Go For It — And Get YAC!
February 1st, 2023
Surprising stats.
If we are to learn something from recent NFL success, it’s smart to look at trends.
Over at CBS, Chris Trapasso decided to look at playoff teams from the past two seasons. One of their trends is that aggressive teams do well. Adding to that, yards after catch (YAC) is critical.
The Bengals and Chiefs finished third and fourth, respectively, in first-down pass rate during the regular season. Eight of the 14 playoff teams were in the top 10 in first-down pass rate and first-down pass rate in one-score game scenarios. If the NFL is a copycat league, other teams need to mimic what the best teams are doing, and one of those things is passing it more frequently than they run it on first down, even if the game is close.
And YAC is here to stay for a while. The Chiefs finished with the most total YAC during the regular season. The 49ers had the best YAC-per-reception average. The Chiefs were second in that category, while the Eagles were fifth and Bengals were 11th despite Ja’Marr Chase missing four contests.
Believe it or not, but the Bucs have two players in the top-20 in YAC. The first may surprise you. The Bucs’ leader in YAC was Playoff Lenny. It’s true. He was fifth in the NFL in YAC, per NBC Sports, with 582.
(Pro-Football-Reference.com has Playoff Lenny with 563 yards of YAC last year, his career high. Playoff Lenny. He had 7.7 yards of YAC per catch.)
Also in the top-20 is Chris Godwin. And Joe believes Godwin likely got most of his YAC in the second half of the season as he grew healthier. Godwin, per NBC Sports, had 535 YAC.
(Pro-Football-Reference.com has Godwin with 527 yards of YAC, averaging 5.1 yards of YAC a catch.)
But yeah, the Bucs could use another receiver who is both quick and can get YAC.
February 1st, 2023 at 4:19 am
Fully agree w the last sentence. Godwin did have some nice YAC routes but I can’t help but feel so much of his stats came on those predictable line of scrimmage screens that relied on 4 blockers downfield each time. They never broke completely loose either, and too many of them were for 12 yard gains on 3rd and 15 it felt like. Lenny couldn’t have had anything but YAC on his receptions bc every dump off catch was from 5’ away from Brady.
While nice, especially Godwin don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the type of YAC we should be enamoured with, thinking that ‘we’re good here.’ To Joe’s point there is no catch it and run with it SPEED on this team and I think we all saw it this year. No one you could scheme an underneath crosser or a slant route to and watch them take off for 30 yards with just 1 extra step on their defender. Instead it was these 2 guys who were all thunder and no lightning with the ball in their hands after the catch.
February 1st, 2023 at 4:55 am
Imagine if there was an OC with a brain, and a Head Coach that wanted to score points. Maybe some scheme creativity could help shake guys open. Maybe not calling the exact same plays in the exact same order might help guys get open better.
What a cluster of pigs.
February 1st, 2023 at 6:20 am
This past season I kept waiting for Evans to run across the middle or a slant or … well anything but just lining up on right side and running straight for 40 yards only to turn around, jog back and do it again.
it was insanity, stupidity and BORING.
February 1st, 2023 at 7:02 am
Bowles will continue to restrict his offensive coordinator so his defense can get plenty of rest.
February 1st, 2023 at 7:42 am
Bowles game plan calls for YUC not YAC.
February 1st, 2023 at 8:01 am
Goatfarmer … ‘What a cluster of pigs.’
OK so what is it, goats or pigs? Or are you into both. What’s next, sheep? (Your fetish with barnyard animals is somewhat concerning Goatfarmer).
February 1st, 2023 at 8:29 am
Throwing on first down ? What the hell is that ? Never seen such a thing with the bucs these last few years !
February 1st, 2023 at 9:17 am
Yeah we had another reciever but that CLOWN#81 drove off in his CLOWN#81 car!!!