Hot take time: Michigan's Receiving Corps is the biggest weakness
October 8th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:05 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:25 PM ^
OLine is what's killing this O...
QBs running for their lives, no holes for RBs...
It begins and ends with the OL.
We can't even BEGIN to determine which skill pos players are good, great or not cutting it til we get some goddam blocking!
October 8th, 2017 at 1:28 PM ^
Its both things. The OL isn't good at all, but when the pocket breaks down and the QB has to throw it, there's often no one to throw it to. And when they do throw it, its often to someone that can't catch it like Crawford. Looked it up, and he's only catching 37% of the balls he's been targeted on. Both Perry and Black are at 66%.
On top of that, Perry seems to be the only WR that can get open. So on the times the pocket hasn't collapsed or the OL has blocked long enough for the QB to make a play if someone was open, the QB is often stuck with no options. Which leads to all of the happy feet and sacks that we blame on the QB and OL when those really should be attributed to the WRs.
The same way a great RB can make an OL look better, a good WR corp can make an OL look better. Michigan has neither.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:45 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
The receivers are young but will be fine. Darboh and Chesson didn't show much early. Crawford still has the chance to be an impact player, Perry is better than just "okay," and Martin and Collins will be out there next year along with Black.
I'm more worried about the continuing presence of Drevno, who is increasingly looking like a waste of space on this staff.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:13 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^
Sorry, he has 7 catches now. Site I looked at wasn't updated through this week's games. Your receiving stats through week 6:
Perry -- 18 rec, 224 yds, TD
McKeon -- 14 rec, 179yds
Black -- 11 rec, 149 yds, TD
Gentry -- 6 rec, 119 yds, TD
Crawford -- 7 rec, 99 yds, TD (43 of these yards came on 1 play)
Eubanks -- 2 rec, 61 yds
DPJ -- 3 rec, 60 yds
So yes, Perry is fine, the TEs are fine, and everything is pretty bad. Losing Black was way worse than we probably thought it would be.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:08 PM ^
If the guys we are playing are so underwhelming, why aren't we seeing Martin or Collins? Or more out of the TEs?
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October 8th, 2017 at 6:39 PM ^
The fact that you have a true-freshman WR as your far-and-away #1 wide-receiver, conveys a huge problem.
Sure there's the silver-lining of huge potential, but it's first a foremost a red-flag.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
Was curious to know how bad it actually was and decided to look it up based off the play-by-play:
Florida -- 7 targets, 2 catches
Cincy -- 5 targets, 4 catches
Air Force -- 4 targets, 0 catches
Purdue -- 3 targets, 2 catches
MSU -- 1 target, no catches
So on the season, that's 20 targets, and 8 catches (40%). One of the catches against Florida was the TD that didn't count.
For comparision, Perry's games have been 5/4, 6/4, 4/2, 5/3, 7/5 -- for a total of 27 targets, 18 catches (67%). Black was 4/2, 6/4, 7/5 -- 17 targets, 11 catches (65%).
October 8th, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^
The concepts that the WRs are the weakness and the WRs are young and WILL be fine aren't mutually exclusive.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:35 PM ^
You kinda talking about the outlook for the future. We're pretty much talking about the state of the WR corps at present. I think many of us will agree that they will be fine, but they aren't fine right now.
October 8th, 2017 at 5:53 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
Grant Perry is good.
Tarik Black looked really promising prior to his injury.
October 8th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
Agreed.
Message to the OP: I was tempted to stop reading when I got to this part: "Ultimately, Braylon was well within his rights to be upset that Kekoa Crawford is rocking the number 1."
Did you have to bring that jackass and his "#1 Jersey" crusade into this?
October 8th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
We were all extremely naive to think a group of receivers this inexperienced would be able to replicate the successes of last year's group.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:15 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 2:16 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 11:59 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:00 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
Which one?
October 8th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
Ouch -- this hurts worse than most posts on the board today. You played that position at UM, right?
In case you're reading, how do you feel about the '16 and '17 offensive line recruits?
October 9th, 2017 at 8:27 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^
from the RT position. Bushell was just as bad as Uzulio from what I could see.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
I can appreciate your desire to find the "one" thing that will fix this mess. Problem is that the offensive issues are systemic. From the OC to the line of scrimmage.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
This right here. There's a lot to talk about and not really like about what we're doing on offense, but it is difficult to hang it solely on one position or group. There are issue everywhere and they feed on each other in an unfortunately parasitic way most of the time. As for the WRs, it was easy to see this group being productive in August even if not prolific, but having seen them in five games, outside of Black and Perry, I have questions, and maybe those are answered next yar with experience, but right now, I have questions.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
I agree, but I still think the O Line is concerning. The receivers are young, and, as people have said 1,000 times, young receivers usually suck. Our best bet at a young receiver who didn't suck broke his foot and is out for the year.
The O Line on the other hand, returns 2 starters and another guy who is a 5th year senior. I wasn't expecting them to be world class, but there is not excuse for them being this bad.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
Michigan gets the occasional TE in the flat stuff for a bunch of yards. Or the TE crossing route. Perry has been serviceable but not a big threat. Other than that the receiving corps is inexperienced and a true weakness. They were buttoned up all game against MSU resulting in more coverage sacks than we should see for 3 or 4 games, let alone 1.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
The headline of this post has promise. The rest is just hot-takery. It's not wrong to say the receivers could've done hell of a lot better job getting open yesterday against what was supposed to be the weakness of that defense.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
Please delete this thread. It all starts with the offensive line. If your able to run the ball, that creates opportunity for the receivers and vice versa. The problem with Michigan is that we have no "identity." Which generally means we can't run the ball OR throw the ball.
No Identity = Can't Run the Ball and Throw the Ball.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
WR's are weak without a deep threat or even a jump ball threat. But, it all starts up front and until we get the OL fixed with 5 strong guys across the board, our offense will continue to struggle.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
Middle of the field . No sideline passes just deep posts or double moves . He caught the one but okourne led him out of bounds . Stubbornness coaching is
Killing this team
October 8th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
I agree with Herbstreit who said after that play he needs not to run such a wide route (not the first time we've seen that). DBJ is not a physical receiver AT ALL and often gets forced towards the sideline. I dont want to bash a true frosh WR, but while DPJ might have amazing physical gifts and a huge upside, I don't think he is a "football player." He seems very soft to me and doesn't seem to have confidence like a typical 5 star athletic stud. He also doesn't seem to be agressive getting off the line or even going after the football. Black is the better WR by miles at this stage of their college careers. In fact, Black might be Harbaugh's best offense recruit thus far in the small sample size (Although I think Gentry and McKeon will eventually be All-Americans).
Again, I don't want to bash DPJ, but he clearly isnt ready to be a #1 receiver.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
I live,at least, three streets from Detroit MLK HS,while watching him play last two years...I wouldn't characterize him as being *soft* by no measure.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
I suspect that is the issue
October 8th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
We started a redshirt freshman and a true sophomore at corner. Sometimes young players are good.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:04 PM ^
but the receivers are weak. Perry is a stud and the TE's can be
the offense seems so predictable
off a bye week?
c'mon man!
October 8th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^
Blaming the WRs for this mess. What a stretch. Did OP have a bad WR day on his fantasty team recently?? Crazy talk.