Rudolph might not always be wide open when Ponder wants to throw him the ball, but Rudolph said he doesn't need to be uncovered to make a catch. At 6-foot-6, 258 pounds, he has the ability to go get the ball, or break up the play if necessary.
"(I feel) 100 percent comfortable," Rudolph said when asked about getting a pass thrown to him while covered. "That's why a tight end is your best friend. We're big and we have a large catch radius so it doesn't have to be a perfect throw. That's the part where you've just got to have trust in us that, 'Even if I don't make a perfect throw, he's going to get it. He's not going to let anything happen where a DB might get his hands on it.'"
While much of the blame for the woes in the passing game have landed on Ponder, Rudolph also took a share of the responsibility and said the fact opponents are getting quick hits on him within the first 5 yards of his route is just the norm for a tight end.
"I have to do a better job of providing a target for Christian, whether it's crossing routes or intermediate quick routes," he said. "The biggest thing is getting separation at the top. Throughout the course of the game a person can watch and see, 'Oh, you're open there.' But it's always about the timing of the separation, and we need to get back on that same page of having the separation at the right time."
I think that's an important point that gets overlooked too often.
Hopefully, their efforts to get Rudolph more involved in the passing game again will be successful.
I think the point of Rudolph not having to be open is a good one. He's made several impressive plays with guys all over him. The best receivers don't need much of a window to catch the ball, as long as its thrown where a defender can't get to it or can't react to the throw. But the ball really must be well (or even "perfectly") thrown, which Ponder seemed capable of doing earlier in the season.
Eli wrote:I think the point of Rudolph not having to be open is a good one. He's made several impressive plays with guys all over him. The best receivers don't need much of a window to catch the ball, as long as its thrown where a defender can't get to it or can't react to the throw. But the ball really must be well (or even "perfectly") thrown, which Ponder seemed capable of doing earlier in the season.
Excellent point. If gets his footwork under control, he's capable of throwing with that kind of accuracy. Musgrave has been rolling him out quite a bit (perhaps in response to all the blitzing) but it might be a good idea early in the game against Detroit to really focus on protecting him in the pocket and giving him a chance to make a few throws like you described above. That's far easier said than done, of course, but it might really help his confidence.
Mothman wrote:but it might be a good idea early in the game against Detroit to really focus on protecting him in the pocket and giving him a chance to make a few throws
But late in the game....screw him. He's on his own.
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.” --- Bill Shankly
dead_poet wrote:
But late in the game....screw him. He's on his own.
That's right! Let the little punk take a beating in that backfield.
I deserve the jokes but just to clarify, what I was clumsily suggesting was a greater than typical focus on protection, even if it's something like a max protect scheme for a play or two.
Last edited by Mothman on Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Posted thoughts on this in another thread but can't seem to find it. Hopefully Ponder can get his confidence up to throw into the tighter windows. Like I said over there Rudolph isn't going to get faster and he's not going to out run the smaller dbs covering him so it's all about technique and Ponder willing to take the chance.
mondry wrote:Posted thoughts on this in another thread but can't seem to find it. Hopefully Ponder can get his confidence up to throw into the tighter windows. Like I said over there Rudolph isn't going to get faster and he's not going to out run the smaller dbs covering him so it's all about technique and Ponder willing to take the chance.
This is a very important point that is not made enough: Confidence in his WR. I think outside of Harvin, Ponder is lacking it right now. Why he lost it in Rudolph, I don’t know, maybe those first few picks that started the “roll” he is on. I also think that opposing DC have noticed this and taken away Rudolph to help keep Ponder in his current funk. Sunday will tell the story I suppose.
Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all of the time thing - Vince Lombardi
mansquatch wrote:This is a very important point that is not made enough: Confidence in his WR. I think outside of Harvin, Ponder is lacking it right now. Why he lost it in Rudolph, I don’t know, maybe those first few picks that started the “roll” he is on. I also think that opposing DC have noticed this and taken away Rudolph to help keep Ponder in his current funk. Sunday will tell the story I suppose.
I think you're probably right on both counts. Once the INTs started piling up, that's when Ponder began showing a little more reluctance to throw to some of his receivers. Rudolph has had some drops too but I doubt that's a factor. I think Rudolph himself hit one of the factors (which I highlighted above): the timing of the receiver's separation from the defense.
(just kidding)