2011 Route Efficiency: Hitches and Comebacks
 

Patience of a Saint

While Drew Brees is the field general who pulls the strings and Jimmy Graham is the young physical freak that fans and media marvel about in the New Orleans passing game, the man who keeps everything ticking over is Marques Colston. He is as physically beaten up as any receiver in the league and yet he comes through with catch after catch on possession routes; the hitch being his primary route.

Exactly one third of his regular season targets came on hitch routes; catching 30 of them at 11.4 yards per. Colston has an ability to get open deep having tallied 7-of-11 receptions with 187 yards and 3 TDs while on go routes. Yet, it is his strength on hitch routes, from both wide and slot alignments, that make Colston such a pivotal part of the Saints’ passing game.


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Silly boy, I keep telling you that stats are for baseball. Besides, they are meaningless without showing AA's numbers!

Colston has a knack for getting open.

On a side note...

"This can be a problem for some linebackers; Sean Weatherspoon, for example, proved that even after an improved second season he still has work to do."


Don't cha just hate it when a writer goes out of his way to point out when a falcon sucks.



Back on topic....

"The term “possession receiver” has become a dirty word in the NFL, but the ability to complete a high percentage of passes on a hitch is still crucial for an NFL offense."


I wasn't aware that possession receiver had become a dirty word. I can only imagine the people that disparage "possession receivers" don't know much about football. Colston and Moore are so dependable picking up third downs that it allows Drew and Payton to take more risks on first and second downs.