3 Week Trend Promising Good Fortunes if Healthy in 2011

[Flugel]

YouTube - ‪Browns upset Saints‬‏

YouTube - ‪Colt McCOY vs New England Patriots 2010 Week 9‬‏

YouTube - ‪Mo Mass 11 yard TD catch for OT‬‏

[Brown Warrior]

You know, the Jets game was fluky, but that Patriots game is worth watching again. You can really see how McCoy could click in a WCO, because that's what was working that day. The deep balls were mostly messages, not completions, but they're still worthwhile.

What you see is accuracy from 5-20 and how quickly he makes a read and gets it out. He also is REALLY accurate on the move, so you hope Shurmur will do more rollouts than he did with Bradford... not a statue, but not Colt, either. McCoy can scoot.

He needs to stick a pass here and there 25-30 yards downfield. That's the part of his game he needs to shore up, like Lebron developing a jumper (sorry... hurt me, too).

Also, liked watching Massoquoi look like a WCO WR in that game. I can see it.

[nickers]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

You know, the Jets game was fluky, but that Patriots game is worth watching again. You can really see how McCoy could click in a WCO, because that's what was working that day. The deep balls were mostly messages, not completions, but they're still worthwhile.

What you see is accuracy from 5-20 and how quickly he makes a read and gets it out. He also is REALLY accurate on the move, so you hope Shurmur will do more rollouts than he did with Bradford... not a statue, but not Colt, either. McCoy can scoot.

He needs to stick a pass here and there 25-30 yards downfield. That's the part of his game he needs to shore up, like Lebron developing a jumper (sorry... hurt me, too).

Also, liked watching Massoquoi look like a WCO WR in that game. I can see it.

Im expecting to see alot of "Sprint option" in 11...not only to the right but the left as well...

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

You know, the Jets game was fluky, but that Patriots game is worth watching again. You can really see how McCoy could click in a WCO, because that's what was working that day. The deep balls were mostly messages, not completions, but they're still worthwhile.

What you see is accuracy from 5-20 and how quickly he makes a read and gets it out. He also is REALLY accurate on the move, so you hope Shurmur will do more rollouts than he did with Bradford... not a statue, but not Colt, either. McCoy can scoot.

He needs to stick a pass here and there 25-30 yards downfield. That's the part of his game he needs to shore up, like Lebron developing a jumper (sorry... hurt me, too).

Also, liked watching Massoquoi look like a WCO WR in that game. I can see it.

Good points. I put that MoMass thing in there because I think criticism of him gets unfair at times. I can't blame him for anything that went on with the previous QBing in 2009; but he seemed to make plays when DA and Quinn got it in the right area codes.

I think that NE game exposed how Cribbs can move the chains into a first a goal situation as a short route receiver with the RIGHT QB. It's not a secret we've been awaiting a more accurate QB and I think ALL our receivers looked best under McCoy's guidance. I also think McCoy's leadership ability had us taking on the best out of division opponents and we beat NE and NO decisively while we took NY to OT when McCoy erased a late 4th quarter deficit. All VERY GOOD forcasts of what is ahead, IF we stay healthy.

[Brown Warrior]

Yeah, watching that New England game, you saw all of the good signs for the WCO... and glimpses of the bad: McCoy's downfield passes were indeed "jump balls," as Alo called them. He's either gonna be able to drive the ball into smaller spaces 25-30 yards downfield (like Brees can now)... or he won't.

The latter is tough to work around over the long haul. He gets 2011 to prove it to some acceptable degree.

[Greythan]

MoMass can't be forgiven for what I call a lack of field awareness: not getting two feet inbounds, not going all out for balls that are in his zip code, etc. A lot of that can be pawned off on youthfulness but we'll have to see it gone before I'm declaring him a solid starter. Potential is there but lets not make it sound like his failures were all on the QB'ing/play calling.

[YtownBacker]

Originally Posted by Greythan

MoMass can't be forgiven for what I call a lack of field awareness: not getting two feet inbounds, not going all out for balls that are in his zip code, etc. A lot of that can be pawned off on youthfulness but we'll have to see it gone before I'm declaring him a solid starter. Potential is there but lets not make it sound like his failures were all on the QB'ing/play calling.

That's a great post about MoMass. "Field Awareness" or lack of is an outstanding observation. He seems to lose awareness on deep routes. He gets lost in space. He does need to get that cleaned up but I can also blame the OC for putting him in those situatons too often. Sometimes you just got to put guys in situations that best fit their skills.

I still think MoMass can be an effective WR. I always saw him as a slot guy or third WR. He does get separation off the line and is quick in and out of his cuts. I just don't like his ball skills on deep routes. I also don't like a guy who gives up on a route and doesn't come back to the ball. He let a couple of balls get intercepted last year because he refused come back for the ball or fight for the ball.

You can fall out of favor real quick with your QB when you do that.

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Greythan

MoMass can't be forgiven for what I call a lack of field awareness: not getting two feet inbounds, not going all out for balls that are in his zip code, etc. A lot of that can be pawned off on youthfulness but we'll have to see it gone before I'm declaring him a solid starter. Potential is there but lets not make it sound like his failures were all on the QB'ing/play calling.

