Why didn’t Sammy Watkins thrive here?

[LesBaker]

If Goff and Cooks are a dynamic duo in completions downfield, it will tell me that Watkins not only didn't know the playbook, but also ran routes that Goff couldn't predictably throw to the "spot."

I think this is a reasonable and very fair thought, and I also wonder why Watkins didn't just run some post routes. He knows how to do that..........every WR can run that and with his speed it could have turned into a few big plays. I don't understand why that didn't happen and McVay is no dummy, so it makes me believe your point about Goff not feeling like Watkins was going to be where he was supposed to be.

I recall the one route that he totally gave up on, but can't recall any others. But that one I remember was BAD.

Ladies and Gentlemen we have had a special treat........... a rare @Pancake sighting!!!

Yo 'cake!

 

[LACHAMP46]

Reading the stories from KC... they sound optimistic... so why didn’t Watkins thrive here?

I mean, there were times he seemed a little lost. Was it a lack of offseason in the offense?

There were times he seemed to give up on plays. Was he in “contract year” mode?

Sure, he scored a chunk of TD’s... but he was MIA for stretches... Was he overmatched by #1 caliber cornerbacks at times?

Did he not gel with teammates?

Not enough balls to go around?

He didn’t exactly struggle here... but with 590 yards... he didn’t reach levels most expected being injury free. Why do you think that was?

I hope Sammy comes out with a tell all book.....

Several factors....main ones...

Targets....which equates to trust in my book...

For openers, I’m not buying that Reid has a better O than McVay. Or a better playbook that creates more mismatches than McVay’s. C’mon...

Reid's offense has stood the test of time...has been successful with different QB's, coordinators, and different conferences...I'm not saying Reid is better...but he's been successful, longer...and that adds up for something.
KC's offense is special.....so was that Philly offense while Reid was there....he is an offensive guru...much like McVay...only longer.

Some people can’t separate the college player and name from the NFL player.

There is a reason Adam Theilen went undrafted and now is a Pro Bowl WR. the NFL WR requires more than Speed.

Theilen also happens to be VERY VERY fast too....

Look at the top 5 wr's.....tell me what's different with them?

Look at the top 5 wr's QB's......see anything there?

No...I haven't looked...no I don't know where I'm going with this...only that...great wideouts have great QB's throwing them the rock...
Nuke Hopkins is a freak....

Finally...to your point specifically Texas....Andy Reid wouldn't make Sammy Watkins the 2nd highest paid wr if he wasn't "special"....guy is tough, has great hands over the middle, and outstanding speed. Don't know his wonderlic...don't care. Dude is/was an outstanding player...for us....I'm interested in seeing how he does myself...and comparing him to Cooks.

 

[iamme33]

Having said that, I was WAY disappointed and concerned to see him give up on routes when he didn't think the ball was coming to him.

I might be the only one on this site that thinks he didn't run lazy routes he ran scared of the safety routes. if you watch the routes he quit on just as the camera changes picture a safety comes into the picture. also the one where the ball falls just in front of him and he never even tried to catch it I think he was looking for the safety and lost track of where the ball was

 

[Soul Surfer]

I think if Sammy Watkins was scared he wouldn't have been as successful on those crossing routes that he scored on.

 

[TexasRam]

I hope Sammy comes out with a tell all book.....

Several factors....main ones...

Targets....which equates to trust in my book...

Reid's offense has stood the test of time...has been successful with different QB's, coordinators, and different conferences...I'm not saying Reid is better...but he's been successful, longer...and that adds up for something.
KC's offense is special.....so was that Philly offense while Reid was there....he is an offensive guru...much like McVay...only longer.

Theilen also happens to be VERY VERY fast too....

Look at the top 5 wr's.....tell me what's different with them?

Look at the top 5 wr's QB's......see anything there?

No...I haven't looked...no I don't know where I'm going with this...only that...great wideouts have great QB's throwing them the rock...
Nuke Hopkins is a freak....

Finally...to your point specifically Texas....Andy Reid wouldn't make Sammy Watkins the 2nd highest paid wr if he wasn't "special"....guy is tough, has great hands over the middle, and outstanding speed. Don't know his wonderlic...don't care. Dude is/was an outstanding player...for us....I'm interested in seeing how he does myself...and comparing him to Cooks.

Rewrite history all you want but Watkins was not an outstanding player for us. 37 yards per game is less than mediocre by any standards. A catch rate of 55 percent is not outstanding. This doesn’t count the routes he gave up on or balls he didn’t adjust to which “outstanding “WR’s adjust to.

He was a solid option in the middle of the field at times and on the goaline slants i’ll give him that.

But outstanding Wr for us? come on man.

And Andy Reid probably does think he is special, im sure Mcvay thought the same. Coaches are often wrong, so let’s see how it plays out for Reid.

I do wish Sammy a good Season, he’s a good guy with lots of natural talent and lots of ways to get better.

