Previous Re-Watching Columns:
Click Here for Julio Jones, Cam Newton, and Jake Locker.
Click Here for Demaryius Thomas, Stevan Ridley, and Leonard Hankerson.
Click Here for Shonn Greene, Randall Cobb, and Pierre Garcon.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder
During 2011 winter and spring, Ponder was considered perhaps the most pro-ready quarterback eligible for the draft because he was an accurate passer who came from a pro-style offense. The Vikings decided against throwing him into the fire after acquiring Donovan McNabb just after the lockout ended. They benched McNabb at halftime of Week 6, and Ponder took over from there.
Based on in-season game watching, I recall thinking late last year that Ponder played with more confidence during his initial six starts, before sustaining a painful hip pointer in Week 13. So in selecting three games to re-watch, I picked one that took place prior to the hip injury (Week 11 versus Oakland), the Week 13 game itself (versus Denver), and Week 15 versus New Orleans.
We'll start with the positives. Ponder is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL. He is legit fast. The mobility was a big plus when Minnesota's receivers didn't get open, or protection broke down. Ponder is a positive-yardage scrambling threat, and the Vikings did a good job of putting his speed to use on frequent rollouts, as well as using Ponder on productive QB keepers.
I do think Ponder exhibited strong pocket composure, particularly in the Raiders and Broncos games. He's pretty comfortable even with pass rushers bearing down on him. Ponder's poise was lacking against New Orleans, probably because he was out there at less than 100 percent health.
While Ponder throws on a rope to intermediate sections and can sling it across his body with zip on rollouts, he rarely challenged deep in the games I viewed. Ponder made perhaps one big-time, "wow" throw in 111 attempts. For comparison's sake, I think he displays more velocity on digs and curl routes than Matt Ryan -- Ponder doesn't "float" anything -- but he was all too often unwilling to test the defense long. Ponder frequently didn't even look to; his eyes weren't down the field enough. You could argue that some of that was due to teammates. We'll get there in a bit.
Another negative may be that he plays small. Ponder measured 6-foot-2, 222 at the '11 Senior Bowl, but appears littler on the field. When he's checking down relentlessly and running around the field, Ponder can come off as an undersized, Jeff Garcia-ish scrambler, and he may struggle to shed that label until he shows more willingness to stretch defenses.
Another big issue for Ponder in the reviewed games was ill-advised decision making. On third-and-five in the second quarter of the Oakland contest, Ponder had a squeaky clean pocket yet pulled the trigger on an intermediate shot intended for Harvin with three defenders in the vicinity. Safety Matt Giordano jumped all over Ponder's pass and returned it 42 yards to the Raiders' 46.
On first-and-ten a quarter later, Ponder flipped a checkdown intended for Michael Jenkins into a sea of Raiders defenders. The ball caromed straight into the massive arms of DT Tommy Kelly.
Ponder was picked for a third time against Oakland when he rolled to his right, found nobody open in the end zone, and forced a throw to running back Toby Gerhart. CB Stanford Routt simply walked in front of Gerhart and picked off Ponder before stepping out of bounds at the goal line.
In the Denver game, Ponder committed two first-quarter turnovers. His strip-sack deep in the red zone cost Minnesota surefire points plus 42 yards of field position when DE Jason Hunter took the fumble to the 50. Ponder's interception was returned 16 yards for a score by LB Mario Haggan.
Despite the brutal start, Ponder kept his team competitive against Denver with a string of sharp second-quarter short and intermediate hookups inside the numbers. Ponder seemed to be finding a groove. With the score tied 32-32 at the 1:33 mark in the fourth, Ponder proceeded to make a back-breaking throw on the first play of Minnesota's final drive, airmailing an interception down the left sideline into CB Andre' Goodman's hands. Broncos K Matt Prater's field goal won the game.
In fairness to Ponder, the Vikings did not set him up for rookie success. They lacked outside receivers capable of creating separation down the field, and trotted out an offensive line that pass protected atrociously. That's a very poor combination. He needs more help from his own team.
