Is Diggs the best in the NFL at adjusting to the ball?

[TPS]

On the TD, he makes a subtle move, slowing himself down, so the ball lands perfectly in his "bread basket."   He is so good at getting, and adjusting, to the ball. Is there anyone better?

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/josh-allen-drops-35-yard-touchdown-pass-in-the-bucket-to-stefon-diggs-bills-vs-c

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2021 by TPS

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I'd have to say Hopkins is probably the best at this.

[JerseyBills]

I think him and Adams are 1a 1b in that department. 

Diggs awareness is just unreal.

I love how he rarely takes a big shot too. He'll slide, step out of bounds instead of attempting to get 1 -2 yards and take a hit.

 

Just a legit , #1 Franchise WR. 

Makes everyone around him better..

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by JerseyBills

[TPS]

6 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

I'd have to say Hopkins is probably the best at this.

Hopkins is great at high pointing the ball, as we know, but all other aspects? Diggs is great at coming back for the ball too.  I don’t watch enough from other teams, so I don’t know. Thanks though. 

[machine gun kelly]

Diggs and Hopkins are in a different world there.  One of the reasons why Diggs was rated at the top in 2019 at contested catches.  What was Houston thinking trading Hopkins?  I know $, but would’ve cut others to retain that guy.

[Rocky Landing]

14 minutes ago, TPS said:

On the TD, he makes a subtle move, slowing himself down, so the ball lands perfectly in his "bread basket."   He is so good at getting, and adjusting, to the ball. Is there anyone better?

I saw that same little stutter step, just before the catch. I replayed it for my son a few times. When you consider the velocity of that ball, as well. Amazing vision.

[dollars 2 donuts]

I’ll say what I said about a month ago...I have been watching football for close to 50 years and Stefon  Diggs is the best wide receiver I have ever seen at getting open.

 

with no further caveats with stating that.

Edited January 11, 2021 by dollars 2 donuts

[The Wiz]

It's similar to how an outfielder will move forward to catch a ball (assuming it's not the 3rd out) instead of camping under it.  They make sure the are in a place where they can turn on the jets as the ball is about to drop in so they are able to get all their momentum going the way they want.

 

The nice part in football is when they slow down like that is they are either going to get a long completion or have the defense catch up to them and draw a PI.

[benderbender]

I admit I was skeptical of the Diggs trade at first. (I'm assuming the Vikings) They really made him seem like a diva. But after about the 3rd time he managed to get his hands underneath the ball when going to the ground, I was sold. He's really got a gift. It is such an underrated skill. We watch in slow motion replay and he manages to cradle it like an infant practically in real time. So many first down catches he's had this year, that I can't imagine would have been converted with our usual stable of Zay Jones's and T.J. Grahams.

Edited January 11, 2021 by benderbender

[Charles Romes]

34 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Diggs and Hopkins are in a different world there.  One of the reasons why Diggs was rated at the top in 2019 at contested catches.  What was Houston thinking trading Hopkins?  I know $, but would’ve cut others to retain that guy.

watt, Watson, tunsel, three max contracts already. 

[BearNorth]

11 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

I’ll say what I said about a month ago...I have been watching football for close to 50 years and Stephen Diggs is the best wide receiver I have ever seen at getting open.

 

with no further caveats with stating that.

I'm an original Bills fan, 1960-present.  Andre Reed could get open in a phone booth.  Elbert Dubenion [admittedly AFL] could get open against any DB, sadly Kemp had a rag arm, and Lamonica [one of the great deep throwers in history] was riding the pines.  Josh has the best arm the NFL has probably ever seen, velocity, accuracy and flat out arm strength.  Doubt Rogers could have made that deep throw to Diggs more than 25%.  Allen is completing more than 50% of his throws deep middle.  If Brown was healthy, stay tuned.

[dollars 2 donuts]

53 minutes ago, TPS said:

On the TD, he makes a subtle move, slowing himself down, so the ball lands perfectly in his "bread basket."   He is so good at getting, and adjusting, to the ball. Is there anyone better?

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259199752_Receivers_in_American_football_use_a_constant_optical_projection_plane_angle_to_pursue_and_catch_thrown_footballs

 

side note: research done by a friend of mine.

 

Why you can trust it?  Because he was part of a group a number of years ago that rewrote, or rather, disproved an almost 90 year old theory on human tracking of moving objects...namely baseballs.

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, TPS said:

On the TD, he makes a subtle move, slowing himself down, so the ball lands perfectly in his "bread basket."   He is so good at getting, and adjusting, to the ball. Is there anyone better?

Just went back and looked at it.  It was pretty cool.   He might have slowed down a lot, caused a collision and got the PI call.  He could have kept going and reached back.  He didn't do either.  He (not saying I could, or anyone normal person, but) he could see that the defender wasn't going to be able get to it.  So he decelerated to make the catch as easy as possible.   Incredible on-field playmaking.