olyfan63
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SalishHawkFan":1hxibgte said:...
I like Richardson and am happy he's gaining chemistry with Wilson, but he's not one of our big play receivers.
Big Plays vs targets per player (minimum 15 targets):
Helfert: 20.8%
Lockette: 20%
Willson: 16.7%
Turbin: 15.8%
Baldwin: 14.9%
Lynch 11%
Kearse: 10.4%
Richardson: 5.6%
Harvin: 3.9%
If you make the cutoff 36 targets, the number of targets Richardson has:
Willson: 16.7%
Baldwin: 14.9%
Lynch 11%
Kearse: 10.4%
Richardson: 5.6%
We're a team that has players making big time plays. Richardson isn't in that league just yet, but he's getting there. He still has a long ways to go.
Nice stats! One fascinating thing these show is the importance of the receiving TE in the Seahawks offense in big plays, in the relative absence of "big play WR's". With the 15 targets rule, 2 of the top 3 are TE's!
It would be interesting to see these numbers from last year (and 2012 too), factoring in Golden Tate, and (when healthy) Sidney Rice. Got those numbers anywhere?
This year, it's been stunning to see the plays that TE Cooper Helfet (who??!!) has had (including a nice game-winning TD play) in the passing game, plus TE Luke Wilson having a career-in-one-game against the Cardinals. Add in the performance of Zach Miller in the 2012 playoffs, especially against Atlanta, and Russell clearly loves having receiving TE targets in the passing game.
The flipside is that we need massive help in the WR area to have big-play threats. These numbers show that PRich has a ways to go to have much impact there. In fact, the 36 targets, 2 of the top 3 "big play" threats are non-WR positions, with Lynch sneaking in. This sure points out the need for improving the "threat" of the WR position, through a combination of draft, trade, FA, and further developing current players. (and continuing to improve OL pass protection and Russell's confidence in it for hanging in and making deep throws)
I'd have to think Pete is aware of the issues these numbers point out, and has high hopes, for the PRich part, to improve PRich's big play numbers going forward, as he develops and gains chemistry with Russell. I think the downfield big-play and defense-stretching potential is why PC/JS explicitly chose Richardson over Jordan Mathews (now with Eagles), one of the few receivers taken after PRich who's had an impact as a rookie. That, and feeling like Norwood could be the Jordan Matthews type of receiver for us, at a lower cost. In the meantime, in Pete-speak, PRich has shown us really, really good stuff with his short and intermediate route running and overall WR savvy.
To the point of the thread, Baldwin is still clearly the best WR on the team, and it's not that close--YET. The fact that Baldwin gets in as many big plays as he does is a huge credit to him and his chemistry with Russell. Baldwin's just going to keep doing what he does; If PRich continues to develop and cause more challenges for defenses, it only helps Baldwin's game too.