Ravens pass-catchers thru 2

[Shas]

For comparison, here's a gif of Ricard's TD.



Comparing it to the similar throw to Boykin, here's what I see:

1. Ricard is taking shorter strides and it allows him turn back and find the ball sooner
2. Because if this, he also has more time to plant a foot and adjust his momentum back to low throw
3. Boykin is covered better, and it forces Lamar to throw it low and away from the defender
4. Ricard is more open and it was not necessary to make that throw; the throw to Ricard was poor; the throw to Boykin was not
5. The throw to Ricard is actually lower and a more difficult catch
6. Boykin gets both hands on the ball. You would expect an NFL receiver to catch that ball.
7. Boykin probable has his hands wrong (that's debatable, because he is not taking it off the turf exactly); Ricard cradles the ball with his hands underneath because that's his only choice--that technique probably = catch for Boykin

[JimZipCode]

For comparison, here's a gif of Ricard's TD.

https://i.makeagif.com/media/9-22-2020/h0fsmD.gif

Comparing it to the similar throw to Boykin, here's what I see:

1. Ricard is taking shorter strides and it allows him turn back and find the ball sooner
2. Because if this, he also has more time to plant a foot and adjust his momentum back to low throw
3. Boykin is covered better, and it forces Lamar to throw it low and away from the defender
4. Ricard is more open and it was not necessary to make that throw; the throw to Ricard was poor; the throw to Boykin was not
5. The throw to Ricard is actually lower and a more difficult catch
6. Boykin gets both hands on the ball. You would expect an NFL receiver to catch that ball.
7. Boykin probable has his hands wrong (that's debatable, because he is not taking it off the turf exactly); Ricard cradles the ball with his hands underneath because that's his only choice--that technique probably = catch for Boykin

Disagree on #7. Boykin has full fingertip extension, the only possible way he can lay a glove on the ball. If it were a foot closer to him, he could re-frame his hands to have his thumbs together, to use what Waldman calls active hands technique. Not doable on this ball.

Also #8: with almost no time on the clock, if Boykin catches that pass from Lamar we don't score on the drive.

[Shas]

I will take back #7. The first angle I saw made it look different. I won't quibble with the hands. I think #8 is debatable, and kind of moot.

The biggest thing for me is that Boykin runs a really soft route, half turning back, signaling the route to the corner, and then taking two more strides before looking all the way back for the ball. I'd like to see him drive to the goal line, plant a foot, and then turn. It would give him more separation and more time to look the ball in.

[Ortizer]

I definitely agree with your last sentence. Some of the incompletions between Lamar and Boykin are chemistry related.

There's a good discussion on that throw here: https://forum.russellstreetreport.co...93#post1937593

Your statement that Lamar made the exact same pass to Ricard doesn't support the stance that the throw was on target based on Lamar's own admission.

Also, Lamar didn't need to lead Boykin on that pass. He just needed to the pass 'on' him, if that pass is thrown to Boykin's frame then its a touchdown. Boykin had ample separation. If Boykin would have made his break at the same level as the throw then he would have been short of the endzone. And given the amount of time on the clock it wouldn't have made sense because if Boykin gets tackled short of the endzone time could have run out.

I might post some examples where placement could have been.


I agree that Lamar's ball placement is good. But like with every QB, every game is gonna have some throws that they miss.

You're preaching to the preacher on this one. I agree with you about the Mark Andrews TD pass: https://forum.russellstreetreport.co...90#post1938090

Pretty sure I remember the commentators pointing out Lamar released the ball before Boykin was out of his break though. So either Lamar was off or Boykin wasn't where he was supposed to be.

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[JimZipCode]

Pretty sure I remember the commentators pointing out Lamar released the ball before Boykin was out of his break though. So either Lamar was off or Boykin wasn't where he was supposed to be.

In real-time I thought Boykin rounded his route, "curved" his break so he went too deep. But I'm leaning more toward Ed's evaluation. Boykin took his route into the end zone, and Lamar's throw pulled him out. It does mean something, that if Boykin had caught that ball then time would've run out and the Ravens wouldn't have scored on the drive.