I wound up viewing 111 attempts, giving him a pass for the Saints game because I'm convinced Ponder was playing hurt. Ponder's best throw was a bullet deep down the middle to TE Visanthe Shiancoe in the Raiders game. (The one "wow" pass I alluded to previously.) On first-and-ten with Minnesota down 13, Ponder showed pinpoint ball placement by fitting his throw right between LB Kamerion Wimbley and SS Tyvon Branch, with Shiancoe double covered. The gain went for 37 down to the Oakland one, and Ponder hit Kyle Rudolph for a one-yard TD on the very next play.
Ponder definitely exhibits intriguing tools. I thought his arm strength and velocity were much stronger than expected, and believe he has it in him to be a franchise quarterback. But he needs to dramatically improve his decision making, keep his eyes downfield, and get help from his teammates. Aside from Adrian Peterson in the backfield and Harvin in the slot, there were no explosive elements to Minnesota's 2011 offense. And unless you're the '11 Patriots, NFL teams must pose some semblance of vertical danger to defenses in order for big plays to happen.
Other observations from Vikings game reviews:
** In the Denver and Oakland games alone, Harvin accounted for 269 total yards and three touchdowns on 24 touches, and could have had even more if not for Michael Jenkins' holding penalty that negated Harvin's first-quarter 35-yard TD on a reverse against the Raiders. Jenkins actually blocked CB Lito Sheppard cleanly on the play. Harvin's fourth score should have stood.
** Rudolph wasn't utilized often enough in the passing game as a rookie, but he made a Gronkian play in the second quarter against Denver to snatch Ponder's lofted end-zone pass literally over the top of S Quinton Carter. Expect Rudolph to be Ponder's No. 2 target this year, behind Harvin.
** I wish Saints RB Chris Ivory had some semblance of durability, because he is an explosive and ferocious runner. He'd be regarded among the league's top power backs if he could stay healthy.
** It only takes a few touches for Raiders FB Marcel Reece's athleticism-size combo to catch the eye. Reece is a massive, upright runner with remarkable speed for a 6-foot-3, 240-pound man. I'm not sure how much Reece will be getting the ball in new playcaller Greg Knapp's offense, but Knapp would be silly to not consider making him a 5-10 touch-per-game player. He has rare skills.
** Toby Gerhart lacks elite talent, but he hits each hole with purpose, churns his legs through contact, and has made major strides in the passing game. He's one of the NFL's top No. 2 backs.
** The Broncos game was Tim Tebow's best passing effort of the season. You may already know this, but the issue with Tebow is that he's not a natural thrower of the football. Passing really isn't in his DNA, and that remained evident even in his most productive effort. Tebow purposely short-arms short throws to reduce velocity, and he misfires relentlessly in the intermediate passing game. I absolutely love Tebow the ballplayer, but a truly effective passer he will likely never be.
** Willis McGahee had quite a bit of juice left in his legs late in the season, at age 31. I think that bodes well for McGahee's chances of opening the 2012 season hot. Speaking strictly in fantasy football terms, McGahee is going to be a prime draft-then-bail pick, along with Isaac Redman.
** I alluded to this in his re-watching piece: Demaryius Thomas may surpass Brandon Marshall as the league's premier run-after-catch receiver as soon as 2012. Thomas is wound incredibly tightly for 6-foot-3, and he refuses to go down on initial contact. Thomas is 24 years old and as strong as an ox.
Previous Re-Watching Columns:
Click Here for Julio Jones, Cam Newton, and Jake Locker.
Click Here for Demaryius Thomas, Stevan Ridley, and Leonard Hankerson.
Click Here for Shonn Greene, Randall Cobb, and Pierre Garcon.
Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder
During 2011 winter and spring, Ponder was considered perhaps the most pro-ready quarterback eligible for the draft because he was an accurate passer who came from a pro-style offense. The Vikings decided against throwing him into the fire after acquiring Donovan McNabb just after the lockout ended. They benched McNabb at halftime of Week 6, and Ponder took over from there.
