Why isn't anyone talking about Stevie?

[BillsBytheBay]

hes a great 2, in a few years maybe hell work out for once in the off season and get some size and stop getting hurt. Hes had better hands lately nd isn't the problem. where was woods today? wheres the QB who can throw?

you must of missed some games....

 

 

 

Of WRs......not that many considering there are 32 NFL teams:

(Current NFL players.....I may have missed one or two)

 

Stevie Johnson 2010-2012

Brandon Marshall 2007-2012 (6 in a row, with 828 already this season)

Marques Colston 2009-2012 (4 in a row, would have been 7 except was injured in 2008)

Calvin Johnson: 2010-2013 (4 in a row)

A.J. Green 2011-2013

 

Vincent Jackson 2008-2009 & 2011-2012 (injured in 2010 with 827 already this season)

Wes Welker 2007-2009 & 2011-2012 (on pace for 1000 in 2013)

Victor Cruz 2011-2012 (with 824 already this season)

 

Reggie Wayne 2004-2010, 2012 (2011 was only 960)

Larry Fitzgerald 2007-2011

Andre Johnson 2008-2010

Steve Smith 2005-2008

Greg Jennings 2008-2010

horrible company.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Stevie also simply does not work hard enough on his conditioning.........a fact he has admitted.....and that has likely been the reason for his constant, CONSTANT problems with soft tissue injuries.

 

Stevie saying that he didn't train hard enough is the same category of statement as Billy Joe Hobert saying that he didn't study the playbook.

 

Hobert said later on that he was just trying to get a rise from the media, that he said that just for effect.

 

Stevie said that he trained much harder this offseason. The results? The same as before.

 

What does this mean?

 

What does it mean that Miles Austin can't stay healthy?

 

What does it mean when any athlete can't stay healthy?

 

1) Is it always from undertraining?

 

2) Isn't it just as possible that some athletes can't stay healthy due to overtraining?

 

3) Isn't it possible that some athletes simply can't stand up to the rigors of NFL football regardless of their training regimen?

 

Stevie has been extraordinarily productive for a 7th round pick.

 

I wouldn't presume to know why he can't stay healthy but if I had to guess, I'd say that he's in that quite large 3rd category.

[Orton's Arm]

 

 

They lost Price, Centers and Riemersma all in the same offseason. Josh Reed simultaneously went from a sticky fingered sensation to a ball dropper overnight and Moulds got injured. Bledsoe was a statue and needed weapons and he went from having a wealth of them to almost none by midseason. Bobby Shaw, Sam Gash and Mark Campbell were very poor replacements for Price, Centers and Riemersma.

 

Good points. I agree that the reduction in quality in the Bills' receiving threats made a big difference to the offense. But as important as that change was, I still think that the combination of the Bills' pass protection struggles + Bledsoe's slow decision-making and consequent vulnerability to the pass rush + the example set by Bill Belichick had an even greater effect.

 

The Bills' offense in the second half of 2002 was considerably more lackluster than the first half. IIRC, the second half of 2002 offense was more like the 2003 offense than like the first half of 2002 offense. In the second half of 2002, the Bills' pass protection problems had not yet fully set in.

[QB Bills]

Can't stay on the field? You do realize he hasn't missed a game until this year.

 

How many receivers in the league can you name that have done more with such horrific qb play as he has?

 

Here's a guy who worked his butt off to get where he is as a forgotten draft pick. He does nothing but rep buffalo in a positive light.

 

Most importantly, he's pretty f'n good at his job.

 

It's pretty obvious why those who don't like him feel that way. Doesn't need to be spelled out here, but luckily it's their own problem.

 

Honestly, some of you don't deserve a winning team.

[machine gun kelly]

why do people bring up trading one of our best offensive weapons? This is the same board that complains we don't have depth. You don't get depth by trading away talent.

[BillsBackersChicago]

Stevie is a crap receiver. Drops the ball in big games. Costs his team yards (and probably a game or two) with his stupid celebrations. And he's hurt all the time. Only with this team would we accept such an undeservedly ego-centric player as our "best player" simply because he probably chose to stay with the Bills where he always has an excuse rather than try to go to a team where he would be exposed.

 

Too bad it's too late to trade him. Maybe in the off season he would be worth a 3rd or 4th rounder, and then use the freed-up money on another area of the team that need help.

