Peppers trucks an RB to sack Russell Wilson + Long DPJ TD
Peppers sack as the Giants beat the Seahawks
https://twitter.com/alexwilsonesm/status/1335702326057857024?s=21
DPJ catches a long TD as the Browns beat the Titans.
https://twitter.com/j_millertv/status/1335718873363083266?s=21
Makes the NFL more bearable when Michigan guys are doing well. Otherwise I’m getting repeatedly triggered by all the OSU names I hear all game.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:54 PM ^
Maybe this will stop some of the whining about DPJ’s production here. His lack of counting stats had a lot more to do with Shea and play calling than his own talent
December 6th, 2020 at 8:04 PM ^
If anything it will increase the whining about his production here as the qb and coaches are to blame a lot! He broke the DBs ankles with that move, DAMN!
December 6th, 2020 at 8:05 PM ^
Well he dropped every pass in the second half of OSU game last year on his own.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:16 PM ^
How sad to see amazing talent wasted at Michigan. Poor coaching, play calling and player development.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:15 PM ^
Nobody doubts that DPJ has the athleticism to beat guys deep. But even coming out of the combine NFL types wondered about his hands and his route running, things you can't blame on Patterson and the offense. I'm happy he's seeing the field but he's a very boom-or-bust guy right now, and that was largely the same thing we saw with him at UM.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:18 PM ^
If the biggest issue is DPJ’a route running, that is on the coaches. As long as the kid is willing to learn, you can teach better route running. Our problem is DPJ was essentially the same player three years later as he was when he arrived. That is 100% on the coaches.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:49 PM ^
Sort of the coaches. I think they do a bad job coaching the receivers and I think poor WR coaching hurt the team in 17 and 18.
But Gattis has a good track record coaching receivers elsewhere. And DPJ’s route-running weaknesses are... distinct even amongst other Michigan players.
Now, could different coaches have done better? I think so. But there’s something to be said about the player, too.
December 6th, 2020 at 10:09 PM ^
My issue is this, if you have a kid that is literally in the 1% of the top 1% athletically, if his issues are fixable then you make it priority #1 to fix his hands and route running. Puta jugs machine in his dorm. Meet with him whenever you can to teach him route execution. Fix those problems and you have a freakish offensive weapon.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:22 PM ^
What if the player doesn’t actually care to get better? What if they just want to get to the NFL and is counting on his top 1% of top 1% athletically like he did in high school?
December 6th, 2020 at 11:29 PM ^
I mean, anything is "fixable" in theory; provided DPJ has 10 fingers, a working set of legs, and 2 eyes he could get better at catching a football and running his routes. But it isn't always the coaches' responsibility to force players to make those improvements at some point. Guys like Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell got better over the years in college; DPJ and Oliver Martin never did, and in Martin's case hasn't gotten better at 2 other stops despite being a pretty elite athlete himself.
I think DPJ will do fine in the NFL, but his struggles to improve at Michigan shouldn't just be chalked up to this blanket "blame the coaches" line that has permeated this place.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:04 PM ^
History is littered with WRs who have amazing athleticism but suspect hands, mediocre route running, etc. that never pan out. Sometimes it's on the coaches, sometimes the player, sometimes both and sometimes neither. Also, a common concern with DPJ was that he wasn't that fast, at least getting off the line, compared to other WRs, and so some of his route running issues stemmed from not being able to get away from tight coverage fast enough for his QB.
And other guys on the team seemed to figure out how to be better route runners while at UM, so it can't be simply because this staff somehow forgot to teach him. And if it was just route running, and it's such a coachable skill (versus, say, speed or height), they'd have taken a shot on him earlier. I mean, there were 27 WRs taken ahead of him; by that point teams are projecting beyond sure things.
Again, I'm happy the guy had a nice catch and run today. I hope he finds a niche in the NFL. But it remains to be seen if he'll exceed his draft position, which was basically a competent backup WR.
December 7th, 2020 at 8:34 AM ^
You won’t be seeing replays of this, but on the Browns first drive DPJ was wide open for a 13 yard TD, easy throw, right in his hands. And he dropped it. The 75 yarder was great, but I am sure he would tell you he has to catch that easy TD throw.
December 6th, 2020 at 7:56 PM ^
DPJ with the Paul Bunyan pose!
December 7th, 2020 at 10:18 AM ^
DPJ played at Michigan. I don’t remember a big talented receiver at Michigan like that.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:05 PM ^
Funny cause the OSU guys have been pretty meh this year
Zeke with the worst year of his career. Dak being out accounts for some of it, but his big issue has been fumbles.
