Cool Article
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Here's the article, however you'll have to actually watch the video from the link to see the video...
We all know what went on with Cleveland Browns wide receiver Greg Little last season—he dropped passes. Fourteen of them, to be exact, which had him tied for the second-most drops in the league last year despite having the 17th-most targets (in comparison, the league-leader in drops, Roddy White with 15, was also the NFL's most-targeted receiver).
There are many reasons a receiver drops passes, ranging from a lack of concentration to strong coverage and everything in between. Little himself had a lot going against him last season, considering he didn't play in his final year of college and then was brought onto the Browns as their No. 1 receiver without a full offseason to prepare.
Let's take a closer look at just why Little was dropping so many passes last season. A good case study is the Browns' Week 12 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which Little had six drops (some say four, but I'm going with six).
All six of Greg Little's drops in Week 12
I'm going to break down each drop from this close contest and find out what caused Little to not pull those passes down.
Drop No. 1
This first drop is clearly all on Little. This is a quick passing play, Little is exactly where he should be—and in space, thanks to some soft zone coverage—and Colt McCoy gets the ball right to him.
The problem here is one that many receivers face, even veterans: turning to run before the ball is secure. Little didn't keep his eyes on the ball, he broke his concentration and he didn't grab the pass.
He was thinking of ways to beat out the coverage after catching the pass and simply forgot the most important part of the equation: securing the ball. Perhaps it was a rookie mistake, but it's something that needs correcting immediately.
Drop No. 2
The second drop is another that's the fault of Little. Little gets away with a bit of uncalled offensive pass interference as he tries to shed cornerback Nate Clements' coverage, does break free and is wide open for an on-target throw from McCoy.
But as you can see here, yet again, Little turns upfield to run before securing the football, and the pass bounces off his hands and onto the ground.
Perhaps that extended period of contact managed to break his concentration, but again, I think he saw yet another open lane into the end zone and was eager to turn toward it before actually catching the pass.
For this to happen twice before the first half ends has already made this a bad game for Little, but unfortunately, things get worse.
Drop No. 3
This drop is solely on Little yet again. This time, instead of turning to run upfield and thus not paying as much attention to securing the football, he just can't get his hands around the pass.
It's another short-yardage throw from McCoy that could have resulted in some major gains had Little pulled down the pass, but instead, it bounces off his hands. He simply didn't secure a ball that was, clearly, perfectly thrown directly to him.
Concentration is key, and Little clearly has more on his mind—timing, most likely—than just the act of getting his hands on the football.
Dropped passes like these clearly show how important preparation is for rookies in the NFL, especially ones like Little, who didn't play a down in 2010 as he sat out his final year in college under NCAA suspension.
Drop No. 4
Here's a dropped pass that is decidedly not Little's fault. The Bengals manage to get some serious pressure on McCoy, the pocket collapses and McCoy targets the decidedly open Little under duress.
McCoy hasn't had a chance to get set, and though Little is anticipating the pass, McCoy throws the ball just a shade too high for Little to catch.
The announce team admonished Little for not pulling that one down. Though he does have a markedly impressive vertical leap, that ball was simply thrown too high, and it bounds off Little's hands. For once, Little is not to blame.
Drop No. 5
Little is somewhat responsible for his fifth drop of the game. McCoy was again under pressure, this time facing a blitzing Bengals defense, but he did get the ball out in time to avoid being sacked. Again, he sees Little, this time covered man-to-man over the middle by Clements (yet again).
With the close coverage, Clements is able to get his hands on Little (perhaps with an uncalled interference penalty of his own), is able to throw Little off his concentration and the pass was incomplete.
However, it's not a foregone conclusion that Little could not have caught that pass. He could certainly have fought more for it, but generally, it was coverage to blame for him not grabbing the pass and not because of any error he made.
Drop No. 6
This is easily the most disappointing drop of the game for Little and for the Browns. With 25 seconds remaining in the game and down by three points, the Browns need to quickly and efficiently march down the field in hopes to at least tie, if not win, the game.
Luckily for the Browns, McCoy finds a fairly wide open Little crossing in the middle of the field, well beyond the first down line.
