Advanced Josh Reynolds and Jared Goff have connected the "DOTS"

[Florida_Ram]

On Nov 12, 2018 Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was lost for the season when he tore his ACL during the Rams 36-31 win over the Seattle.

Kupp was considered by many to be Goff's favorite receiver.

His loss for the season was tragic and many fans including myself, thought the Rams might not be able to recover when we looked at the big picture going into the 2019 playoffs.

Josh Reynolds is a lanky, slithery WR that was drafted in the 4th round (selected 117)overall) of the 2017 draft from Texas A&M.

Josh was never viewed on the same level as Kupp but his college game tape showed him to be worthy of a 4th round pick.

He was was raw talented WR coming out of the 2017 draft that needed to polish his route running skills and learn to be a professional on the NFL level.

Reynolds showed a few flashes in 2017, but he never gave anyone the feeling he was going to be able to pick up the slack in 2018 when the Rams lost Cooper Kupp for the rest of the 2018 season.

After the Rams season finale vs the 49ers, Reynolds and Goff appear to have put the nay sayers in their place.


Josh Reynolds is becoming a baller and it appears that him and Goff have connected the dots for the 2019 Playoffs.

 

[Ramstien]

The year he came out he led the SEC in receiving. While watching the Rams this season, I have noticed that Goff seems to look for Reynolds when they are in the red zone.

 

[Ramlock]

JR caught a bunch of fades in the Air Raid at A&M.

College spreads are not great for training to run routes.

It is nice to see him turning talent to production.

 

[Pancake]

I think if Reynolds can get a little sharper mentally he could break out and be a great WR. He has such a huge catch radius.

 

[Jacobarch]

He'e becoming a reliable target but he still has to step it up IMO. While he's made some great catches and has shown flashes of being a top WR he has also equally missed chances to make a name for himself. Too many times in the endzone he's been out leveraged by smaller DB's. He needs to play bigger and maybe in time he will.

 

[RamsFanCK]

Reynolds is definitely coming along. My one concern, that I'm an sure will be fixed down the road, is how often Goff misses Reynolds when he is wide open. Honestly, I haven't watched the tape. I can't say if this is on Goff or Reynolds, or a combination of both just not being on that level where they read each others thoughts. Can anyone who has a better understanding of why those plays are happening please enlighten me?

Either way, 83 has stepped it up lately. Kuddos Reynolds!

 

[LARams_1963]

He's learning! I'm not convinced that wide open "Miss" from Goff against the whiners was Goff's fault like the talking heads were screaming. Sometimes they seem to be off a bit on their connections. Wrong routes/catch zone? Or just learning each others tendancies?

 

[bluecoconuts]

I think if Reynolds can get a little sharper mentally he could break out and be a great WR. He has such a huge catch radius.

The upcoming offseasons will be big for him, regardless of how the season ends. If he can't cement himself in that 4th slot, he wont last.

 

[I like Rams]

He's learning! I'm not convinced that wide open "Miss" from Goff against the whiners was Goff's fault like the talking heads were screaming. Sometimes they seem to be off a bit on their connections. Wrong routes/catch zone? Or just learning each others tendancies?

I think Reynolds turned the wrong way. If he turned left he would have caught that ball.

 

[dang]

Reynolds has shown flashes of being a good receiver. He has a large catch radius, ability to find open space in the end zone and good hands. He seems to give up a bit on his routes contributing to Goff overthrowing him. If he continued his routes he could get to some of those passes that are going to where he is expected to be vs where he is located at the time of release. He also has not shown the ability to high point the ball and fight through smaller defenders. If he continues to improve in these 2 areas he should develop into a very good receiver.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I am pleased with JR he was an upside pick that did not understand the nuances or have the technical fundamentals to be a full time NFL hideout. He has come a long way but has some development needed to be what he can. I would like to see him get his body in a better position and use his size and athleticism to create higher percentage catches is confined spaces EX: sidelines and end zone. All in All Cool injury has fast tracked his progression and should be positive That has come from adversity

 

[jjab360]

Reynolds is twice as talented as any receiver we had in either the Spags or Fisher eras, except for maybe Britt who wouldn't be a fit in this system. Yet he still isn't nearly as good as the no.3 WR he replaced. Just goes to show how far we've come in such a short time under Mcvay.

 

[rams1fan]

For a 4th WR is is damn good.

 

[Ram65]

Too bad we don't get to see all the routes he runs. We did get to see that he glides through the zone routes with sharp cuts. Seems to be more of a problem in man coverage or when CBs are close to him. He needs to use the body to cut off defenders. Could also use more body fakes to get separation too. He is getting there. Has good size and catch radius. Wonder what his weight is up too? He is on the thin side.

 

[bomebadeeda]

He's gotten better but he still has a ways to go. Most of his mistakes are mental right now. And that was where Kupp was so ahead of him. He's a talented kid w/ skills and a prototypical NFL WR body. If his mental catch up w/ the physical, he'll be upper echelon.

 

[jrry32]

Josh is a talented kid. I look forward to see him continue to progress. He's still catching up when it comes to the mental and technical aspects of the game. That's where we miss Kupp. Goff could count on him to always be in the right spot. Josh is still learning in that regard, but it's clear Goff really likes him in the red-zone.

 

[jrry32]

He's learning! I'm not convinced that wide open "Miss" from Goff against the whiners was Goff's fault like the talking heads were screaming. Sometimes they seem to be off a bit on their connections. Wrong routes/catch zone? Or just learning each others tendancies?

The wide open miss early in the 49ers game was on Josh imo. I looked at it using All-22. Josh broke more to the sidelines, while Goff threw the ball expecting him to stay more vertical. Richard Sherman was dropping fast after biting on the play-action fake. If Goff had thrown to where Reynolds was running, it would have put Sherman in position to make the tackle. By leading him up the field, it would have allowed Josh to outrun both the safety and Sherman.

Football is a game of inches. One of the big challenges in the NFL is the expectation that WRs adjust their routes on the fly to the coverage. Josh didn't make the adjustment on that play. It's a very small, subtle difference, but it was the difference here between a TD and an incomplete pass.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The wide open miss early in the 49ers game was on Josh imo. I looked at it using All-22. Josh broke more to the sidelines, while Goff threw the ball expecting him to stay more vertical. Richard Sherman was dropping fast after biting on the play-action fake. If Goff had thrown to where Reynolds was running, it would have put Sherman in position to make the tackle. By leading him up the field, it would have allowed Josh to outrun both the safety and Sherman.

Football is a game of inches. One of the big challenges in the NFL is the expectation that WRs adjust their routes on the fly to the coverage. Josh didn't make the adjustment on that play. It's a very small, subtle difference, but it was the difference here between a TD and an incomplete pass.

It's funny watching the talking heads make such a definitive statement on a play like that. He was so sure Goff missed him. But how does he know where the ball was supposed to go? When a receiver makes a cut and the ball goes somewhere else threre's no knowing who is to blame. But you would assume the qb knows where the ball is supposed to go.

Would be different if the receiver is running flat out down the field and the qb overthrows him.

.

 

[Ramlock]

He's learning! I'm not convinced that wide open "Miss" from Goff against the whiners was Goff's fault like the talking heads were screaming. Sometimes they seem to be off a bit on their connections. Wrong routes/catch zone? Or just learning each others tendancies?

They’re quick to put that on JG.

I’ve been over on another Ram board where they’ve “evaluated” that Goff “chilled” on his couch, slacking during the bye week when he should have been fully engaged with football. By their objective assessment, of course.

I had to go laugh at them.