Michael Thomas has missed most of the year and looked good recently, but he's been getting into fights with teammates.
Haskins is already essentially out of the league and was benched for a man with one and a half legs
One Bosa is out for the year and the other has been battling injuries too, I think
McLaurin has been great this year and last, but was like the sixth or seventh best receiver when he played for OSU, which I guess says nothing but good things about them
December 6th, 2020 at 8:10 PM ^
I have been reveling in the Zeke fall from grace for sure. The Haskins thing is just weird but I do like to be able to point on the fact that no OSU QB ever does well in the NFL.
But you neglected to mention Dobbins, Chase Young and to a lesser extent the million DBs they have.
December 7th, 2020 at 4:48 AM ^
Stupid take. Haskins is not essentially out of the league. This thing happens in football where the GM and coach that draft you are no longer there, and the new guys have other ideas. He's very talented and will be OK some place else.
December 7th, 2020 at 9:45 AM ^
I see Jamarcus Russell (hopefully without the weight problems). I'm surprised that all that winning, OSU hasn't produced a single good NFL QB. I don't think they've produced a single Pro Bowl QB. I think Harbaugh, Grbac, Griese and GOAT have been to Pro Bowls in the past 25 years.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:10 PM ^
And here's a Winovich INT, with Josh Uche right there to join in the celebration.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:35 PM ^
Rashan Gary with 1.5 sacks today.
December 6th, 2020 at 8:39 PM ^
peppers didn't just truck the RB, he also flivered his way past an OL dude. very nice.
DPJ's route was good in particular because he really sunk his hips on the out fake and man did that TN CB bite. wow.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:39 PM ^
Haa! That corner was halfway to the Pick 6 zone before he realized he didn't have the ball!!
December 7th, 2020 at 12:55 PM ^
No way that DB even suspected a deep throw let alone a throw at all. It was a heavy run set and DPJ was the only WR on the field. The deep safety bit even worse than the guy covering DPJ but this was on the play action. Baker is amazing at selling the run fakes.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:44 PM ^
Speaking of Michigan ties to the NFL today: we have to talk about the final play of the Jets-Raiders game. Any Michigan fan who watched it thought the same thing.
Looks like Don Brown was calling plays for the Jets D.
December 6th, 2020 at 9:56 PM ^
Only difference is that if it was Michigan, the touchdown would be a 50 yard qb scramble with no one within thirty yards of the qb
December 6th, 2020 at 10:14 PM ^
At least in the NFL bad defense gets you better draft picks.
December 6th, 2020 at 10:48 PM ^
You're up 4 with 10 seconds left and they have 50 yards to go with no timeouts and the CB bites on a double move. What a complete brain fart.
And yeah, no safety over the top because they rushed 7 people and still didn't get there.
December 6th, 2020 at 10:11 PM ^
Love to see Peppers having carved a role out for himself with the Giants. He seemed lost in Cleveland but he’s definitely got a future in this league now in NY. Kid is making plays.
Also, Winovich had his first career INT tonight in a dominant Pats performance. Between this and him trucking Carlos Hyde a few weeks back, I’d say he’s having a great year himself.
December 6th, 2020 at 10:34 PM ^
I’m a Hawks fan and wow....Peppers was everywhere, and talking mad shit. It was very entertaining.
December 6th, 2020 at 11:47 PM ^
Welp. Looks like DPJ is fast and can run a route. How in the hell does Michigan have zero big play ability on offense since Denard Robinson? It's befuddling. Hell of a play, DPJ! And Peppers still looks like a beast. The dude plays hungry.
December 7th, 2020 at 10:47 AM ^
We're not trying to get big plays, can't kill clock that way.
December 7th, 2020 at 8:23 AM ^
DPJ didn’t have a WR coach his freshman year. He was essentially a year behind in development.
The Browns version of DPJ is what Michigan should have had last year but Jim Harbaugh was going full Jim Harbaugh with program management.
December 7th, 2020 at 8:27 AM ^
Those are awesome plays. Peppers sack was All Pro and out of this world material. DPJ had a lot of separation. Great to see these guys having success in the NFL.
December 7th, 2020 at 11:21 AM ^
I mentioned Uche already, but he got in on the action yesterday, too.
(If we play on Saturday, can we sneak Uche and Winovich into UM uniforms?)
https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/1335712067081408520?s=20
December 7th, 2020 at 2:45 PM ^
Damn, that route by DPJ was nice.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:02 AM ^
That was a nice route by DPJ. Made up for dropping a TD on Browns first drive.