Knox talks about his hands...

[eball]

From article on the front page this a.m.:

 

Knox tailored his workouts so that he could zero in on an aspect of his game to improve each week. One was the reliability of his hands, which Knox said he addressed by catching 250 balls a day fired at him from the Jugs machine at his parents’ home, which is a 15-minute drive away.

“I've never had any type of problems with my hands,” Knox said. “It came down to last year, it would be the easy catches that I kind of would start looking upfield, thinking too much about what I'm going to try to do when I actually get the ball in my hands instead of actually getting it into my hands first. There were some photos I saw (where) the ball was getting to me and I was already looking at who I'm going to try to make miss. So that's been the biggest thing for me, just focusing on eyes all the way to the tuck. But I mean, I don't have any type of issues with what that's going to look like going forward, because I think it's just kind of going back to the basics, retraining my eyes to the tuck and not trying to go run someone over until I actually have the ball.

 

This is good stuff — I look for Dawson to have an outstanding year.

[Buffalo716]

I can't believe people actually thought he has a catching/hands problem

 

It was clearly a concentration thing

Edited July 19, 2020 by Buffalo716

[Chandler#81]

13 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

I can't believe people actually thought he has a catching/hands problem

 

It was clearly a concentration thing

You can’t believe he had a catching problem??

 

Why? Did the Tooth Fairy tell you he didn’t?

 

Anyway, his explanation wasn’t necessary. His issues were clear to everyone who saw him play. Better to be smacked down at the point of the catch than change focus at the last second and drop it. He could be the biggest fan favorite since Kyle if he gets this under control. Otherwise, he’ll quickly fall into oblivion.

[eball]

1 minute ago, Chandler#81 said:

Anyway, his explanation wasn’t necessary. His issues were clear to everyone who saw him play. Better to be smacked down at the point of the catch than change focus at the last second. Know could be the biggest fan favorite since Kyle if he gets this under control. Otherwise, he’ll quickly fall into oblivion.

 

The key to me is awareness.  It sounds like he is committed to making sure every ball is secured before he looks to make any more plays like the one against Cincinnati.  I don’t think he has a hands problem.  I mean, look at a couple of the long balls he caught (against NE*** and Baltimore) when he was concentrating.  They were stupendous.

 

[H2o]

Yeah, it all sounds good now. He better put it to work on the field this year. He cost us multiple first downs and scoring opportunities last year with those lapses in concentration. The schedule is tougher and the expectations are higher. We need him to continue his evolution into Shockey 2.0

[Buffalo716]

4 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

You can’t believe he had a catching problem??

 

Why? Did the Tooth Fairy tell you he didn’t?

 

Anyway, his explanation wasn’t necessary. His issues were clear to everyone who saw him play. Better to be smacked down at the point of the catch than change focus at the last second and drop it. He could be the biggest fan favorite since Kyle if he gets this under control. Otherwise, he’ll quickly fall into oblivion.

I mean it was just kinda clear to me he was looking to do things before he actually caught the ball

 

He had strong hands at ole miss

 

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Buffalo716

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

56 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

He had strong hands at ole miss

That's what she (the ole miss) said, too!

*
(Be on the lookout for a 'Knox hot for teacher' thread.)

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

I mean it was just kinda clear to me he was looking to do things before he actually caught the ball

He had strong hands at ole miss

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

[eball]

5 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

 

Nah, you’re overthinking it.  The kid was trying to make plays as an overly eager rookie.  Now he’s had an offseason to reflect and focus on what is most important (i.e., securing the ball).  I’m glad he’s confident and not “worried” about his ability to catch, because as I said earlier, he made some very difficult catches look easy.

[No_Matter_What]

I just rewatched Ravens game last year. Josh started with overthrowing everybody but in 2nd half he was mostly spot on, and there were drops left and right. Knox, Beasley and Singletary had all major drops, and Knox had really brutal one. I don't know what was the issue but I really hope he gets better next year. That would be huge for Josh and whole offense.

[transient]

25 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

TO was notorious for dropping balls early in his career. Borderline personality aside, he turned out alright. It can be done. 

[JESSEFEFFER]

There are many outside observers whose knee jerk, go to opinion is that the drops the Bills suffered were due to Josh throwing it too hard or having poor ball placement.  I do not think we who watched every play of the season would say either of those were a big part of the problem.  