Some valid points and I LIKED the way you worded most of it except that last sentence above. If you've been following my message in all the threads we got going - I think there's ALOT to the WR position especially in a division that has Safeties like Ed Reed and Polamalu with some aggressive passes rushed (and a LeBeau zone blitz that confuses vets like Anquan Boldin). I thought some people were blaming the QB for Boldin's not looking special vrs Pitt. That said, that's a guy who really MISSED Fitzgerald beign a solid #1 so he got some favorable matchups. His numbers went down quite a bit in 2010, to 7 TDs (3 of them vrs Eric Wright in 1 game) and under 1000 yards receiving.

In one of the 5 other WR threads going on right now, I put up how lost OTHER WRs like Sidney Rice, Miles Austin, Lance Moore, Vincent Jackson were their first 2-3 years. I actually showed their stats because there's TONS to learn at that position. We don't seem like we have alot of guys interested in what happened back before 1999; but if anyone is - ever hear of Keenan McCardle? He didn't blossom until about his 5th NFL season and then there was his teammate in Jax Jimmy Smith that got CUT by Dallas and BOTH made the Pro Bowl for Jax. Another guy that played in Cleveland was a journeyman Reggie Rucker that playede briefly for Dallas, NY Giants and NE before coming to Cleveland and lookign like a solid starter many here have fond memories of. AGAIN, there's alot to it. Right QB, right experience, right place, right time, right sysytem, right teammates and then he's a big play guy here averaging over 20 yards a reception one year with 8 TDs.

I WILL say, if we have the talent to make MoMass the #2 WR (instead of the guy drawing Revis) like he was with AJ at the UGA - I think you'll see quite a difference. I think the QB makes quite difference in emergence. See young Indy Colts and Marques Colston emerging early. Then see Sidney Rice not having his first good season until Brett Favre arrives. I think the system coming will spread people out horizontally to test some alot of aggresive blitzes and make them vulnerable to giving up a zone. Every blitz opens up a risk I've never seen us able to take advantage of to date. The WCO attacks every aread of the field mid to short range.

Understanding Lance Moore could have been Miles Austin if our franchise wasn't impatatient - I'm saying it's too early to give up on MoMass. I'm not gonna twist people's arms to agree. If you don't want to see what I'm saying - you don't have to. Let's not act like MoMass came to a utpopian passing game and he's been THE anchor either. That's my point of the whole thing - it's premature to give up on MoMass and let me add Robo. He started turning heads late. If Greg Little is able to be a #1 WR or just a huge playmaker that commands attention - MoMass and Robo will inevitably draw easier matchups. When NY sticks Revis in front of MoMass - WHO are they saying is Cleveland's BEST WR on the field? They seem to think Rex Ryan knows what he's doing on that side of the ball. The BEST part? McCoy and Revis didn't give a rat. They scored right on Revis Island to erase the late deficit.

[Enigmatic Evil]

Those videos re-inforce what I love about Colt. He MAKES plays HAPPEN. He just does that! He shows above-average awareness for a rookie that will only improve as he acquaints himself further with the NFL game. I think that our young WR corps is lucky to have a natural leader and playmaker like Colt behind center because they will grow with him starting every game. I said it last year and I'll say it again, we will NEED guys like Momass and Robo to step up and be LEADERS on this offense if we have any hope of eclipsing the 5-win plateau we all want to get past.

[OzDawg]

I'll go on a limb yet again and remind people that someone told Holmgren.. this kid will make you forget joe montana...
You're completely right.. this guy has the will to win. he never gives up...despite his lack of...tools
despite what everyone thinks.. football is NOT all about X's n O's and how they match up or compare to yesterdays team. It's about desire and the will to win.. I'm on McCoys wagon.

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic Evil

Those videos re-inforce what I love about Colt. He MAKES plays HAPPEN. He just does that! He shows above-average awareness for a rookie that will only improve as he acquaints himself further with the NFL game. I think that our young WR corps is lucky to have a natural leader and playmaker like Colt behind center because they will grow with him starting every game. I said it last year and I'll say it again, we will NEED guys like Momass and Robo to step up and be LEADERS on this offense if we have any hope of eclipsing the 5-win plateau we all want to get past.

I just seemed like we moved the chains regardless of who the WRs were. One play it was Cribbs, another it was MoMass, another it was Evan Moore, another it was Peyton Hillis down the sideline.

I look at Ben Roethlisberger and see he would be very average at best if he had to plant and throw from a designated 3 to 5 step drop. He gets increasingly better when he escapes the pocket, which looks very similar to some of McCoy's best work on the improvise. It reminds me of Sipe so much. The biggest point of emphasis is Pittsburgh isn't gonna give us the time for patient 7 step drops and they never do so we goota tire their asses out moving the chains in order to set some of that up in the first place.

What I liked best is that our WR Corps looked sharpest during the weeks of NO, NE and NY; and the common denominator there was McCoy was orchestrating the passing game.

[Greythan]

Flug's, don't read anything more into my post beyond what I wrote. I'm not proposing that MoMass is not a valuable piece. I was simply making the point that he himself has some room to grow before we can tag him as a legit, productive NFL WR. I think its likely he can be coached up to it, but his mental lapses last year went beyond the "young WR" category.

This is yet another example of a player that needs to be in Berea working and not at Colt's camp while the owners/players hash out the billions. sigh