Factoid
I mentioned it the other day with Larry Fitzgerald, and I'll say it again. I think the fade route is largely overrated. I don't think it's an effective way to attack defenses around the goal line.
Consider Braylon Edwards -- one of those tall, leaping receivers who in theory should be a mismatch nightmare on fade routes. When the Browns were inside the 10 last year, they threw him 10 passes. He caught only 3 of those. And of those two, two were for 2-point conversions (which aren't even official NFL plays), so technically he went only 1 of 8 in that area. But we'll call it 3 for 10, because he see no reason to disregard those 2-point conversions.
Now, you may argue that Edwards simply had an off year last season -- leading the league in drops and all. But look at his 2007 numbers (again, inside the 10): 17 pass attempts and 6 completions, with 5 going for touchdowns. So actually, Edwards was even worse last season.
The trouble with the fade is that you need both the quarterback and the wide receiver to operate at a high level to pull it off. The throw requires the right timing, loft and accuracy, and the pass-catcher has to time his leap properly after outpositioning the defender.
BRAYLON EDWARDS INSIDE 10-YARD LINE, 2007-2008
27 pass attempts
9 completions
8 scores (6 TD, 2 2-point conversions)
—Ian Allan
- Comments [0]
Readers' Comments
Add a Comment
Already a registered user? Please sign in to add comments.
To add comments, you must become a registered user of our site. To register, please click here.