Based on in-season game watching, I recall thinking late last year that Ponder played with more confidence during his initial six starts, before sustaining a painful hip pointer in Week 13. So in selecting three games to re-watch, I picked one that took place prior to the hip injury (Week 11 versus Oakland), the Week 13 game itself (versus Denver), and Week 15 versus New Orleans.
We'll start with the positives. Ponder is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL. He is legit fast. The mobility was a big plus when Minnesota's receivers didn't get open, or protection broke down. Ponder is a positive-yardage scrambling threat, and the Vikings did a good job of putting his speed to use on frequent rollouts, as well as using Ponder on productive QB keepers.
I do think Ponder exhibited strong pocket composure, particularly in the Raiders and Broncos games. He's pretty comfortable even with pass rushers bearing down on him. Ponder's poise was lacking against New Orleans, probably because he was out there at less than 100 percent health.
While Ponder throws on a rope to intermediate sections and can sling it across his body with zip on rollouts, he rarely challenged deep in the games I viewed. Ponder made perhaps one big-time, "wow" throw in 111 attempts. For comparison's sake, I think he displays more velocity on digs and curl routes than Matt Ryan -- Ponder doesn't "float" anything -- but he was all too often unwilling to test the defense long. Ponder frequently didn't even look to; his eyes weren't down the field enough. You could argue that some of that was due to teammates. We'll get there in a bit.
Another negative may be that he plays small. Ponder measured 6-foot-2, 222 at the '11 Senior Bowl, but appears littler on the field. When he's checking down relentlessly and running around the field, Ponder can come off as an undersized, Jeff Garcia-ish scrambler, and he may struggle to shed that label until he shows more willingness to stretch defenses.
Another big issue for Ponder in the reviewed games was ill-advised decision making. On third-and-five in the second quarter of the Oakland contest, Ponder had a squeaky clean pocket yet pulled the trigger on an intermediate shot intended for Harvin with three defenders in the vicinity. Safety Matt Giordano jumped all over Ponder's pass and returned it 42 yards to the Raiders' 46.
On first-and-ten a quarter later, Ponder flipped a checkdown intended for Michael Jenkins into a sea of Raiders defenders. The ball caromed straight into the massive arms of DT Tommy Kelly.
Ponder was picked for a third time against Oakland when he rolled to his right, found nobody open in the end zone, and forced a throw to running back Toby Gerhart. CB Stanford Routt simply walked in front of Gerhart and picked off Ponder before stepping out of bounds at the goal line.
In the Denver game, Ponder committed two first-quarter turnovers. His strip-sack deep in the red zone cost Minnesota surefire points plus 42 yards of field position when DE Jason Hunter took the fumble to the 50. Ponder's interception was returned 16 yards for a score by LB Mario Haggan.
Despite the brutal start, Ponder kept his team competitive against Denver with a string of sharp second-quarter short and intermediate hookups inside the numbers. Ponder seemed to be finding a groove. With the score tied 32-32 at the 1:33 mark in the fourth, Ponder proceeded to make a back-breaking throw on the first play of Minnesota's final drive, airmailing an interception down the left sideline into CB Andre' Goodman's hands. Broncos K Matt Prater's field goal won the game.
In fairness to Ponder, the Vikings did not set him up for rookie success. They lacked outside receivers capable of creating separation down the field, and trotted out an offensive line that pass protected atrociously. That's a very poor combination. He needs more help from his own team.
I wound up viewing 111 attempts, giving him a pass for the Saints game because I'm convinced Ponder was playing hurt. Ponder's best throw was a bullet deep down the middle to TE Visanthe Shiancoe in the Raiders game. (The one "wow" pass I alluded to previously.) On first-and-ten with Minnesota down 13, Ponder showed pinpoint ball placement by fitting his throw right between LB Kamerion Wimbley and SS Tyvon Branch, with Shiancoe double covered. The gain went for 37 down to the Oakland one, and Ponder hit Kyle Rudolph for a one-yard TD on the very next play.
