WR Routes

[sabbath1981]

I never understood how its so hard for receivers to run crisp routes. That's what I'm hearing about Devin Thomas. I mean what seperates him from Torry Holt? You run 10 yards cut and move. It just seems like it would be 2nd nature after college, HS and all. While speed, hands, agility I admit could seperate some WRs... route running seems elementry.

Sorry I just never understood how this is a "acquired" skill which it obviously is. Can anyone with experience enlighten me?

[corrupt3d]

I never understood how its so hard for receivers to run crisp routes. That's what I'm hearing about Devin Thomas. I mean what seperates him from Torry Holt? You run 10 yards cut and move. It just seems like it would be 2nd nature after college, HS and all. While speed, hands, agility I admit could seperate some WRs... route running seems elementry.

Sorry I just never understood how this is a "acquired" skill which it obviously is. Can anyone with experience enlighten me?

Well, its per play. This play has you run 10 yards and then cut, and then this one has you run 10 yards and then decide where to go out of three possibilities.

on top of that, your angle, your timing have to be crisp, the QB could be looking left and then looks right and expects you to be somewhere at a given moment.

Further, are you supposed to run 10 yards or 15? Sometimes you need to run 13. The QB can't throw into a vicinity and expect you to catch, he expects you to be following a line. If you can't follow it, he over or under throws. If you run 15 yards and are expected to cut towards the inside of the field, the angle of your cut is the difference between a completion, a pick or an overthrown ball. And the last thing you worry about while running is the angle you're cutting at, so it has to become second nature.

[SKiNz Jus 2 sick]

Well, its per play. This play has you run 10 yards and then cut, and then this one has you run 10 yards and then decide where to go out of three possibilities.

on top of that, your angle, your timing have to be crisp, the QB could be looking left and then looks right and expects you to be somewhere at a given moment.

Further, are you supposed to run 10 yards or 15? Sometimes you need to run 13. The QB can't throw into a vicinity and expect you to catch, he expects you to be following a line. If you can't follow it, he over or under throws. If you run 15 yards and are expected to cut towards the inside of the field, the angle of your cut is the difference between a completion, a pick or an overthrown ball. And the last thing you worry about while running is the angle you're cutting at, so it has to become second nature.

:applause:

[texasthunder]

^^^^^

I think you are on the right track. The only thing I would add, would be the speed of the plays. Zorn has commented many times about how much different the speed in the NFL is compared to college ball.

[dfitzo53]

Not to mention the adjustments a receiver will have to make based on where the corner is playing and what type of coverage the defense as a whole is running. The same route can be wide open against one defense and locked up against another.

Edit: Running routes is a lot more complicated than being given the ball and told to find a hole. That's one reason rookie running backs generally fare better than rookie wide receivers.

[DieHard86]

Running a good route is all about wanting to--a good WR puts all his enery into selling the route and cutting hard.

[Warpath11]

Not to mention the adjustments a receiver will have to make based on where the corner is playing and what type of coverage the defense as a whole is running. The same route can be wide open against one defense and locked up against another.

Edit: Running routes is a lot more complicated than being given the ball and told to find a hole. That's one reason rookie running backs generally fare better than rookie wide receivers.

While I agree this is a very important aspect for a WR why expect a rookie to be able to read the coverage and be on the same page as the QB? IMO a rookie should not be given pre snap options but rather run whatever pattern is called for and hopefully he will be open, at least, once in a while. As the season progresses and the rookie WR gets more comforatalbe with the NFL and defenses you can throw in some option routes based on coverage etc...

[dwills1]

LOL HA HA HA! The fans and critics of the NFL game! Running a crisp route in an NFL game against a NFL corner is not as easy as one may think. Being a WR is all about deceiving the db and making him guess based on the timing and speed of the route. Anyone can run 10 yards and cut. But can you run 9 yards full speed and at the last yard cut off a gear to explode out of your break on the last half step?

Make no mistake about it people...it's alot of mental things and this level. The playing field is pretty even...those mental things are important. That's only a TASTE of what it takes at the NFL level....

[NeckBone]

Many of the these guys relied soley on athletic ability. When you come into the league you have corners and safeties just as athletic if not moreso. When you stand a foot above defenders and can basically run past them like they were standing still-you don't much worry about technique. Remember Devin Thomas has only one break out year under his belt at MSU. All three draft picks were for the future. Its like novacaine-give it time and it will work!

[Recent Vintage]

Being able to sell double moves and then accelerate in a totally different direction is a big part to. Santana can really sell that stuff, while DT, and many others in the league really can't.