The pass is thrown perfectly—right on Little's hands—but there are defenders closing in. Little needs to think about what he's going to do, where he's going to go after the catch. If he goes down immediately afterward, they have the first down but the clock keeps running.
All of these things are running through Little's mind, and again, he turns, he looks elsewhere, and he doesn't secure the pass, dooming the Browns to another loss.
Conclusion
Clearly, at least in this game (and it's easy to surmise that in many others in which Little dropped passes), Little's biggest weakness is concentration.
I've often speculated that many of Little's rookie-year struggles had to do with getting his footwork and timing right and being more concerned with all of the intricacies of each play rather than the fairly simple task of catching the pass, and it seems like this speculation is grounded in reality.
With more time to click with his quarterbacks and more time to understand and absorb the playbook, and more time to shake off the rust he inevitably dealt with last year, he should reduce his drops this season.
He needs to concentrate on the act of the catch and less with the mechanics of the play, and with a full offseason to work on this, he should improve markedly in his sophomore season.
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Link: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/chompions/201206/browns-wr-greg-little-drops-cupcakes-11-pounds
Browns fans know Greg Little had a case of butter fingers last season, with his 12 drops tying him for second most in the league.
What they don't know is that every Thursday after practice he had a case of butter, flour, sugar and frosting fingers. Apparently, linebacker Chris Gocong's wife, Mandy, would bring cupcakes for the team, and Little always made sure to get his share.
"I'd eat about seven to ten and the guys would get on me about that," he told the Akron Beacon Journal.
Upon hearing the news, Mandy Gocong tweeted on Thursday:
"@Str8UpGlittle So that's where all the cupcakes went hmmm…lol! Glad you enjoyed my cupcakes haha!"
To which Little responded, "the best in the world!!!"
But they aren't part of his new plan. Little is taking his fitness and nutrition to another level getting ready for his sophomore season. He gave up the cupcakes and has lost 11 pounds with the new diet and workout regimen.
Yankees fans will remember CC Sabathia showing up at training camp last season 25 pounds lighter after giving up his daily vice -- a box of Cap'N Crunch cereal. But Little wasn't out of shape to begin with.
He led the team with 61 receptions for 709 yards, finishing with the second most catches in the league among rookies in 2011. Ditching cupcakes is part of an overall process that included getting out of the gym. The Browns second-round pick was too focused on lifting and is now putting that time in on the field.
Coming into OTA's at a sleek 219 was, in part, motivated by a conversation with head coach Pat Shurmur after last season ended.
"I basically told him that he needed to do everything he can in this offseason to make a huge jump for his second year," Shurmur said. "I think he’s got a good start on that."
Little should be fine, unless Brandon Weeden's wife has one heck of a brownie recipe.
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@king-ghoolie-lives said:
Do you know what REALLY sticks out in all those dropped passes?
Even if Little caught them? It would make no difference because they were all way short of the first down marker.
Colt is the eyesore that I see.
Little will be fine. He was told very early on that we were playing to draft Weeden and Richardson in round 1, and he needed to not show too much.
This is why Little doesn't seem that upset. He was told to drop those passes on purpose.
He will light the steelers up like a three flame cigar torch would light up Barbara Striesand's nasty dried out pubic hair.
Well I definitely saw a few of those passes that could have gone for big yards. But in general, I agree that many of our passes last year were from routes that didnt seem like they would pick up many yards and left me scratching my head. Short stop routes, routes where the receiver runs perpendicular to the field with their back towards downfield, or a lot of routes in which the player's momentum naturally walks them out of bounds--those are the most frustrating routes to me because they are low reward and somewhat high risk sometimes. I dont think the WCO is supposed to be dominated by those types of routes. The routes that get me excited are the posts or slants in which the WR's momentum is carrying him downfield, and with a well placed pass they can continue running. Especially Greg can make that next player miss or break a tackle and pick up some real yardage.
Also, I have no idea if this is true, but the WCO is obviously pass heavy. Maybe the guys at the desks think of those 3-5 yard routes as similar to running plays picking up short yardage. If so, we need to drastically become more efficient and effective with those plays. Maybe an offseason and O coordinator will help this? who knows until we actually start playing some games..
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@king-ghoolie-lives said:
Do you know what REALLY sticks out in all those dropped passes?
