I'm Surprised by Zay Jones' Slow Start

[YoloinOhio]

Um, this is his MOM

 

@maneeshajones

Catch the ball @zayjones11 hahaha 😂😂😂

 

 

And he liked the tweet

[Kaenon]

Through 4 Weeks, 21 completions to WR. Jones has about 20% of those (4/21).

 

Week 4 - 4 WR receptions

Matthews: 2

Jones: 1

Holmes: 1

 

Week 3 - 6 WR receptions

Matthews: 3

Holmes: 2

K. Clay: 1

 

Week 2 - 7 WR receptions

Matthews: 3

Holmes: 2

Jones: 2

 

Week 1 - 4 WR receptions

Matthews: 2

Jones: 1

Holmes: 1

[reddogblitz]

It's almost comical that Tyrod can't make a clean throw to Jones when he's wide open. Jones will be just fine.

If he needs perfectly thrown footballs to catch, he's probably on the wrong team.

Dropsies were not part of Eric's issues early on

I've been watching football a looooooong time and I can't recall any other rookie WR dropping as many passes as this kid does.

 

Robert Woods was a second round pick too, and he dropped some, but nothing like this.

Edited October 2, 2017 by reddogblitz

[BADOLBILZ]

Um, this is his MOM

 

@maneeshajones

Catch the ball @zayjones11 hahaha

 

 

And he liked the tweet

 

 

That drop on the nice vertical throw from Taylor loomed large as the Bills were forced to punt and Falcons came right down the field and scored a TD.............it's getting serious and his mom is probably tryna remind him it's not life-and-death(but it's time to get over the yips).

[Buffalo716]

If he needs perfectly thrown footballs to catch, he's probably on the wrong team.

I've been watching football a looooooong time and I can't recall any other rookie WR dropping as many passes as this kid does.

Robert Woods was a second round pick too, and he dropped some, but nothing like this.

Woods was a stud his rookie year

 

Had 50+ catches if I recall and hardly dropped any

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

He's a rookie and he's the 3 or 4 option. We have a QB who doesn't see the field very well also. If you are the 3rd or 4 th option with Taylor you will be lucky to get 2 catches for 15 yards.

[26CornerBlitz]

Gotta make this play.

 

@Cover_1_

Really nice pocket awareness by TT vs zone blitz, couldn't throw a more catchable ball. Gotta have it Zay.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/914853444187557888/pu/vid/1286x720/mJ1dcxIdW_Vaq6qT.mp4

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Gotta make this play.

 

@Cover_1_

Really nice pocket awareness by TT vs zone blitz, couldn't throw a more catchable ball. Gotta have it Zay.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/914853444187557888/pu/vid/1286x720/mJ1dcxIdW_Vaq6qT.mp4

 

Indeed. Common college player/rookie mistake... he caught it with his arms, not his hands.

[Royale with Cheese]

Gotta make this play.

 

@Cover_1_

Really nice pocket awareness by TT vs zone blitz, couldn't throw a more catchable ball. Gotta have it Zay.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/914853444187557888/pu/vid/1286x720/mJ1dcxIdW_Vaq6qT.mp4

 

It's in his head....badly.

[Thunderstealer]

he can t catch for crap

The guy is nervous out there. That's why he fell down and dropped that sideline ball. A guy doesn't get drafted high if he falls down like a kid when catching passes. Hope he can get over it quickly.

[Billsmovinup]

Well if ever there was a time for him to step up this is it with Matthews out.

[Kelly the Dog]

This will be interesting to see how Zay responds to the Matthews injury. The dropsies could get worse with more pressure because it's clearly mental now. Or the whole issue goes away and he steps up which could actually accelerate his rookie indoctrination.

 

Holmes has made about four or five nice contributions already. He may be a stopgap. Tate does little as a WR. I think I'd rather have Reilly than Powell.

[Royale with Cheese]

This will be interesting to see how Zay responds to the Matthews injury. The dropsies could get worse with more pressure because it's clearly mental now. Or the whole issue goes away and he steps up which could actually accelerate his rookie indoctrination.

 

Holmes has made about four or five nice contributions already. He may be a stopgap. Tate does little as a WR. I think I'd rather have Reilly than Powell.

 

Some times it takes just one catch. I was nowhere near the level Zay is at but when I played in HS, when you've got the dropsies, the ball looks like a marble being thrown at you. After I finally caught that one ball...I was fine. Then it looks like a beach ball coming at you. I hope it's the case with him.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Some times it takes just one catch. I was nowhere near the level Zay is at but when I played in HS, when you've got the dropsies, the ball looks like a marble being thrown at you. After I finally caught that one ball...I was fine. Then it looks like a beach ball coming at you. I hope it's the case with him.

He caught the last one IIRC. I also thought they should have started the game with a bubble screen or quick out to get him an easy catch. I agree that one could do it. You never know.

[26CornerBlitz]

WGR: Zay Jones Blocking Out the Noise of Critics

LeSean McCoy among the veterans who keep encouraging the rookie WR.

 

[John from Riverside]

In my opinion this will not last....a guy doesnt catch everything thrown to him in college then all of a sudden start dropping everything in the NFL

 

Its a phase...he will work through it.

 

I say keep feeding him

[Buffalo716]

Some times it takes just one catch. I was nowhere near the level Zay is at but when I played in HS, when you've got the dropsies, the ball looks like a marble being thrown at you. After I finally caught that one ball...I was fine. Then it looks like a beach ball coming at you. I hope it's the case with him.

Zay in unlike any rookie receiver I have ever seen. Usually they struggle with separation and getting open... Zay is literally running wide open a good amount.

 

It's definitely mental but i think he is over thinking everything. The depth of his route, how the corner is playing him, How to sit down in the soft zone. Then the ball is hiked and the game speed is 20x the speed he was used to at ECU... it's chaotic to him and he hasn't adjusted yet

 

Not to mention TT throws twice as hard as the dude from ECU. Zay isn't used to catching a ball from an NFL level QB

[BADOLBILZ]

WGR: Zay Jones Blocking Out the Noise of Critics

 

 

 

Zaters gonna' Zate.

[elroy16]

Zay in unlike any rookie receiver I have ever seen. Usually they struggle with separation and getting open... Zay is literally running wide open a good amount.

 

It's definitely mental but i think he is over thinking everything. The depth of his route, how the corner is playing him, How to sit down in the soft zone. Then the ball is hiked and the game speed is 20x the speed he was used to at ECU... it's chaotic to him and he hasn't adjusted yet

 

Not to mention TT throws twice as hard as the dude from ECU. Zay isn't used to catching a ball from an NFL level QB

 

 

This is a big reason why I'm not overly concerned yet. Most of his drops have been at least moderately difficult. Outside of maybe the Panther's drop, they are all passes he should have caught, but it's not like he's dropping passes that are right in his chest.

 

Now I know that most of the passes he's going to catch in his career aren't going to be easy catches. I just think that four games into his career, we shouldn't be getting too down on him.

 

 

He's getting open which seems to be the hard part for most rookies. Hopefully the game will slow down a hair for him and he'll start making these catches.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

.......kid is pressing too much and making himself ahead case....it WILL come lad.......build that confidence one day and one catch a ta time.....

 

from D &C's Sal M:

 

"At Carolina, he was unable to reel in Tyrod Taylor’s desperation heave on the final play, though it would have been a great catch had he made it."

 

"To his credit, the affable 22-year-old with the engaging smile isn’t getting down. Yes, he cried in the locker room in Carolina, but that was more because he felt he let his teammates down, not about his tough start."