[dwills1]

look...lets just keep this in perspective....playing against a NFL corner and trying to get him off of our trail within 2-4 seconds (the typical NFL QB clock count depending on the number of steps on the drop) is hard. Getting off of press, finding the hole in the zone, option routes...this just isn't something that suits DT at the current. However the future looks bright. Tana and El are ahead on the depth chart...so it's hard to really see any progress...where as Philly and Denver have a need ASAPERY for production.

[Warpath11]

Another problem I noticed with DT is that while his top end speed is phenomenal his acceleration is pretty poor. In all the highlights on youtube it is clearly evident that from stop to top end takes him a bout a week. In route running that short area quickness/burst is critical to gain seperation. So while he maybe able to exploit zone defenses I dont think he can beat man-to-man coverage at this point.

[NeueRedskinWelle]

Play the DB with your eyes, not your routes. Gets them everytime.

[KDawg]

Imagine yourself, let's say you're 5'10" 190 pounds. Across from you, probably about 2 yards away is a 6 foot 205 pound corner.

When the ball is snapped, he hits you as hard as he can. You lose your feet, but then in your mind you're saying 'CRAP, I need to get back on this route' so you battle the defenders hands off of you slapping them wildly.

Now you're on your route, but the timing is already off. Thankfully, this time, the QB sees that you got bumped and adjusts, he sees you're going to come open and delivers a strike. But, you were so caught up in getting off the jam that you shorted your route by a yard and a half and you cut too soon.

The ball goes flying over your head and into a defenders hands for an interception.

Still sound easy?

[blucollarguy]

I never understood how its so hard for receivers to run crisp routes. That's what I'm hearing about Devin Thomas. I mean what seperates him from Torry Holt? You run 10 yards cut and move. It just seems like it would be 2nd nature after college, HS and all. While speed, hands, agility I admit could seperate some WRs... route running seems elementry.

Sorry I just never understood how this is a "acquired" skill which it obviously is. Can anyone with experience enlighten me?

Well, there is a lot more to it than just "go here and cut this way". Especially in the WCO where almost EVERY ROUTE is an "option" route. That means that at the snap (and into the pattern sometimes) a decision has to be made as to exactly what route is going to be run. The tricky part about this is that two different people have to make the EXACT SAME READ, the QB AND the WR, or it ends up a INT. JC's second INT against PITT, that's what happened, the WR(I think it was Thrash, but it has been said it was THomas) made the wrong read. It also almost cost JC an INT in the Detroit game, Cooley made the correct read, and JC made the wrong one.

Then there is "precise" and "consistent" route running. Both key for the QB to know EXACTLY where to put the ball as the guy is coming out of his break.

It can be very much a "science" as much as an "art". And is very difficult to "master".

It's also important to note that Zorn has stated several times the Tana and Randle El are still not up to speed with their routes either. So if those guys (five, six or more years doing this behind them), just how much can be expected of a guy who really didn't get much "pro-passing game" experience in college. Which is why Zorn said from the beginning that he'd be surprised to get much out the rookies this year at all.

[Fifty Gut]

Let's not forget too that he didn't run routes at Michigan. He had one great year and in that year they asked him to run like 2 or 3 routes over and over and over again. There was nothing complicated about what he was asked to do offensively at college. It just worked because he was playing against garbage NCAA talent.

[KDawg]

Receivers need to remember an array of things on top of their routes as well.

1) Formation

2) Reading the pre-snap coverage, trying to gain an advantage

3) Any motions they are in, moving back or forwards based on a motion from someone else

4) Watching the ball, receivers don't typically hear the count, so they go on ball movement.

5) Getting off a jam

6) If it's an option route, making a post snap read

7) In a normal route, taking the correct amount of steps before breaking his route

8) Breaking at the correct angle

9) Catching the ball, no matter where it's thrown

10) Being prepared to get the snot knocked out of you from a blindside hit

11) Holding on to the ball

12) Getting up and doing it again.

Sounds like cake!

[dfitzo53]

While I agree this is a very important aspect for a WR why expect a rookie to be able to read the coverage and be on the same page as the QB? IMO a rookie should not be given pre snap options but rather run whatever pattern is called for and hopefully he will be open, at least, once in a while. As the season progresses and the rookie WR gets more comforatalbe with the NFL and defenses you can throw in some option routes based on coverage etc...