 

Review stevies performance on any all-22 and you will see why you are completely incorrect. He gets ridiculous separation from his defenders with very subtle moves at the line. It is plenty of space to get the catch if the QB can stay upright and get the ball out to him. That's why he had >1000 yards the past few years (actually can't remember if he hit 1000 last year), with Gailey we had quick passes and fit could pretty much that in the first few seconds after the play started, stevie would be open. That's pretty much the exact same thing that wes welker does except he uses speed while stevie uses moves. And yes, he has had some critical drops, but what receiver that catches the majority of his teams passes doesn't? At least he was open enough to be in position to catch those passes, no one else seemed to be. Finally let's not forget that he has been the only WR threat we have had in the past 5 years so has performed while drawing (and beating) the opponents best corners. Just watch the tape, don't make overarching generalized statements.

 

http://www.wgr550.com/JW-All-22-Review-Week-1/17263530

The truth about Stevie Johnson

Stevie Johnson says that the Patriots don’t have anyone that can cover him. He’s right. I know, I know he dropped that one pass and that’s awful. He should own it. It’s on him. That said, if we’re looking ahead with these tapes, at what went wrong and what can go right, then it’s worth noting that Stevie burns almost everyone he faces when he’s one-on-one.

Here’s a good example. Johnson lines up in the slot with Aqib Talib, the Pats top corner lined up in press coverage.

 

 

Talib attempts to jam Johnson at the line and, as is usually the case, it doesn’t work.

 

 

Johnson breaks free for a nice gain as Manuel finds him over the middle. Take a look at the time that Manuel has to survey the field here. It’s a consistent theme throughout the game. When he dropped back, he had plenty of time.

Note something else here: The design of the play. Look at the routes. Remember them. Study them. You’ll see them again. Spoiler alert - check Robert Woods at the bottom of the screen.

[CardinalScotts]

Hes our best player on the field. Has had a great career for the Bills. Not a cancer!

 

he's not, Goodwin has already passed him despite being on the field for less snaps. Goodwin with Woods AND Stevie out of the slot would be tough. Graham less snaps and is the #4 changes everything. + EJ starting to wing it

[thebandit27]

 

 

he's not, Goodwin has already passed him despite being on the field for less snaps. Goodwin with Woods AND Stevie out of the slot would be tough. Graham less snaps and is the #4 changes everything. + EJ starting to wing it

 

So wait, you're saying that we should keep out good players? Not get rid of them the second other good players start to show themselves useful?

 

That's crazy talk

[Speedy G]

Really? Debating if SJ should be here, traded, etc....he's a weapon on a young growing improving team, chose to stay here, has shed a positive light on buffalo, and gets open with his uncanny unorthodox moves. He maturity has grown in the last few years, he was a real leader on the sideline in the jets game. Sure we're all frustrated by his injuries, so is he! He wants to be out there, not being able to contribute in the domination of the jets had to be making him crazy! Come on guys! It's year one of a new staff, new players, etc... It's a new era for the Bills, and I for one am willing to go thru some growing pains to be a consistent winning team! Give the guy a break, be patient, him being out was kind of a blessing, the young guys got some valuable experience, and made the most of their opportunity, and down the road, that will be a huge confidence boost for the team! Let's stay positive and support our team no matter what Go Bills!!!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Stevie saying that he didn't train hard enough is the same category of statement as Billy Joe Hobert saying that he didn't study the playbook.

 

To be fair to Stevie, I don't recall him saying that he didn't train hard enough. What he said is that he took the team's off-season training program booklet and put it in a drawer.

 

He said he runs and plays basketball in the off-season. Playing basketball, frankly, is one of the reasons Stevie has the moves he does, and possibly one of the reasons he tends to get hurt in the hamstrings/groin - the sudden, quick changes in momentum and direction that he demands of his body, not on smooth wood but on turf or grass with cleats.

 

As I recall, he injured his back this preseason while training in the weight room? Does anyone else remember this? So Stevie might fall into the category of athletes who should just be left to do their own thing in the off season. It's not unheard of for overly-aggressive or sligntly inappropriate training (poor form, pushing up reps too fast, etc) to cause or aggravate injury.

 

That said, he hasn't missed many games.