Even if Little caught them? It would make no difference because they were all way short of the first down marker.
I think it was clear from the article that about half of them, if caught, would indeed be first downs if caught right on the spot, and about another half of the rest of them would have been 1st downs because of open space in front of him.
Colt is the eyesore that I see.
The short, dink/dunk passing game is 99% on the system that is being run, not on the QB making the throw. It is a hallmark of the WCO that a WR catch a short pass and then get YAC out of it. If you want to assess blame, blame Shurmur and Holmgren for running this style of offense. This works if Little makes these catches. They are not running the Daryl Lamonica Mad Bomber offense here.
Little will be fine. He was told very early on that we were playing to draft Weeden and Richardson in round 1, and he needed to not show too much.
This is why Little doesn't seem that upset. He was told to drop those passes on purpose.
He will light the steelers up like a three flame cigar torch would light up Barbara Striesand's nasty dried out pubic hair.
So? Is Barbara Streisand's pubic hair is something you are intimately familiar with?
(like Mad Eye Moonie's experience with Goblin Piss?)
I agree, Little will be all right. Experience will help him. Though I can pretty much guarantee that he didn't drop any passes on purpose just to get some QB in a later draft.
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now if we only had 2 other receivers that could do the same thing................
and a coach that knows what the fuck he is doing..........
hell, we'd be world champs!
now if we only had 2 other receivers that could do the same thing................
and a coach that knows what the fuck he is doing..........
hell, we'd be world champs!
Living in NYC has really fucked you up.
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
@king-ghoolie-lives said:
I don't know, looking at that film, I don't see a single pass in which Little wouldn't have been hit short of the 1st down marker. The comment about dropping on purpose wa of course tongue-in-cheek.
After reviewing it myself I characterize 2 of those throws as dropped well beyond the first down marker, 3 short of the first down, and 1 short with open field that would have certainly been a first down.
I note that you were tongue in cheek about dropping on purpose, but you didn't make the same claim about your Barbara Streisand pubic hair comment. Perhaps your tongue was somewhere else?
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@king-ghoolie-lives said:
I don't know, looking at that film, I don't see a single pass in which Little wouldn't have been hit short of the 1st down marker. The comment about dropping on purpose wa of course tongue-in-cheek.
After reviewing it myself I characterize 2 of those throws as dropped well beyond the first down marker, 3 short of the first down, and 1 short with open field that would have certainly been a first down.
I note that you were tongue in cheek about dropping on purpose, but you didn't make the same claim about your Barbara Streisand pubic hair comment. Perhaps your tongue was somewhere else?
After reviewing it myself I characterize 2 of those throws as dropped well beyond the first down marker, 3 short of the first down, and 1 short with open field that would have certainly been a first down.
I note that you were tongue in cheek about dropping on purpose, but you didn't make the same claim about your Barbara Streisand pubic hair comment. Perhaps your tongue was somewhere else?
...He's soo LUCKY! I'd never brush my tounge again...
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Living in NYC has really fucked you up.
come on man.
what did i say that wasn't 100% true? i'm of the 'show me' mentality. weeden will give us 4 more wins now that he'll be our starter. so i have us winning four games this year now automnatically i gotta say 8 wins. for real?
little this little that. no one broght up the report of him showing up to camp overweight did they.
half you guys have crushes on these players. did nothing but drop the ball last year and he's our #1 receiver. BUT don't worry he'll be great this year. didn't we run a wr out of town a couple of years ago for doing the same thing?
but he gets a pass. and awww, he drops it.
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Living in NYC has really fucked you up.
come on man.
what did i say that wasn't 100% true? i'm of the 'show me' mentality. weeden will give us 4 more wins now that he'll be our starter. so i have us winning four games this year now automnatically i gotta say 8 wins. for real?
little this little that. no one broght up the report of him showing up to camp overweight did they.
half you guys have crushes on these players. did nothing but drop the ball last year and he's our #1 receiver. BUT don't worry he'll be great this year. didn't we run a wr out of town a couple of years ago for doing the same thing?
but he gets a pass. and awww, he drops it.
come on man.
what did i say that wasn't 100% true? i'm of the 'show me' mentality. weeden will give us 4 more wins now that he'll be our starter. so i have us winning four games this year now automnatically i gotta say 8 wins. for real?
little this little that. no one broght up the report of him showing up to camp overweight did they.
half you guys have crushes on these players. did nothing but drop the ball last year and he's our #1 receiver. BUT don't worry he'll be great this year. didn't we run a wr out of town a couple of years ago for doing the same thing?
but he gets a pass. and awww, he drops it.