 

I tend to give Knox a lot of slack since he was so under targeted as a collegian.  When he knows where the defenders are he can make difficult catches. When he does not his concentration lapsed.  I think he will get this fixed in year 2.

 

 

 

 

 a

Edited July 20, 2020 by JESSEFEFFER

[Doc]

3 hours ago, eball said:

From article on the front page this a.m.:

 

Knox tailored his workouts so that he could zero in on an aspect of his game to improve each week. One was the reliability of his hands, which Knox said he addressed by catching 250 balls a day fired at him from the Jugs machine at his parents’ home, which is a 15-minute drive away.

“I've never had any type of problems with my hands,” Knox said. “It came down to last year, it would be the easy catches that I kind of would start looking upfield, thinking too much about what I'm going to try to do when I actually get the ball in my hands instead of actually getting it into my hands first. There were some photos I saw (where) the ball was getting to me and I was already looking at who I'm going to try to make miss. So that's been the biggest thing for me, just focusing on eyes all the way to the tuck. But I mean, I don't have any type of issues with what that's going to look like going forward, because I think it's just kind of going back to the basics, retraining my eyes to the tuck and not trying to go run someone over until I actually have the ball.

 

This is good stuff — I look for Dawson to have an outstanding year.

 

That's exactly what I saw and have been saying all along. 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Doc

[Putin]

1 hour ago, Chandler#81 said:

You can’t believe he had a catching problem??

 

Why? Did the Tooth Fairy tell you he didn’t?

 

Anyway, his explanation wasn’t necessary. His issues were clear to everyone who saw him play. Better to be smacked down at the point of the catch than change focus at the last second and drop it. He could be the biggest fan favorite since Kyle if he gets this under control. Otherwise, he’ll quickly fall into oblivion.

I can’t remember this team ever having a TE like Knox just as far as athleticism and speed alone ,   he also showed that he can make some though catches I hope ? he puts it all together THIS year , cuz if he does will have ourselves a top 5 - 10 TE something that this team never had ( or at least not that I can remember) , 

Edited July 19, 2020 by Putin

[SCBills]

Good to hear that he’s recognized the problem and has been focusing on it.  
 

His speed, athleticism and ability to make tough catches gives him a chance to be a top flight TE in the league if he can just get the easy stuff figured out.  

[dollars 2 donuts]

2 hours ago, eball said:

From article on the front page this a.m.:

 

Knox tailored his workouts so that he could zero in on an aspect of his game to improve each week. One was the reliability of his hands, which Knox said he addressed by catching 250 balls a day fired at him from the Jugs machine at his parents’ home, which is a 15-minute drive away.

 

I am calling BS.  No way a jugs machine can throw a ball over a 15 minute driving distance.
 

How would he even know when to get ready?

[Gugny]

This is all fine and dandy.  I love Knox and think he can/will be great.

 

My question is this:  Since every Bills fan saw the problem, I think it's safe to say that McDermott and Daboll realized what the problem was. So .... why the ***** did they keep throwing it to him with Sweeney and, to an extent, Kroft and Smith?

 

At some point, one would think that one of them would say, "this ain't working.  Let's just throw the tough sideline passes to him and leave the over the middle stuff to Sweeney."
 

Anyway, I do believe Knox will fix this and be a force for years to come.

[machine gun kelly]

I only fly up for one or maybe two games a year so on TV it’s not as easy to see Knox up close like when you are at a game.  Having said that, my assumption is just what he said.  I used to play, but also coached youth football for years both in flag and tackle.  It’s one of the first things we teach kids is doesn’t matter what you do with the ball, it’s catching it first.  I drilled it into my two sons and eventually they both were excellent WRs.  I swear I must have said the same thing to them thousands of times.

 

It’s almost surprising Knox didn’t remember what he was taught as a youngster.  It was pretty cool he owned it and was willing to even share when interviewed.  A lot of players would not acknowledge that kind of mistake.  

[Don Otreply]

2 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

I mean it was just kinda clear to me he was looking to do things before he actually caught the ball

 

He had strong hands at ole miss

 

 

You are correct, it was and is a concentration issue, that some misinterpreted as having bad hands, I think that dropping so many passes last season drove the point home pretty hard, and he is painfully aware of it. That is why he has addressed the issue, so good on him to have an honest understanding of the issue at “hand”.  
 