Ponder definitely exhibits intriguing tools. I thought his arm strength and velocity were much stronger than expected, and believe he has it in him to be a franchise quarterback. But he needs to dramatically improve his decision making, keep his eyes downfield, and get help from his teammates. Aside from Adrian Peterson in the backfield and Harvin in the slot, there were no explosive elements to Minnesota's 2011 offense. And unless you're the '11 Patriots, NFL teams must pose some semblance of vertical danger to defenses in order for big plays to happen.
Other observations from Vikings game reviews:
** In the Denver and Oakland games alone, Harvin accounted for 269 total yards and three touchdowns on 24 touches, and could have had even more if not for Michael Jenkins' holding penalty that negated Harvin's first-quarter 35-yard TD on a reverse against the Raiders. Jenkins actually blocked CB Lito Sheppard cleanly on the play. Harvin's fourth score should have stood.
** Rudolph wasn't utilized often enough in the passing game as a rookie, but he made a Gronkian play in the second quarter against Denver to snatch Ponder's lofted end-zone pass literally over the top of S Quinton Carter. Expect Rudolph to be Ponder's No. 2 target this year, behind Harvin.
** I wish Saints RB Chris Ivory had some semblance of durability, because he is an explosive and ferocious runner. He'd be regarded among the league's top power backs if he could stay healthy.
** It only takes a few touches for Raiders FB Marcel Reece's athleticism-size combo to catch the eye. Reece is a massive, upright runner with remarkable speed for a 6-foot-3, 240-pound man. I'm not sure how much Reece will be getting the ball in new playcaller Greg Knapp's offense, but Knapp would be silly to not consider making him a 5-10 touch-per-game player. He has rare skills.
** Toby Gerhart lacks elite talent, but he hits each hole with purpose, churns his legs through contact, and has made major strides in the passing game. He's one of the NFL's top No. 2 backs.
** The Broncos game was Tim Tebow's best passing effort of the season. You may already know this, but the issue with Tebow is that he's not a natural thrower of the football. Passing really isn't in his DNA, and that remained evident even in his most productive effort. Tebow purposely short-arms short throws to reduce velocity, and he misfires relentlessly in the intermediate passing game. I absolutely love Tebow the ballplayer, but a truly effective passer he will likely never be.
** Willis McGahee had quite a bit of juice left in his legs late in the season, at age 31. I think that bodes well for McGahee's chances of opening the 2012 season hot. Speaking strictly in fantasy football terms, McGahee is going to be a prime draft-then-bail pick, along with Isaac Redman.
** I alluded to this in his re-watching piece: Demaryius Thomas may surpass Brandon Marshall as the league's premier run-after-catch receiver as soon as 2012. Thomas is wound incredibly tightly for 6-foot-3, and he refuses to go down on initial contact. Thomas is 24 years old and as strong as an ox.
Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey
If Ryan Mathews had the quietest 2011 breakout season for a running back, Darrius Heyward-Bey was his equivalent for receivers. Heyward-Bey's 64 catches, 975 yards, and four TDs all at least doubled his previous career highs. DHB finished as the No. 28 fantasy wideout -- an every-week WR3.
I already re-watched Heyward-Bey's Week 14 game at Green Bay. I'll kindly say he played poorly. DHB gets the benefit of the doubt because he was so productive over the course of the season and has come so far from where he was as a rookie three years ago.
In search of more favorable performances, I chose Week 11 at Minnesota (5 targets), Week 7 versus Kansas City (11 targets), and Week 17 versus San Diego (14 targets) to re-watch.
Heyward-Bey was primarily the X receiver with Denarius Moore at Z, although they flip-flopped sides of the field and positions often. Moore looked more natural defeating cornerbacks' jams.
I noticed against Green Bay that Heyward-Bey tends to let defensive backs push him around and obtain inside position outside the numbers, making his quarterback susceptible to interceptions. This was the case on the second play of the Chargers game, as LCB Quentin Jammer boxed out DHB along the sideline on a comeback route, only to drop what should have been an easy pick.