 

he's not, Goodwin has already passed him despite being on the field for less snaps. Goodwin with Woods AND Stevie out of the slot would be tough. Graham less snaps and is the #4 changes everything. + EJ starting to wing it

 

I do agree with you that Goodwin, Woods, and Stevie should be a strong WR combo.

 

Goodwin has passed Stevie? By what criterion?

 

Watch all-22 and you will consistently see the beautiful sight of opposing DB, jocks flapping in the breeze as Stevie shucks them and runs away. The only reason Stevie hasn't racked up more yardage is lack of a QB who can consistently throw him catchable balls. You don't see that yet from Goodwin. You may - he's fast, strong, and tough and he wants to be a baller, but he's a long way to go to match Stevie's overall abilities as a wideout.

 

The only thing I'd like to see from Stevie that I don't yet (well, besides ditching the stupid penalties for good) is a bit more focus on expanding his notion of "catchable ball".

Edited November 23, 2013 by Hopeful

[Orton's Arm]

 

 

Of WRs......not that many considering there are 32 NFL teams:

(Current NFL players.....I may have missed one or two)

 

Stevie Johnson 2010-2012

Brandon Marshall 2007-2012 (6 in a row, with 828 already this season)

Marques Colston 2009-2012 (4 in a row, would have been 7 except was injured in 2008)

Calvin Johnson: 2010-2013 (4 in a row)

A.J. Green 2011-2013

 

Vincent Jackson 2008-2009 & 2011-2012 (injured in 2010 with 827 already this season)

Wes Welker 2007-2009 & 2011-2012 (on pace for 1000 in 2013)

Victor Cruz 2011-2012 (with 824 already this season)

 

Reggie Wayne 2004-2010, 2012 (2011 was only 960)

Larry Fitzgerald 2007-2011

Andre Johnson 2008-2010

Steve Smith 2005-2008

Greg Jennings 2008-2010

 

Good post!

 

Counting Stevie himself, there are thirteen guys on your list. Even if Stevie is the absolute worst guy on that list, that still puts him in the top half of number one wide receivers.

 

But he might not be the worst guy on that list. It's worth bearing in mind that a number of WRs listed above had real QBs throwing them the ball. Stevie hasn't had that luxury.

[BillsBytheBay]

 

 

Good post!

 

Counting Stevie himself, there are thirteen guys on your list. Even if Stevie is the absolute worst guy on that list, that still puts him in the top half of number one wide receivers.

 

But he might not be the worst guy on that list. It's worth bearing in mind that a number of WRs listed above had real QBs throwing them the ball. Stevie hasn't had that luxury.

people are crazy. SJ13 may be the best receiver the Bills have ever had. Could you imagine Kelly as his QB?

 

I know..... Fantasy football. I have a buddy who is into that. Fantasy football doesn't always equate to reality football.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

people are crazy. SJ13 may be the best receiver the Bills have ever had. Could you imagine Kelly as his QB?

 

I know..... Fantasy football. I have a buddy who is into that. Fantasy football doesn't always equate to reality football.

 

Everyone who knows me and how much I love football and that I'm a stats geek, just assumes I must be into fantasy football.

 

The truth is, I've just never been able to get into it, just for that reason: it seems so divorced from reality

Edited November 24, 2013 by Hopeful

[BADOLBILZ]

Good points. I agree that the reduction in quality in the Bills' receiving threats made a big difference to the offense. But as important as that change was, I still think that the combination of the Bills' pass protection struggles + Bledsoe's slow decision-making and consequent vulnerability to the pass rush + the example set by Bill Belichick had an even greater effect.

 

The Bills' offense in the second half of 2002 was considerably more lackluster than the first half. IIRC, the second half of 2002 offense was more like the 2003 offense than like the first half of 2002 offense. In the second half of 2002, the Bills' pass protection problems had not yet fully set in.

 

I think your opinion was the more prevailing one, but the dropoff in target quality was enormous. Most fans were so thrilled about getting a first round pick for Price that they didn't want to acknowledge the impact it had on Bledsoe. Everyone knew how to attack Bledsoe by that point, and the Bills actually came out scoring early that year but then Moulds got hurt and Reed started dropping everything thrown his way. Price struggled as the clear #1 option in Atlanta but losing him was an offensive disaster for the Bills and that season was one of the great cases of subtraction by subtraction in Bills history. To a lesser extent I think the Levitre loss and inadequate replacement has lead to losses and some of the struggles of CJ Spiller. You can't re-sign all of your free agents but I think the greater lesson is that every year should be a win-now year. I think much of the league treats it that way......the Bills seem content with re-building and end up facing small windows and setting up make-or-break seasons. That doesn't work. Year one of any new regime should be seen as the most important.

