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Top Dawg's annual If-Smitty-Goes-Down-We're-Fugged Post (with a twist)

top dawg

By top dawg,
in Carolina Panthers

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poorboysrev Rising Star

poorboysrev

Posted
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Brandon LaFell is better than you're giving him credit for.

2012

Smitty caught 73 balls on 138 targets - 53% catch rate

LaFell caught 44 balls on 76 targets - 58% catch rate

Smitty averaged 16.1 yards per catch

LaFell averaged 15.4 yards per catch

Smitty had 17 catches over 20 yards - 23% of catches

LaFell had 13 catches over 20 yards - 29% of catches

Smitty had 4 TD on 73 catches - 5.49% TD rate

LaFell had 4 TD on 44 catches - 9% TD rate

Smitty had 268 YAC - 3.67 average YAC

LaFell had 312 YAC - 7.09 average YAC

Smitty converted 51 1st downs on 73 catches - 69% 1st down rate

LaFell convered 31 1st downs on 44 catches - 70% 1st down rate

LaFell catches more balls thrown his way, catches them deeper, converts to TD's more often, gains more YAC, and has virtually identical yard per catch and 1st down stats. If you ask me we just need to throw the ball to LaFell more often.

Steve Smith is drawing the top corner and double team for Lafell. This is one of the times that simple stats do not tell the whole story, you have to watch what''s happening on the field. Steve is able to make plays inspite of the attention he gets from the D, Lafell hasn't shown much to suggest he could do that. That said I just want us to be better in the redzone. Whether that's from running or throwing I don't care. We're good at moving the chains but we gotta score td's and finish drives.

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Newtcase Experienced

Newtcase

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Steve Smith is drawing the top corner and double team for Lafell. This is one of the times that simple stats do not tell the whole story, you have to watch what''s happening on the field. Steve is able to make plays inspite of the attention he gets from the D, Lafell hasn't shown much to suggest he could do that. That said I just want us to be better in the redzone. Whether that's from running or throwing I don't care. We're good at moving the chains but we gotta score td's and finish drives.

I'll start with the positive, yes Steve does and should draw the opposing teams top cover guy. No question Smitty is top dog and one of the finest receivers in the league over the last decade.

With that said, LaFell's job is to beat the defense he's facing and he has done that quite well. To say he doesn't make plays suggests to me that you may be blind. Youtube some Panther highlight videos and you will see LaFell all over the place making circus catches, breaking tackles, and doing much of the same impossible Smitty serves up. You can't say the kid can't play when all he's done is put stats that are superior in Smitty's in many ways against weaker coverage. I would expect his stats to drop when facing the top corner as Smitty does, how much, who knows? The fact is they could drop quite a bit and he would still be in Smitty's neigborhood stat wise. Another fact is LaFell does make plays when given the opportunity, go watch some game film or highlight reels to remind yourself of this please.

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top dawg Grand Master

top dawg

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I'll start with the positive, yes Steve does and should draw the opposing teams top cover guy. No question Smitty is top dog and one of the finest receivers in the league over the last decade.

With that said, LaFell's job is to beat the defense he's facing and he has done that quite well. To say he doesn't make plays suggests to me that you may be blind. Youtube some Panther highlight videos and you will see LaFell all over the place making circus catches, breaking tackles, and doing much of the same impossible Smitty serves up. You can't say the kid can't play when all he's done is put stats that are superior in Smitty's in many ways against weaker coverage. I would expect his stats to drop when facing the top corner as Smitty does, how much, who knows? The fact is they could drop quite a bit and he would still be in Smitty's neigborhood stat wise. Another fact is LaFell does make plays when given the opportunity, go watch some game film or highlight reels to remind yourself of this please.

My thing is is that LaFell disappears at stretches at a time not only during the game, but during the season. He really doesn't strike fear in anyone. Indeed, he only has one 100 yard game in three seasons. Now compare (which I have done) this to other legitimate WR2s, and you'll see that LaFell is decidedly average. Believe me, I have heard all the arguments and rationalizations before. When you compare LaFell to the WR1s or WR2s of the top teams, he always ends up on the weaker side of the equation in most categories. It is my contention that he is a WR3 who plays up to a WR2's potential, but he has never had a go-to WR type game. And, one 91 yard catch on Christmas Eve against a suspect defense doesn't cut the mustard. Neither do circus catches which I'd gladly give up for the consistency that other young WRs have displayed at least one time in their career.

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CRA Grand Master

CRA

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smith has gone down before....and guess what we were fugged. all the changes in the coaching staff and front office and they are making the same dumb ass mistakes.

techincally, the one year Smith went down....our QB had the best individual season of his career.

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