Go Bills!!!

[SCBills]

14 minutes ago, Gugny said:

This is all fine and dandy.  I love Knox and think he can/will be great.

 

My question is this:  Since every Bills fan saw the problem, I think it's safe to say that McDermott and Daboll realized what the problem was. So .... why the ***** did they keep throwing it to him with Sweeney and, to an extent, Kroft and Smith?

 

At some point, one would think that one of them would say, "this ain't working.  Let's just throw the tough sideline passes to him and leave the over the middle stuff to Sweeney."
 

Anyway, I do believe Knox will fix this and be a force for years to come.

Knox is also solid in the blocking game.  With his skill set and blocking ability, along with our lack of dynamic playmakers last year, I would have taken the good with the bad from him as well....especially when the other options were a blocking tight end, a constantly injured tight end and an unproven tight end. 
 

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by SCBills

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

I can't believe people actually thought he has a catching/hands problem

 

It was clearly a concentration thing

 

It's a figure of speech.  When a receiver has "bad hands", it doesn't mean he is handicapped or physically deformed.

 

It means he struggles to catch the ball.

2 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

I mean it was just kinda clear to me he was looking to do things before he actually caught the ball

 

He had strong hands at ole miss

 

 

 

How do you know?  In 4 years, he appeared in 27 games and caught a total of 39 passes (and only 15 in his senior year).

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

Knox is also solid in the blocking game.  With his skill set and blocking ability, along with our lack of dynamic playmakers last year, I would have taken the good with the bad from him last year as well....especially when the other options were a blocking tight end, a constantly injured tight end and an unproven tight end. 

 

It's just another example of Daboll not designing an offense that takes advantage of the strengths of the players on the roster.  But instead, designing an offense then expecting the players on the roster to execute the plays, regardless of their strengths/weaknesses.  It's simply not what successful coaches do.

 

But yes ... there's a lot of upside with Knox and being consistent with catching the easy ones will make him a top notch TE with all the goods.

[Buffalo Boy]

2 hours ago, eball said:

From article on the front page this a.m.:

 

Knox tailored his workouts so that he could zero in on an aspect of his game to improve each week. One was the reliability of his hands, which Knox said he addressed by catching 250 balls a day fired at him from the Jugs machine at his parents’ home, which is a 15-minute drive away.

“I've never had any type of problems with my hands,” Knox said. “It came down to last year, it would be the easy catches that I kind of would start looking upfield, thinking too much about what I'm going to try to do when I actually get the ball in my hands instead of actually getting it into my hands first. There were some photos I saw (where) the ball was getting to me and I was already looking at who I'm going to try to make miss. So that's been the biggest thing for me, just focusing on eyes all the way to the tuck. But I mean, I don't have any type of issues with what that's going to look like going forward, because I think it's just kind of going back to the basics, retraining my eyes to the tuck and not trying to go run someone over until I actually have the ball.

 

This is good stuff — I look for Dawson to have an outstanding year.

This is Great to read.

I was under the impression that he was over thinking the catch itself, causing himself to tighten up and muff the easy ones. 
If he is right about this, then he is set to have an insanely good break out year.

This offense with a top level TE added to a legit downfield # 1 receiver?

???????????????

2 hours ago, eball said:

.  I mean, look at a couple of the long balls he caught (against NE*** and Baltimore) when he was concentrating.  They were stupendous.

This is what was so consternating: How could he make circus catches and drop give mes?

[Buffalo Boy]

1 hour ago, No_Matter_What said:

and Knox had really brutal one

Between this game and The NE game, they were two of the most crucial, drive stopping drops the whole season!

He catches both of them and we possibly win one of these games.

For me, even though it was excruciating to watch, it was part of the learning curve for both the player and the team.

A year of experience can be an invaluable thing to future SB winner?

[Rc2catch]

He’s not going to be relied on as much this season barring injuries but he should be the biggest X factor on offense. It’s pointless he has to say he’s working on the problem but I’m happy he did since people act like these guys don’t know the flaws in their games.  There’s simply just no way to cover all our weapons currently and Knox should have some of the best matchups every game. If Josh focuses his game more in the 5-15 yard range and targets Knox he could have a monster season. All about building that trust and rhythm and having a safety net and Knox absolutely could be that guy. I’ve always said he’s got that Ertz kinda potential and he’s athletically probably the best tight end we’ve ever had. I’m rooting for him big time and hope his game matches his potential one day

Edited July 19, 2020 by Rc2catch

[Buffalo Boy]

40 minutes ago, Gugny said:

This is all fine and dandy.  I love Knox and think he can/will be great.