[Orton's Arm]

I think your opinion was the more prevailing one, but the dropoff in target quality was enormous. Most fans were so thrilled about getting a first round pick for Price that they didn't want to acknowledge the impact it had on Bledsoe. Everyone knew how to attack Bledsoe by that point, and the Bills actually came out scoring early that year but then Moulds got hurt and Reed started dropping everything thrown his way. Price struggled as the clear #1 option in Atlanta but losing him was an offensive disaster for the Bills and that season was one of the great cases of subtraction by subtraction in Bills history. To a lesser extent I think the Levitre loss and inadequate replacement has lead to losses and some of the struggles of CJ Spiller. You can't re-sign all of your free agents but I think the greater lesson is that every year should be a win-now year. I think much of the league treats it that way......the Bills seem content with re-building and end up facing small windows and setting up make-or-break seasons. That doesn't work. Year one of any new regime should be seen as the most important.

 

> I think your opinion was the more prevailing one

 

All my opinions should be prevailing ones!

 

> but the dropoff in target quality was enormous

 

That's true, especially when taking into account the Moulds injury. But by 2004, Moulds was healthy again, and the Bills had a young deep threat in the form of Lee Evans. But the offense continued to be lackluster--so much so that the Bills parted ways with Bledsoe after the season. I'll grant that a big part of the step down from 2002 to 2003 was because of changes in quality of targets. But it's not like the 2004 offense picked up where 2002 left off.

 

Even if Price had remained with the Bills in 2003, he would have represented much less of a deep threat than he had in 2002. This is because teams would have blitzed Buffalo, confident their pass rushers would get to the Bills' QB before Price could get open deep. The only way to beat something like that is reasonably good blitz pickup--a phrase which doesn't come to mind when describing the 2003 Bills.

 

> the greater lesson is that every year should be a win-now year.

 

I disagree. TD and Marv were too shortsighted. That was their undoing. For example: in Marv's first year as a GM, he decided to treat it like a win-now year. He felt the two players he most had to have to win now were a SS and DT; which is why he focused on those two positions with his first two picks of the 2006 draft. Yes, the Bills had a large hole at DT, and a stopgap solution at center. But was John McCargo (DT) really a better pick than Nick Mangold; who went on to become the best center in the league? Was Donte Whitner really the best football player available at 8th overall?

 

In his second year as GM, Marv amped up the win-now approach even more. He used a top-12 pick on Lynch, despite having a perfectly good RB in McGahee; and despite the short careers typically associated with RBs. Both RBs and LBs are known for being able to contribute quickly as rookies; so Marv's first two picks of 2007 were consistent with the "win now" theme he'd established in 2006. The same could be said about TD's strong overemphasis on the RB position during his tenure. Two other examples come to mind of TD's win now mentality: his decision to let Antoine Winfield walk in order to overpay for Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy. Also, his decision to trade away a valuable first round pick for another team's aging backup QB.

 

> the Bills seem content with re-building and end up facing small windows

 

The Bills are ADHD. They lack the patience for a disciplined, long-term rebuild effort. Everything has to be right away. They've repeatedly sacrificed the long-term interests of the team in order to be better in the moment. The reason windows are so short is because in the post-Polian era, the team has lacked a core of good players/long term answers around whom to build.

[BADOLBILZ]

> I think your opinion was the more prevailing one

 

All my opinions should be prevailing ones!

 

> but the dropoff in target quality was enormous

 

That's true, especially when taking into account the Moulds injury. But by 2004, Moulds was healthy again, and the Bills had a young deep threat in the form of Lee Evans. But the offense continued to be lackluster--so much so that the Bills parted ways with Bledsoe after the season. I'll grant that a big part of the step down from 2002 to 2003 was because of changes in quality of targets. But it's not like the 2004 offense picked up where 2002 left off.