 

[iamme33]

I think if Sammy Watkins was scared he wouldn't have been as successful on those crossing routes that he scored on.

on the shorter passes he didn't have time to look around that's what I think but I might be wrong. if he has the same problem in kc this year them I won't be changing my opinion

 

[LACHAMP46]

Rewrite history all you want but Watkins was not an outstanding player for us. 37 yards per game is less than mediocre by any standards. A catch rate of 55 percent is not outstanding.

Any guy scores 8 td's on 30+ catches in the NFL is outstanding....
Catch rate stats are usually skewed...as in, the more familiar the target, the catch %%% goes up....I think it would be in the 60's had he remained on the team.
Better stat...IMO...is yards per catch. It's the one that is used the most.
37 yards per game...is greatly contributed to his target ###'s...which were the least he's seen in his entire career.

But outstanding Wr for us? come on man.

8 TD's....it's hard to score TD's in the NFL.

 

[FarNorth]

I hope Sammy comes out with a tell all book.....

Several factors....main ones...

Targets....which equates to trust in my book...

Reid's offense has stood the test of time...has been successful with different QB's, coordinators, and different conferences...I'm not saying Reid is better...but he's been successful, longer...and that adds up for something.
KC's offense is special.....so was that Philly offense while Reid was there....he is an offensive guru...much like McVay...only longer.

Theilen also happens to be VERY VERY fast too....

Look at the top 5 wr's.....tell me what's different with them?

Look at the top 5 wr's QB's......see anything there?

No...I haven't looked...no I don't know where I'm going with this...only that...great wideouts have great QB's throwing them the rock...
Nuke Hopkins is a freak....

Finally...to your point specifically Texas....Andy Reid wouldn't make Sammy Watkins the 2nd highest paid wr if he wasn't "special"....guy is tough, has great hands over the middle, and outstanding speed. Don't know his wonderlic...don't care. Dude is/was an outstanding player...for us....I'm interested in seeing how he does myself...and comparing him to Cooks.

I will not be surprised if Watkins lights it up in KC, with a full preseason and another fast downfield threat in Reid's offense. Imo he could rack up a lot of yards and tds this season.

And I may be the only one who thinks this, but I don't think our coaches did a great job with Watkins. Maybe he didn't adjust as well as he could have, but I don't think they made very much of an attempt to direct the ball to him. Maybe they were too focused on staying with the plays that had been worked up throughout the preseason before they had him. Maybe they just wanted to stay safe within the offense to limit turnovers instead of throwing it up more for Watkins to get it. Maybe Woods and Kupp were so consistent they didn't want to really alter the scheme or the progressions. But seems to me that, with the exception of the goal line slants, they could have thrown him the ball more had they wanted to.

Still glad we have Cooks however.

 

[Badfinger]

"There is a reason Adam Theilen went undrafted and now is a Pro Bowl WR"

coughSTEROIDScough

 

[dang]

I remember seeing some real exciting play by Watkins in Buffalo but these were the highlights. I never watched him start to finish in any game until last year. I was VERY excited by his signing.

With that said he did NOT have a good year in 2017. I put some of that on his late addition to the team. The 1st SF game was his coming out party. What I saw after that was a serious letdown. Only 2 long catches all year and many plays where Goff and him just didn’t connect. Sammy’s saving grace was his red zone presence.

Ultimately The Rams coaches knew what they had in Sammy and it wasn’t a deep threat number 1 receiver worthy of top of the league $$$$$.

I think Sammy will be a very good receiver in KC but I have accepted he was a bit of a square peg for the Rams need for their round hole.

 

[Soul Surfer]

"There is a reason Adam Theilen went undrafted and now is a Pro Bowl WR"

coughSTEROIDScough

Wait a minute now.
Kurt Warner went from UDFA to the Pro Bowl.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Wait a minute now.

Kurt Warner went from undrafted to the Pro Bowl.

 

[Malibu]

Didn't I read that Goff and Robert Wood started working out as soon as he was signed?

I think that gave them extra time to get their timing down and look at the playbook together.

Also, as has been well-documented, Watkins was getting the double coverage more often than the other two receivers which actually helped their game but hurt Watkins game.

I'm not really that surprised by how it turned out when you consider these three main factors;

Watkins was double-covered much more often.

Watkins had less time working with Goff and looking at the playbook.

Goff would more likely go to his other receivers that he felt more comfortable with.

All great receivers get double covered that is NOT an excuse. He is a good receiver not a great one Imo. He has an injury history. He is a pro Julio or AJ could come into the Rams with no off-season and dominate. BTW Cupp came in as a rookie and doninated so Watkins should have come in and dominated as well

 

[Soul Surfer]

The point of the double coverage comment is that it opened up more single coverage for Robert Wood and Cooper Kupp.

Just like Brandin Cooks is going to do the same for Wood Kupp this year.

And regardless being double-covered makes it more difficult to catch passes.
That would be the whole point of double coverage.

If you gave consistent single coverage to my homeboy AJ Green, he would have a 2000 yard season.

 

[Rams43]

Watkins must do two things to have a chance at thriving with the Chiefs.

1) He must master that playbook, including the nuances of the Reid O.

2) He must establish rapport and earn the trust of his QB.

Each is absolutely essential if he even hopes to earn his $16 million annual salary.

And each is something he failed to do with the Rams.