This happened again late in the fourth quarter against San Diego, on a touchdown bomb attempt down the left sideline as Carson Palmer tried to pick on RCB Antoine Cason. While Heyward-Bey lost the one-on-one battle with Cason, this time he at least effectively swatted the pass away.
In the Chiefs game, just two snaps after beating RCB Brandon Carr for 21 yards on a post, DHB let Carr get inside position throughout a fly route to pick off Kyle Boller. That consistent tendency to get boxed out of plays may eventually discourage quarterbacks from throwing to Heyward-Bey.
It sounds harsh, but Heyward-Bey just isn't a physical football player. DBs outmuscle him, and he frequently dogs it as a blocker. I question whether Heyward-Bey will ever be a receiver who makes difficult grabs in traffic. With defenders closing in, Heyward-Bey fails to secure throws he should more often than not. He still drops too many catchable passes, and doesn't break many tackles after the reception.
But even as purely a finesse guy, DHB can be effective. He made a pretty over-the-shoulder catch on a first-quarter fade route in the back left corner of the end zone against San Diego for a three-yard touchdown, beating Cason. A quarter later, Heyward-Bey ran a zone-busting skinny post to get wide open for a 24-yard gain down the left hash. Heyward-Bey showed open-field running skills in the fourth quarter after securing Palmer's pass on a deep post, catching the 21-yard strike over the middle and tacking on 20 additional yards by outracing S Steve Gregory, among others.
Carson Palmer spread the ball around in the Vikings game but Heyward-Bey still flashed, securing four of his five targets. He made three receptions over the middle, two for back-to-back first downs on one second-half drive. Heyward-Bey also whipped CB Cedric Griffin on a skinny post for a would-be 30-yard gain, but had it called back due to LT Jared Veldheer's penalty at the line.
I thought Heyward-Bey exploded into pass patterns, got in and out of breaks quickly, and created separation at all levels -- particularly in the intermediate and deep sections of the field. He flies to the football on comebacks, curls, and out routes. DHB is very dangerous on the post. The Raiders caught a ton of flak in '09 for drafting Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree. But I feel comfortable saying that if you judge a receiver by his ability to defeat coverage, Al Davis made the right call.
And Heyward-Bey is showing more confidence than ever. He played with swagger in the games I viewed. He knows he's becoming a decent player. I just wish he'd play tougher from time to time.
Other observations from the Raiders games:
** I like Denarius Moore quite a bit better than Heyward-Bey. While they are both blessed with lanky builds and elite vertical speed, Moore flashed superior physicality and is more of a natural hands catcher. Moore also seemed to attract tougher coverage looks, suggesting opponents were more worried about what he'd put on game tape. They were less concerned with Heyward-Bey.
** Antonio Gates looked as healthy as ever in Week 17 at Oakland. He may not run quite as well as he used to, and Gates' rear end is bigger than ever, but he moved fluidly against the Raiders and didn't favor his previously troublesome foot. Gates finished with 106 yards and a touchdown.
** Curtis Brinkley was briefly on the fantasy radar due to injuries on the Chargers' running back depth chart last year, but he brings very little to the table as a ball carrier. With Ryan Mathews inactive against Oakland, Brinkley touched the football 19 times, and generated just 64 yards.
** The Raiders' offense is brimming with potential and big-play, quick-strike ability. Carson Palmer still has a power arm going on age 33, and Oakland's two starting wide receivers are very much capable of getting open on a down-to-down basis.
Panthers wide receiver David Gettis
Brandon LaFell is often talked up as a 2012 breakout candidate, but it was 2010 sixth-round pick David Gettis playing ahead of LaFell two years ago, when both were rookies. (LaFell was drafted three rounds before Gettis.) Gettis opened 2011 training camp as the Panthers' starter opposite Steve Smith. Unfortunately, Gettis tore his left ACL on August 10 and missed the entire season.
