Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
Originally posted by English:
Too many drops.
And how come Davis can pull them in but not the receivers?
Why can Alex hit Davis in the hands on deep routes, but not his Wrs....
Its one of the world's great mysteries.
Alex hits Davis due to the nature of the plays.
Davis runs seem routes and wheel routes where he rarely gets touched or slows down. He can do this because a DB isn't going to try to jam him, they are too small. The linebacker can't run with him. So he is usually not only clean, but he hardly has to alter (make a move) the routes at all to get open. Its like throwing a ball in practice with no defenders.
The problem receivers have, is that they have to constantly fight off the DB, or make a move on them, in order to break free and clean from them. Their routes get "mucked up" a lot more than a TE or RB's routes typically do. Smith hits the WR's well on seem routes and crossing routes, probably because the WR has an easier time running a clean route. Its a lot more difficult to determine where to throw a ball when the WR is just breaking free from a jam, or is in the process of being jammed.
One thing that bugs me is that we rarely see Smith hit post corner routes to WR's, he either doesn't attempt them, or misses them, or he throws it on a dime to VD. That is what Moss ran when he was overthrown in Minnesota.
We should keep in mind that all of those overthrows were REALLY CLOSE to being hit on a dime. I think as long as Smith's confidence isn't shaken, we should see him begin to hit a couple of these plays in the near future.
Smith's confidence is everything. Harbaugh knows this; which is why he is constantly praising him and hugging him etc.