IN DEFENSE OF COACH’S EVERYWHERE

                IN DEFENSE OF COACH’S EVERYWHERE

 By Tim Wutz!

This article will not be for everyone, but I know there are many people that are not full time sports/ beat writers or analysts that have had the same thoughts as I had recently. This is for the casual fan that does not follow sports for a living, and simply watches it for enjoyment or who dabbles in fantasy sports games.

 I was watching the Monday Night Football game while Travis Kelce was having his breakout game. There must have been others out there, besides me, wondering why his coaches didn’t see his talent sooner. I know I have been talking about him since early August and have seen numerous posts on Twitter about him as well. My thoughts then turned to Ladarius Green and his abilities. It seems every year, fans and analysts spot athletes with elite attributes and qualities and talk them up long before they actually come into their own for the teams they play for.  I am sure some of you said, as I have; if I can see this kids talent, why can’t his coach?  He does this for a living for goodness sake. To get a little better understanding about this, I turned to Mr. James Cobern, the self-named “keeper of the giant metric spreadsheet.” His Twitter handle is @Jmcobern1, and his very informative website is allprofootballsource.com. That site is a must visit for a better understanding of metrics. He was kind enough to give me some of his time and answer a few questions for me.

The conversation with him gave me some great insight.  There are many reasons an obviously talented young man may not start right away and takes time to develop. One is the coach’s preference for the position in question. Each coach has a unique idea of what and who he wants at a given position. Another is the type of offense and playbook they implement. A WR type tight end obviously may not be a good fit for a power running offense. At least until they are sure he is going to be playing, and they can add some plays to the playbook to take advantage of that. 

When a tight end reaches the NFL level, the game is much faster, and the players much stronger. Many playbooks and schemes are also much more complicated. All this takes time for a rookie or young player to absorb and grow into. Even if you have an athletic stud, many of the finer points of the game have to be picked up. Earning the trust of your coach can also be problematic. For instance, in San Diego, you have Antonio Gates, a future Hall of Famer, ahead of Green. He is a true pro that has earned the trust placed in him over many years. I am sure there is also a bit of deference given to a veteran player such as Gates, or even KC’s Anthony Fasano. In Fasano’s case, he is a veteran and also a much better run blocker than Kelce.  That is the type of tight end that fits the power running game of J. Charles better.

This article has concentrated on just two players and teams, but can be used in general terms to explain most situations. In summary, there are many things that we do not see that the coaches do on a daily basis with these players. All we see are the few plays that the players stand out. We do not see the film where they missed a block, lined up out of position, or ran the wrong routes. In short, we see their highlights, when the coaches see the entire picture. Before jumping to conclusions about a player or coach, take the time to think about the unknowns. Or talk to a guy like I did, Mr. Colbern, who knows the finer points of the game and can give you things to think about.


Written and arranged by - Tm Wutz TWITTER!!!!

WEEK 3 WAVIERS by TIM WUTZ

Waiver Wire Watch

1. Asiata/McKinnon -  With Peterson out, one of these will be the back to own.  Neither asserted themselves today. My take is Asiata for the short term, but McKinnon is the superior talent and should win the starting job for the long term.

2. Kirk Cousins – Filled in admirably for RG3, as he has done in the past. Tossed for 250 yards and 2 TD’s. As it looks like the injury to RG3 could possibly be season long, he is a high upside QB2 or a suitable streamer option.

3. Delanie Walker – Had a great day, snagging 10 passes for 142 yards and 1 touchdown. We keep hearing about his breakout, but perhaps this was the start.  He is in a very TE friendly offense.

4. Knile Davis – A waiver wire speed dial guy, unless you have an open roster spot. The X-rays on Charles’s were negative, but he seems to be dealing with issues this year, and the status of the OL does not help. His YPC was not great, but he did score two TD’s. If Charles misses significant time, he will be an RB1.

5. Brian Quick – Led team in targets, catches, and yards. He has quickly become the favorite target for his team. Better in PPR, but if you are thin at WR, could be a re-draft stash for a bye week.

6. Niles Paul – Had a very productive day with 8 catches for 99 yards and 1 TD. We have no idea how long Reed will be out, but even if he comes back soon, keep in mind he tends to miss games with injury. Also,  it appears Cousins and he have chemistry from their time together on the second team offense.

7. M. Sanu -  If  the injury to Green proves to be a long term thing, Sanu could be  fantasy relevant. He line today was  3/84/1, with a big play for  TD.

8. Donald Brown – Ryan Matthews was carted off the field today, and he is the guy that will benefit if Matthews misses time. Monitor the status of Matthews, and keep him on WW speed dial.

9. Larry Donnell – Had a pretty decent line today of 8/81/0. It looks like the Giants . It looks like Eli will be looking for his check down guy a lot in this offense, and that will be Donnell.

10. James Jones -  He I the Raiders clear #1 WR. His line Sunday was 9/112. Could be a WR3 or flex during a bye week.

11. Travis Kelce – He is a great talent that the chiefs  are slowly working into their offense.  Has great potential, but is still a bit risky as a weekly start.

WEEK 2 INJURY REPORT by TIM WUTZ

 WEEK 2 INJURY REPORT by TIM WUTZ

This week was one of the worst weeks for injuries I can remember. Many guys went down, and between the suspensions and the injuries, many of your teams are in need of help. If you are one of them, look to our waiver wire adds to help bolster your lineups. Below is a list of yesterdays carnage.

RGIII  -  He dislocated his ankle when he came down on it awkwardly as he ran and tried to throw the ball. He will probably have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury, but from what I have heard, with an injury of this type, there could also be a fracture and/or tendon damage.  He could possibly be out for an extended time, and possibly the season.

Jamal Charles - Injured his left ankle. Reports are that it is a sprain and the x-rays were negative. We will have to wait for further reports to see what time he may miss. Hopefully, any Charles owners had handcuffed him with Knile Davis, who had a pretty good day in his place, and should see extensive playing time if Charles misses time.

A. J. Green -  He has what has been reported as "turf toe". If that is indeed the case, it could linger on into the season and hamper him. 

Knowshon Moreno - He dislocated his elbow, and will miss at least 4, and possibly 8 weeks.

DeSean Jackson - He has an AC joint sprain, and will probably be day to day.

Ryan Mathews - Initial reports are saying he has a sprained ACL. The good news is, they don't believe he tore it. If that turns out to be the case, he may avoid surgery, and be back in about a month or so.

Roy Helu -Left the game for good with a left knee/quad injury.  It is unclear at this time how much time he may miss.

Tavon Austin - Injured his knee while being tackled. It appeared to twist under him, and could be serious as he did not return. We will have to await additional testing to determine the extent of the damage.

Eric Decker - He injured the same hamstring that had been bothering him in camp. He will be going for additional testing today, but hamstring injuries to receivers can develop into a season long problem.

Allen Hurns - Injured his ankle, and left the stadium on crutches.  Further testing will probably be done this week.

If I hear of any more, I will send an updated report on them, as well as anything we learn as to the above.