick change-of-direction ability make him the perfect "yards after the catch" receiver.

His size and modest straight-line speed take away from his ability to be a highly desirable go-route receiver. Anything requiring him to do more playmaking before the ball even gets there at the expense of these "just get him the ball ASAP in space" routes would be counterproductive IMO. Not that he couldn't do it on occasion, but what he does well is something that on the other hand few taller and faster wideouts ever master.

It would be nice to go more 4 WR sets if we can protect better without tight ends, and then he will have more space to operate.

I think we get a fairly optimal amount of production out of Wes and wouldn't really change anything.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Welker's positives are that he is quick and nimble. He is not NFL fast.

Going deep is better suited to fast, tall WRs that can jump. Underneath routes are better suited to WRs that are shifty, quick, and can stop on a dime.

Welker runs routes that he is likely to get open on, the underneath stuff. If Welker ever got open for 50 yards on a "go" route it would be because of a blown coverage, not because he outran the DB.

 

[maverick4]

Obviously his best stuff is the short stuff.
But there could be a rare/occasional opportunity to go deep to Welker after a double move where he first fakes a short route and then goes deep. We could clear space by putting Moss out wide on the other side and running a deep sideline route to draw the safety to that side.

Welker is like Troy Brown, great slot guy, Troy also caught a few notable deep bombs in the past.

 

[signbabybrady]

Welker is like Troy Brown, great slot guy, Troy also caught a few notable deep bombs in the past.

See the miami OT game where he caugth an 80 yarder.


But there was a big difference.....No Moss.


If you send Welker deep you take your best short option away and might not have someone to go to if there is not enough time to wait on Welker going deep too.

Conversely you sned Moss deep he is a better deep threat anyway and if you can't wait for him to get deep you can find Welker underneath.

 

[xmarkd400x]

A point I alluded to, but did not make in my previous post is this:

Sending Welker long plays to his weaknesses. Sending Moss short/underneath plays to his weaknesses. If they are both on the field, you should play them to their strengths.

Sure, there might be a couple of times that Welker could be sent long. However, not only does it play to Welkers weaknesses, it diminishes Moss' effectiveness since you are putting two recievers in the same spot of the field (deep).

 

[Fencer]

The only reason to do it is as a change of pace. E.g., if a team decides to stop Welker by beating him up with a Vrabel-style LB who's even slower than he is -- which won't happen nearly as much to a slot receiver as it happens to TEs anyway -- then sure: Send him out in a footrace.

Otherwise, why bother? And by the way, a more classical WR might have caught that ball and gotten his feet down, without needing two ref's mistakes to have the completion stand.

 

[Gunnails]

IMHO,

Welker is the most dangerous weapon the Pats will have in facing the Jets,

Revis will blanket Moss, Lowery will be picked on by Gaffney and Cassel, but as a whole the Jets don't give up the deep pass.

The Jets biggest weakness is there MLB's in coverage, the Jets are soft over the middle, Jets have trouble defending the short pass to the TE and slot receivers.

A perfect recipe for Welker to have a big game.