Nothing personal man. Your a fellow vet.
"You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970. -
come on man.
what did i say that wasn't 100% true? i'm of the 'show me' mentality. weeden will give us 4 more wins now that he'll be our starter. so i have us winning four games this year now automnatically i gotta say 8 wins. for real?
little this little that. no one broght up the report of him showing up to camp overweight did they.
half you guys have crushes on these players. did nothing but drop the ball last year and he's our #1 receiver. BUT don't worry he'll be great this year. didn't we run a wr out of town a couple of years ago for doing the same thing?
but he gets a pass. and awww, he drops it.
Nothing personal man. Your a fellow vet.
Nothing personal man. Your a fellow vet.
none taken. half the shit i spit out i believe the other half i do to get reactions from certain members of the forum. (but yes nyc will turn you into one jaded asshole).
still say we go 4-12 and i'll give the additions of richardson and weeden another win each, so let's say 6-10.
god knows the opponent's defensive coordinators will be staying up late at night sweating our WR corp. heh.
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@king-ghoolie-lives said:
Boy, you goofy bastards don't miss a thing do you.............. Okay, so I made a reference to Streisand's pubes based on her rageddy ass looking head hair and sickeningly marxist, socialist, anti-American points of view.
Let me retract the reference to her pussy patch and just says that I can't stand her.
Would I like her if she could hold on to the football? Only if James Harrison was hitting her after the catch.
And perhaps she might think that your views are fascist, militaristic, imperialist, anti-American points of view. So you would be even...but, having those views, she might think you are the perfect person to introduce her to Colonel Angus.
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so are we talkin' selfish cupcake hog or gluttonous fat piggy? did other players "get on him" for taking more than his share, or just hate on him for helping himself to what was welcomely available? were they even Browns players? did Gocong give a shit?
having since cut the cupcakes out completely and shown a high level of self control in other aspects of his health and fitness as well...this fluff article is really about nothing. thanks for posting though, it is a fairly slow time of year for NFL.
anyway, we've highlighted Little's drops some, here's what he did catch in 2011.
Greg Little Weeks 1 - 9
Greg Little weeks 10 - 17
plenty of YAC displayed in these two vids from the rookie >> no worries.
every time he touches the ball he's intent on getting AT LEAST one more on the ground...and does. usually several in fact, and RARELY loses any yardage.
(check it out, 1st pass on 2nd video Seneca Wallace is the #1 WR HAHAHAHHAHA!!!!
just thought someone else might get a kick out of that. also note, Colt throws a gorgeous 55 yarder at 48 seconds, also 2nd vid.
with protection and comfortability he's a completely different QB back there.
Weeden's got a tougher task than most acknowledge beating two vets... but iron sharpens iron, and the best WILL emerge VICTORIOUS!!)
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What I see in those videos is an exceptional receiver who did all with what he could. He played on a terrible team where he was far and away the biggest threat. He played a position he only played one year in full in college and then set out an entire year. He didn't have the luxury of having a typical off season training program. It was pretty much a cold start at the beginning of the season. What I see is a player who came to camp eleven pounds lighter. Who's gotten faster and stronger and had a year to work with the team and trainers. A player who now has other weapons of offense that will surely have teams scouting for them. I see a player primed for a breakout season.
But, I'm also a Browns fan and overly optimistic at this point in the season. But I'm realistic about our situation with other receivers, and while I think Weeden will be great, I'm reserved in naming him a stud already. I know our defense won't be as good this year because our offense will be competent and other team's offenses will have to score more points and will pressure the defense more. I know things might not work out this year, but I'm sure about two of these things.
Trent Richardson and Greg Little WILL be GREAT players. Greg Little is going to catch 85 passes for a minimum of 900 yards and 8 TDs.