 

My question is this:  Since every Bills fan saw the problem, I think it's safe to say that McDermott and Daboll realized what the problem was. So .... why the ***** did they keep throwing it to him with Sweeney and, to an extent, Kroft and Smith?

 

At some point, one would think that one of them would say, "this ain't working.  Let's just throw the tough sideline passes to him and leave the over the middle stuff to Sweeney."
 

Anyway, I do believe Knox will fix this and be a force for years to come.

    Good QBs spread the ball based on split second decisions under pressure. These were Josh decisions and correct ones that resulted in excruciating drops in big games.

    Last year was a learning/ building season.

    How many complain about not giving players Tre time they need to grow?

     Until this team stops getting better( which they did last year with a completely retooled O) I will trust the coaches patience.

[Buffalo Boy]

Final thought:

     When is the last time we saw our team, full of players saying and doing the right thing to correct their shortcomings?

     I see a bunch of self aware future leaders, not BSing or passing the buck but owning their mistakes while trying to correct them.

    It isn’t always the most talented team that wins but the TEAM team that wins.

    It has been decades since we have seen this from the Bills.

[stinky finger]

1 hour ago, eball said:

 

Nah, you’re overthinking it.  The kid was trying to make plays as an overly eager rookie.  Now he’s had an offseason to reflect and focus on what is most important (i.e., securing the ball).  I’m glad he’s confident and not “worried” about his ability to catch, because as I said earlier, he made some very difficult catches look easy.

 

I tend to believe this. I love the kid.

 

However, he has to get it right right out of the gate. Seems like an easy fix. We'll see.

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Boy said:

Final thought:

     When is the last time we saw our team, full of players saying and doing the right thing to correct their shortcomings?

     I see a bunch of self aware future leaders, not BSing or passing the buck but owning their mistakes while trying to correct them.

    It isn’t always the most talented team that wins but the TEAM team that wins.

    It has been decades since we have seen this from the Bills.

 

I was just thinking about Beane creating a culture of accountability.  When he screwed the pooch by going into a season with Peterman starting and rookie Allen as the backup, he came out and admitted he effed up and he made better decisions moving forward.

 

Great to see that from players.

 

It's missing from two people ... McDermott and Daboll.   They have yet to admit/own when they eff up.

 

But this is a Knox thread, so I'm going to get back on topic.

 

I think Knox will fix this issue and be a force for years to come.

[Doc]

Again it's nothing but good to see that he's identified the problem and taken steps to work on it.  Can't ask for much more than that.

[billsfan_34]

3 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

I can't believe people actually thought he has a catching/hands problem

 

It was clearly a concentration thing

I guess one can argue when you lose concentration you lose the ability to catch the ball which in a way equates to bad hands- just sayin’.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, inaugural balls said:

 

I tend to believe this. I love the kid.

 

However, he has to get it right right out of the gate. Seems like an easy fix. We'll see.

Agreed - If he has an easy drop or two early in the season, then it could become mental because he’s clearly aware of this issue.. as we all should assume he was.  
 

If Knox gets the “easy” part of the game figured out, I don’t know how you defend us (as long as Josh makes any type of Year 3 jump).  
 

Solid OL.  

Two dynamic young RB’s, plus a QB that can take off at any time. 
 

Diggs on one side, likely dictating coverage.  
 

Brown on the other side with the opponents #2 CB. 
 

Beasley in the slot. 
 

Knox moving around. 
 

Even a team like NE, if they trust Gilmore on an island against Diggs, then shift Safety help over the top to Brown’s side, can’t account for BOTH Beasley and Knox AND spy Allen.   
 

If Knox can make the routine plays, he could end up with a massive breakout season in Year 2. 

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, billsfan_34 said:

I guess one can argue when you lose concentration you lose the ability to catch the ball which in a way equates to bad hands- just sayin’.

 

What he meant was it wasn't a problem with hands, but his concentration. 