 

Even if Price had remained with the Bills in 2003, he would have represented much less of a deep threat than he had in 2002. This is because teams would have blitzed Buffalo, confident their pass rushers would get to the Bills' QB before Price could get open deep. The only way to beat something like that is reasonably good blitz pickup--a phrase which doesn't come to mind when describing the 2003 Bills.

 

> the greater lesson is that every year should be a win-now year.

 

I disagree. TD and Marv were too shortsighted. That was their undoing. For example: in Marv's first year as a GM, he decided to treat it like a win-now year. He felt the two players he most had to have to win now were a SS and DT; which is why he focused on those two positions with his first two picks of the 2006 draft. Yes, the Bills had a large hole at DT, and a stopgap solution at center. But was John McCargo (DT) really a better pick than Nick Mangold; who went on to become the best center in the league? Was Donte Whitner really the best football player available at 8th overall?

 

In his second year as GM, Marv amped up the win-now approach even more. He used a top-12 pick on Lynch, despite having a perfectly good RB in McGahee; and despite the short careers typically associated with RBs. Both RBs and LBs are known for being able to contribute quickly as rookies; so Marv's first two picks of 2007 were consistent with the "win now" theme he'd established in 2006. The same could be said about TD's strong overemphasis on the RB position during his tenure. Two other examples come to mind of TD's win now mentality: his decision to let Antoine Winfield walk in order to overpay for Troy Vincent and Lawyer Milloy. Also, his decision to trade away a valuable first round pick for another team's aging backup QB.

 

> the Bills seem content with re-building and end up facing small windows

 

The Bills are ADHD. They lack the patience for a disciplined, long-term rebuild effort. Everything has to be right away. They've repeatedly sacrificed the long-term interests of the team in order to be better in the moment. The reason windows are so short is because in the post-Polian era, the team has lacked a core of good players/long term answers around whom to build.

 

Levy didn't come in with a particularly win-now approach. He shed the roster of Lawyer Milloy and Eric Moulds and his most significant FA signing was....Robert Royal. Their offseason was the butt of many jokes around the NFL. Still, that roster he inherited wasn't bereft of talent. He just made it that way the following offseason when he let Nate Clements, London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes and Willis McGahee go. I will give your memory of the benefit of the doubt because that was in no way "amping it up".

 

I get what you are saying about the draft picks but they were just bad draft picks not an indicator of a team that was going for broke. Whitner and McCargo were just two players at positions the Bills had needs at and Marvelous came into the job with the mantra that you must draft for need. It was the opposite of what personnel men had been openly saying for decades.....but Marv was a terrbile GM so there is that. The Bills have ALWAYS over-valued RB's and DB's which lends to the rumors that the same person was making a lot of those first round picks over the past half century.

[Orton's Arm]

Levy didn't come in with a particularly win-now approach. He shed the roster of Lawyer Milloy and Eric Moulds and his most significant FA signing was....Robert Royal. Their offseason was the butt of many jokes around the NFL. Still, that roster he inherited wasn't bereft of talent. He just made it that way the following offseason when he let Nate Clements, London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes and Willis McGahee go. I will give your memory of the benefit of the doubt because that was in no way "amping it up".

 

I get what you are saying about the draft picks but they were just bad draft picks not an indicator of a team that was going for broke. Whitner and McCargo were just two players at positions the Bills had needs at and Marvelous came into the job with the mantra that you must draft for need. It was the opposite of what personnel men had been openly saying for decades.....but Marv was a terrbile GM so there is that. The Bills have ALWAYS over-valued RB's and DB's which lends to the rumors that the same person was making a lot of those first round picks over the past half century.

 

> Levy didn't come in with a particularly win-now approach.

 

Shortly after he was hired as GM, he said that if you're building for the future, you're building for someone else's future. At first I wondered whether to dismiss that as just words. Then I saw that his actions were fully consistent with what he's said.

 

> He shed the roster of Lawyer Milloy and Eric Moulds . . .

 

Lawyer Milloy was a much better fit for the Gregggg Williams/Jerry Gray defense than for Dick Jauron's Tampa 2. The plan at SS was evidently to shed an older player and replace him with a first round pick specially chosen with Jauron's defense in mind.

 

Eric Moulds was on his last legs, and achieved almost nothing with Houston after the Bills had released him.