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What I see in those videos is an exceptional receiver who did all with what he could. He played on a terrible team where he was far and away the biggest threat. He played a position he only played one year in full in college and then set out an entire year. He didn't have the luxury of having a typical off season training program. It was pretty much a cold start at the beginning of the season. What I see is a player who came to camp eleven pounds lighter. Who's gotten faster and stronger and had a year to work with the team and trainers. A player who now has other weapons of offense that will surely have teams scouting for them. I see a player primed for a breakout season.
But, I'm also a Browns fan and overly optimistic at this point in the season. But I'm realistic about our situation with other receivers, and while I think Weeden will be great, I'm reserved in naming him a stud already. I know our defense won't be as good this year because our offense will be competent and other team's offenses will have to score more points and will pressure the defense more. I know things might not work out this year, but I'm sure about two of these things.
Trent Richardson and Greg Little WILL be GREAT players. Greg Little is going to catch 85 passes for a minimum of 900 yards and 8 TDs.
What I see in those videos is an exceptional receiver who did all with what he could. He played on a terrible team where he was far and away the biggest threat. He played a position he only played one year in full in college and then set out an entire year. He didn't have the luxury of having a typical off season training program. It was pretty much a cold start at the beginning of the season. What I see is a player who came to camp eleven pounds lighter. Who's gotten faster and stronger and had a year to work with the team and trainers. A player who now has other weapons of offense that will surely have teams scouting for them. I see a player primed for a breakout season.
But, I'm also a Browns fan and overly optimistic at this point in the season. But I'm realistic about our situation with other receivers, and while I think Weeden will be great, I'm reserved in naming him a stud already. I know our defense won't be as good this year because our offense will be competent and other team's offenses will have to score more points and will pressure the defense more. I know things might not work out this year, but I'm sure about two of these things.
Trent Richardson and Greg Little WILL be GREAT players. Greg Little is going to catch 85 passes for a minimum of 900 yards and 8 TDs.
I agree, Greg Little can be a great player. His problem was focus, not lack of talent at all. If he can focus, there's no stopping him.
I went back and watched the Cincy game today. There were some passes that McCoy looked like he could be a viable starter in the league, especially on Little's TD. But then there were some passes that were just awful, like when he threw a wide open Norwood out of bounds. With the right line, the right receivers and the right circumstances, McCoy could be serviceable.
Unfortunately, it's very hard to get all the "right" things in place at the same time. That's why you need a QB who has the talent to be able to work successfully with what he's presented with. Weeden will be that guy. Weeden better be that guy.
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Little is a possession receiver who drops the ball? His ceiling is a #2 but with the drops he's a #3...
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Little is a possession receiver who drops the ball? His ceiling is a #2 but with the drops he's a #3...
Little is a possession receiver who drops the ball? His ceiling is a #2 but with the drops he's a #3...
I would not say Little is a possession receiver. He was last year because our offense sucked and was never in rhythm and he was the only "weapon" on the team. There is no doubt in my mind that he can get major yards after the catch and develop into a legit WR. He might not be a burner, but few #1 WRs are.. Norwood and Cooper are possession receivers, Little has the potential to be much more. He needs to correct the drops no doubt, but Im excited to see what he is going to do this year.
I think his ceiling is definitely a #1 WR. I think he will turn out to be a very solid #2 WR though, and not all teams need a "#1 WR" to be successful.
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Little should have over 80 rec this year with 7 TDs. No reason why he couldnt do that if he held onto the ball, and Weeden throws him good balls consistently.
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Little is a possession receiver who drops the ball? His ceiling is a #2 but with the drops he's a #3...
I would not say Little is a possession receiver. He was last year because our offense sucked and was never in rhythm and he was the only "weapon" on the team. There is no doubt in my mind that he can get major yards after the catch and develop into a legit WR. He might not be a burner, but few #1 WRs are.. Norwood and Cooper are possession receivers, Little has the potential to be much more. He needs to correct the drops no doubt, but Im excited to see what he is going to do this year.
I think his ceiling is definitely a #1 WR. I think he will turn out to be a very solid #2 WR though, and not all teams need a "#1 WR" to be successful.
Norwood and Cooper are possession receivers,
who wouldn't even make it on most other teams' practice squads let alone make a pro team's starting day roster.
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