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, Doc said:

 

What he meant was it wasn't a problem with hands, but his concentration. 

I think “bad hands” could encompass multiple reasons.  
 

Bad hands simply can just be “bad hands”.   You struggle to catch balls.  It’s why some WRs transition to DB at some point in their developmental years.   Some just remain inconsistent but have other intangibles (speed/size) that keep giving them chances.   
 

It could also mean you struggle tracking the ball and end up putting yourself in tough catch situations and/or are unable to hand fight/shield the defender.  
 

Also, it could be concentration issues.  
 

The latter seems much easier to fix, so in Knox’s case, I’d rather he be able to make tough catches, shield defenders, track the ball etc. (Hes shown he can do all that) and have to work on his focus, if I were to choose.  
 

Contrast to Zay Jones, who just seems to have bad hands and can’t make contested catches.    He lived off the easy stuff in college and fooled our scouts into thinking he was an ultra-reliable target. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

3 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

You can’t believe he had a catching problem??

 

Why? Did the Tooth Fairy tell you he didn’t?

 

Anyway, his explanation wasn’t necessary. His issues were clear to everyone who saw him play. Better to be smacked down at the point of the catch than change focus at the last second and drop it. He could be the biggest fan favorite since Kyle if he gets this under control. Otherwise, he’ll quickly fall into oblivion.

 

I think as this article pointed out he still has too many other intangibles, size, speed in his favor that even if he can't fix the concentration issue, he may not become a star # 1 TE, but could see him still becoming a #2 TE that defense would need to scheme for.  He still finished #36 overall in receptions and 23rd in yardage and he was a rookie.  Stats like that would likely keep him on a roster.

 

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

 

I  think things like that are fixable.  It's like Josh Allen's accuracy issues.  Most things you read and hear it's a mechanics thing with him as opposed to TT who I think was just a scatter arm.  I'm sure he understands that himself, but in the heat of the moment it's sometimes forgotten.  Give him enough practice time, eventually that becomes second nature and doesn't get forgotten during the game.  Think it's the same with Knox.

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

It's a figure of speech.  When a receiver has "bad hands", it doesn't mean he is handicapped or physically deformed.

 

It means he struggles to catch the ball.

 

How do you know?  In 4 years, he appeared in 27 games and caught a total of 39 passes (and only 15 in his senior year).

Because I watch tons of ball and thought Knox was a stud . Ole miss didn't utilize TEs and every time he got the chance he did something great

 

I had a top 60 grade on him, and I thought if there was a gronk type guy who ran angry it could be him

 

He did some crazy stuff in limited roles

Edited July 19, 2020 by Buffalo716

[MJS]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

He also made some jaw dropping catches. On those plays he displayed excellent ability to focus and make the catch.

 

I think he will be fine.

[bigK14094]

2 hours ago, transient said:

TO was notorious for dropping balls early in his career. Borderline personality aside, he turned out alright. It can be done. 

TO was dropping balls in his one season in Buffalo on the downside of his career.  He never totally solved the problem.  (he was a total pro while here, however)

[4BillsintheBurgh]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I agree it was obvious what the problem was.

What I'm unclear on is how fixable it really is. 

 

He must have known what the problem was partway through the season, yet it remained.  So it's clearly not just a matter of conscious priorities, but a matter of gut reactions in game.

 

So how do you fix that?

My thoughts are that since Knox can make the difficult catches, he can catch the ball if his concentration is there. As opposed to a technique issue or a talent issue which would be more difficult to address, IMO. During the season I think it's difficult to work on a basic part of your game like that; their days are pretty loaded with the weeks game plan. Plus being a rookie who didn't catch a ton of balls in college, maybe the coaches were hoping the game would slow down for him a little as the season progressed.

 

I am glad they kept going to him last year, it gave him plenty to think about this offseason. Hopefully he can translate that to some production on the field this year. It would be huge for JA's development too.

[Mr. WEO]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Because I watch tons of ball and thought Knox was a stud . Ole miss didn't utilize TEs and every time he got the chance he did something great

 

I had a top 60 grade on him, and I thought if there was a gronk type guy who ran angry it could be him

 

He did some crazy stuff in limited roles

 

 

You must be really good a watching football to determine a rarely used TE who caught 15 passes all year would be Gronk-like (47 catches 10 TDs the season before he was drafted).

 

Props....