Clayton Channels His Inner Meshawn, TO
October 6th, 2009
One would think a wide receiver who has a nasty habit of dropping balls might just be a bit humbled, a bit ashamed, motivated to let his catches, not drops, do the talking.
Nope. Not with Michael Clayton. In an apparent ode to Meshawn Johnson when he played for the New Jersey Kotites, Clayton yesterday said, in so many words, “Give me the damned ball,” so wrote Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
Apparently, Clayton failed to mention how he plans to stop laying the ball on the ground.
“I’ve got to get more opportunities,” Bucs wide receiver Michael Clayton said. “I’m a guy that can help this team win. We’ve got to get our players the ball. Everybody needs more opportunities.
“(Tight end) Jerramy Stevens needs more opportunities. (Antonio Bryant) needs more. You’re gonna drop some balls, but you also need an opportunity to make up and redeem yourself. We haven’t quite been able to get to that step.”
Yeah, some balls.
To be fair, Clayton has a nugget of truth to what he says. But this is like which came first, the chicken or the egg? Confidence works both ways. Why should Greg Olson or any of the Bucs quarterbacks get you the ball when, more often than not in the past, you have pulled a Roberto Duran?
Look, Clayton’s play against Dallass was spectacular. What Bucs coaches and quarterbacks need to see is Clayton doing that more often. You know, like maybe twice every four games?
And while Joe recognizes that Clayton is a dominant blocker, he is a wide receiver whose primary responsibility is to catch the damned ball. Blocking, no matter how coveted, is a secondary responsibility for a receiver.
Does anyone think Himes Ward would have started so many years for the Steelers if he couldn’t catch, no matter how crushing of a blocker he is? Of course not.
Oh, and good luck getting more “opportunities” with Johnson as the quarterback, who doesn’t have much more of a stronger arm than Joe with only slightly more NFL experience.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:11 am
All I can say to Clayton is – thank God for fantasy football because rooting for losers like Michael is disheartening
October 6th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Well I do like confidence. Like the Charge of the Light Brigade, Pickett’s Charge, the Alamo, Custer…
October 6th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Oh and all of World War One!
October 6th, 2009 at 11:13 am
how about when you kill drives with drop balls and holding penalties, you create less opportunities. on a 3 play drive hardly anyone gets the ball. 10 play drives everyone gets a chance. We have to stop killing drives.
October 6th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Not sure why you felt the need to take a shot at Josh Johnson. He threw some lasers on Sunday, including one that went right in and out of Clayton’s hands.
October 6th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
clayton need to be benched for stovall simple and plain, and joe stop the hate johnson is the best quaterback we got and watch how much better he plays as each game goes by. dont be suprised if we win this week. philly likes to blitz alot and everybody knows you cant blitz a mobile quarterback. The problem is jim bates he needs to go ASAP!!!!!!!
October 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Freeman should be the starting quarterback, hands down. They need to find out how he handles the pressure before draft day next spring. So we can decide if we want Tebow with our overall first pick.
October 7th, 2009 at 10:47 am
JK..man share sone of that stuff your smokin’ dude…it’s gotta be the best… I’m a Tebow fan but he won’t be drafted in the first three rounds, nevertheless the Possible #1 pic the Bucs may have (He doesn’t have the tools to be an NFL quarteback withour an entire offense being designed around him)
October 7th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Pete, Isn’t that what you do with afranchise QB. Build around him. I got money that says Tebow is gone in early first round.