Gettis turned in a pair of 90-plus yard performances as a rookie, amid oft-horrific quarterback play in Carolina. (Read: Jimmy Clausen.) For game review, I chose Gettis' season-best effort -- Week 7 versus San Francisco -- and an eight-target affair in the regular season finale against Atlanta.
Before we hit re-watching in full stride, it should be noted that Gettis was a three-time California high school state champ in the 400 meters. He can get it going for a big dude. Gettis stands 6-foot-3, 217, and ran 4.43 at the 2010 Combine. He bettered that with a 4.39 at Baylor's Pro Day.
Gettis played Z and slot in the 49ers game. He moved to X at Atlanta with Steve Smith (calf) out. Gettis isn't a natural, quick-twitch slot guy -- we'll get to his skill set in a bit -- but I always like it when young players know multiple receiver positions. Remember, Gettis was a late-round rookie.
Watching him play, it doesn't take long to notice that Gettis is a tenacious, physical blocker. He is an impact player in the running game, and I thought that was an especially promising trait for a supposed "track guy." Those types are not always considered physical. Gettis loves mixing it up.
The best Gettis block I saw came in the third quarter of the Falcons game. He locked onto CB Dunta Robinson and drove him 12 yards downfield to spring LaFell for 64 yards on an end around.
Gettis showed toughness as a pass catcher on an early second-quarter slot route against San Francisco, running right around CB Shawntae Spencer's man coverage off the line of scrimmage and securing Matt Moore's pass for 20 yards with S Reggie Smith draped all over him. Gettis absorbed a blow during the reception, but held on tight and popped right back up after the whistle.
The then 23-year-old caught his first NFL touchdown pass on an out-and-up double move in the red zone, juking Nate Clements to the point that the veteran cornerback literally fell down. Gettis comfortably hauled in Moore's 18-yard scoring strike.
Gettis' long catch of the 49ers game came on second-and-ten in the fourth quarter. Lined up in the slot, Gettis ran a deep corner route down the right sideline and tracked the ball fabulously in the air, sitting in a soft spot to execute the 39-yard connection over the top of Clements' coverage.
Gettis showed some resiliency late in the game. He had a brutal fourth-quarter drop of a would-be touchdown just a few snaps after the 39-yard gain, letting Moore's perfectly-placed pass bounce off his chest. Gathering himself, Gettis atoned on the next possession by blowing past Spencer's off coverage to pull in a diving 21-yard touchdown. The score tied the ballgame 20-20 with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and John Kasay later banged home the game-winner.
Though less productive at Atlanta -- Jimmy Clausen was typically abysmal -- Gettis got open fairly consistently against Brent Grimes, more than holding his own versus the Falcons' top cornerback.
Gettis is a lanky, leggy long strider. He's not quick in a short area, but flashes ability to contort his body and secure errant throws. And he flies downfield. Gettis' explosion off the line is subpar, but he reaches top speed quickly enough to create separation in the intermediate and deep sections. I think Gettis could max out as a Braylon Edwards type; along the lines of his 2010 season with the Jets. Assuming Gettis bounces back from the ACL, his floor may be in the Michael Jenkins range.
Gettis isn't worth drafting in 2012 fantasy leagues, but he's a player to monitor closely as a vertical threat in a vertical offense. And he has a history of beating out the commonly higher-rated LaFell. At the very least, I think Gettis is capable of bringing a new dimension to Carolina's pass attack.
More notes from 2010 Panthers reviews:
** Carolina's 2010 offense under Jeff Davidson epitomized "vanilla" compared to Rob Chudzinski's 2011 version. As I noted in the Cam Newton column, Chudzinski's was long on variety and plays not only designed to create chunk yardage, but that executed. Under Davidson, the Panthers refused to use three-wide sets beyond obvious passing situations and often trotted out just one wideout on first downs. The run and pass games have both changed dramatically.
** LaFell earned more snaps as his rookie year progressed. He played behind Smith, Gettis, and David Clowney in Week 7. By Week 17, LaFell was the No. 2 to Gettis' No. 1 with Smith inactive.