I'm not even talking about option routes, I'm talking about the fact that WRs adjust even the most basic hitches and outs depending on the coverage they're facing. Am I going to be jammed? Should I try to sell a slant, or just go for the out full-bore? Where are the sticks? Do I want to put myself in position to go out of bounds, or cut back up for more yardage?

You can say, "let him just run the route," but in doing so you're reducing the offense's effectiveness. There's no route, not even a go, that's going to be run the exact same way every time in the NFL.

[Warpath11]

I'm not even talking about option routes, I'm talking about the fact that WRs adjust even the most basic hitches and outs depending on the coverage they're facing. Am I going to be jammed? Should I try to sell a slant, or just go for the out full-bore? Where are the sticks? Do I want to put myself in position to go out of bounds, or cut back up for more yardage?

You can say, "let him just run the route," but in doing so you're reducing the offense's effectiveness. There's no route, not even a go, that's going to be run the exact same way every time in the NFL.

Hey I completely agree with you on this one but at this point it is clear Devin Thomas can't even handle that. So i was just proposing a solution to where you simplfy things for him even more (if even possible). True it will reduce the effectiveness on the offense but how much worse could it get than it is now considering we dont even look in his direction.

By doing this I am hoping the set route will be correct once in a while. The route calls for ten step and a quick out let him do that and only that without worrying about what the defense is doing. Once out of ten times I am sure it will be the right route at the right time.

[darrelgreenie]

I never understood how its so hard for receivers to run crisp routes. That's what I'm hearing about Devin Thomas. I mean what seperates him from Torry Holt? You run 10 yards cut and move. It just seems like it would be 2nd nature after college, HS and all. While speed, hands, agility I admit could seperate some WRs... route running seems elementry.

within the system

Sorry I just never understood how this is a "acquired" skill which it obviously is. Can anyone with experience enlighten me?

Good route running is a skill boarding on an art form.

Check out this clip:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d8008fcc1

Running college routes might have been 2nd nature but NFL and college route running is different.

One route running difference between college and the NFL involves 'stemming'. Alot of college routes involve a stem or a feint in the opposite direction of the break. For example if a receiver is running an out route on the right sideline they would run to the proper depth and before they cut toward the sideline they take a hard step inside (stem) and then make the cut into the out towards the sideline.

Many NFL routes don't have stems, they want the receiver in and out of the breaks as quick as possible without any wasted steps.

The receiver would have to know wether the route he's running gives him enough time to stem. Those split second spent stemming could throw the timing off and especially when QBs often release the ball before the receiver comes out of the break.

This is just one difference.

IMO despite the difference in route running the burden is on the coaching staff to get the player up to speed. DeSean Jackson and Eddie Royal are doing well because:

-) their offensive system were already in place/ not being installed

-) other receivers on their teams were injured.

-) they got valueable reps,

-) their coaching staff had to get them ready not just to play but to start.

[mel25]

just go outside and try it. run a 10 yard out, have somebody watch you, and ask them a few questions?

1. was it exactly 10 yards?

2. when i cut, was it at an angle or a curve?

3. if it was at an angle, how close to 90 degrees was it?

4. how much did you have to slow down when you made your break?

5. at what yardage before your break did you slow down or did you run at it full speed at all?

the list goes on, and as others have stated, you have to do it consistently for an entire game. he's probably been bigger and faster than everybody all his life, and coaches have just said "get open."

[Campbell's_da_man]

Obviously, when a receiver gets to the NFL level, it's a lot tougher to fool or out fox his opponent. In college, most receivers are able to get by on their speed, quickness and/or height alone, but that doesn't work in the NFL. Defenders at this level have a much higher skill level as well, so it usually takes a lot longer learning how to beat them, because these guys are just as quick and fast as they are. This is where the receiver must go to the next level, which is a game of deception. They have to learn to be more crafty. They have to sell their defender on one pattern, but end up running another. This is where the really good receivers start to shine.

You don't neccessarily have to be real quick and fast to be a good one, although it quite often helps, but a receiver running crafty precision routes can easily overcome a lack in quickness. Steve Largent was a great example of this. He wasn't even close to being the fastest receiver, but his clever route running got him into the hall of fame.

Santana Moss had the raw speed and qickness coming out of college, but it took him a few years to develop his skills at this level. And luckily for us skins fans, we got him from the Jets before they knew what a true gem he was. And this is why I don't expect to see too much from our rookies this year, because very few are gifted enough to turn heads in their rookie season.

I only see two rookies that are polished enough to excel this year, Denver's Eddie Royal, and Philly's DeSean Jackson.