 

> his most significant FA signing was....Robert Royal.

 

I agree his free agent signings were a complete joke. In a number of cases he greatly overpaid for players. (Royal, Peerless Price version 2, Melvin Fowler, Triplett, Dockery, Langston Walker, etc.) Marv--or someone working for Marv--was horrible at evaluating free agents. That doesn't change the fact that Marv intended to win now. He wasn't very good at turning that intention into reality.

 

> He just made it that way the following offseason when he let Nate Clements, London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes and Willis McGahee go.

 

TD had allowed Clements' contract to expire without extending him. Then Marv slapped the franchise tag on him. That gave Marv a hypothetical one year head start over other NFL teams in negotiating a long-term deal with him. Marv didn't take advantage of that opportunity. He said, "We could offer Nate a deal now, but he wouldn't like the deal we offered. This year is his chance to prove he deserves a better deal." Which he did, to San Francisco's satisfaction. Players in the Nate Clements category can potentially be part of your team's core. Marv's decision to not pursue Clements--while instead squandering his "cash to the cap" space by wildly overpaying for third-rate free agents--is yet another indication he did not have a long-term, disciplined plan.

 

> I get what you are saying about the draft picks but they were just bad draft picks not an indicator of a team that was going for broke.

 

I did not mean to suggest that Marv seriously thought the Bills could win the Super Bowl in his first year as GM. His short-term goals were much lower than that; and mostly involved keeping the team respectable. The Bills went 7-9 his first year; so he met his short-term goal. He did so by sacrificing any long-term goals he may have had. Very little about his tenure as GM suggests he was even thinking in terms of long-term goals!

 

> The Bills have ALWAYS over-valued RB's and DB's

 

Granted. Part of that is because RBs and DBs are two of the easiest positions to evaluate. Part of it is because RBs are expected to make major contributions as rookies. TD and Marv weren't the first two shortsighted GMs the Bills have ever had.

[BADOLBILZ]

Stevie saying that he didn't train hard enough is the same category of statement as Billy Joe Hobert saying that he didn't study the playbook.

 

Hobert said later on that he was just trying to get a rise from the media, that he said that just for effect.

 

Stevie said that he trained much harder this offseason. The results? The same as before.

 

What does this mean?

 

What does it mean that Miles Austin can't stay healthy?

 

What does it mean when any athlete can't stay healthy?

 

1) Is it always from undertraining?

 

2) Isn't it just as possible that some athletes can't stay healthy due to overtraining?

 

3) Isn't it possible that some athletes simply can't stand up to the rigors of NFL football regardless of their training regimen?

 

Stevie has been extraordinarily productive for a 7th round pick.

 

I wouldn't presume to know why he can't stay healthy but if I had to guess, I'd say that he's in that quite large 3rd category.

 

You might be right......maybe he is just too fragile.....but I think the fact that these are the only injuries he has had indicate to me that he is just not a big fan of the training part of his job.

 

Oh, that and because he has said so.

 

Basically took training camp off this year too.

 

But I am ok with the explanation that is all a big misunderstanding a la Bill Joe Hobert.

 

The soft tissue injuries keep happening though......which was my point.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

You might be right......maybe he is just too fragile.....but I think the fact that these are the only injuries he has had indicate to me that he is just not a big fan of the training part of his job.

 

Oh, that and because he has said so.

 

Basically took training camp off this year too.

 

But I am ok with the explanation that is all a big misunderstanding a la Bill Joe Hobert.

 

The soft tissue injuries keep happening though......which was my point.

 

Well I'm gonna view it from the standpoint of a 7th rounder who became one of the better wide receivers in the league.

 

In other words, I think his work ethic with regards to physical training is just fine.

 

I'll stick with my suspicion that he's one of the many players who struggles to withstand the physical rigors of the league through no fault of his own.

[BADOLBILZ]

Well I'm gonna view it from the standpoint of a 7th rounder who became one of the better wide receivers in the league.

 

In other words, I think his work ethic with regards to physical training is just fine.

 

I'll stick with my suspicion that he's one of the many players who struggles to withstand the physical rigors of the league through no fault of his own.

 

If we hadn't been very publicly subjected to so many of Stevie's bad personality characteristics over the years I would say there is reason to give him the benefit of the doubt as a worker.