History Shows Good Things for Second-Year Steelers Receivers
by ncoolong on Feb 28, 2009 7:40 AM EST
46 comments
It ruined the perfect start.
There was rookie WR Limas Sweed, exploiting a slip from CB Corey Ivy in the AFC Championship game, wide open down the left sideline. Roethlisberger's pass was right on the money, and the biggest game ever played against the Hated Ravens was about to be ended right before halftime.
DOINK!
Sweed pulls a Troy Williamson, ball bounces off his hands, incomplete. What's better, he somehow manages to get hurt on the play (injury to his pride, as it was later reported) and burns the Steelers last timeout of the half.
I wasn't happy about the drop, but the lack of awareness in staying down and wasting their last timeout on an incomplete pass sent me into a tizzy.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin used Sweed the previous week in a blowout win over San Diego, but it was a rare appearance for the rookie from Texas. Sweed's number even got called late against the Chargers, nearly hauling in a tough catch late in the game. It was later said Tomlin called that play because San Diego had been using timeouts on their previous offensive drive, down 35-17. He had the attention of SteelerNation.
Until that drop that cost the Steelers seven points, and the injury that cost them three, Sweed had mostly avoided the negative radar as a rookie. Didn't really do anything to be on the positive radar, but no news is good news when you're 6-foot-4 with great speed.
With the forthcoming departure of Nate Washington (no updates Saturday morning, but last report had him visiting the Titans today), Sweed will be asked to fill a much larger role next year. This shouldn't come as a surprise to Steelers fans, they've been throwing their younger receivers into the fire often in recent years.
Take Washington for example. He was a rookie on the Steelers' Super Bowl XL team, but his second year started with a touchdown reception against Miami in the first week of 2007. He finished the year with a very healthy 624 yards and a ridiculous 17.8 yards per catch average, while bumping Cedrick Wilson out of the No. 3 receiver spot.
But it was the rookie who (no pun intended) blazed past both of them. Santonio Holmes went off for 824 yards and 16.8 yards per catch. His second year saw him chalk up a league-high 18.1 yards per catch and 942 total yards.
Go back as far as Plaxico Burress in 2001 - his second year. He had 66 catches for 1008 yards. Hines Ward had 61 catches and seven touchdowns in his second year. Let's just forget about Troy Edwards. He was never on the team.
Plain and simple, the Steelers expect a lot from young receivers in the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver role.
It's not a leap of assumption to say Sweed is just as talented as Washington, Holmes or Burress. Maybe even Ward. With an offensive line returning all five starters from Super Bowl XLIII, and a lack of commitment to the run in that time, it seems Sweed's in the driver's seat to make fans forget about The Drop of the Year, and think of him more as a redshirt his rookie year.
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He's got a bright future
That hit on Ivy near the end of the SB really showed that he is going to be a force, as soon as he settles down and starts making plays.
The hit that heard around the world…
by SteelersVT on Feb 28, 2009 8:48 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
how they roll
The Steelers are a smart organization. They know Nate is going to get more than they want to pay him. It’s not like they don’t want Nate (or BMac) it’s just that they have a young player that can do the same job with little to no drop off.
I think Sweed will be fine. And if he can’t shake the dropsies just put him on the D and let Ike Taylor show him how to turn dropped passes into a career.
by 13thieves on Feb 28, 2009 9:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sure will miss Nate
who had a less than spectacular year because he was underthrown…a lot. Seemed he could beat anyone deep. On the other hand Limas has great potential. Hopefully he can realize it this year. If so, in combination with Hines and Holmes (who has definitely arrived) they have the potential to be an elite receiving corps. If not, tough times for the home team.
by RickVa on Feb 28, 2009 9:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Forgive me for...
Being pessimistic but when I think about Steelers WR’s, especially big-physical WR’s who are entering there 2nd year, I also think about…Fred Gibson (another big WR, 6-4, 200lbs, that was supposed to change the offense and fill the Burress void), Dallas Baker (6-3, 208lbs, granted he was a 7th rd pick), Willie "Freakin’ Reid (wasn’t he at least supposed to be a productive kick returner???..). I just hope that THE SWEED doesn’t live down to those expectations and finds some semblance of confidence and a pair of STICKY gloves for the 09-10’ season.
by Heckler's Sports on Feb 28, 2009 11:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
He's definately been noticed
I’ve been watching him with great anticipation all season and watched him suck it up every time he hit the field. Chalk it up to rookie jitters, but I had hoped they would subside towards the end of the season.
Hope he shows improvement. He has the speed and the moves, but maybe miller can show him how to soften up those hands
by 40s on Feb 28, 2009 11:33 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think....
…..T.O. apart from the bad(stupid) attitude shows how much value a WR who can get open downfield can have, even if he drops a few.
by Marvin, The Paranoid Android on Feb 28, 2009 12:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dare I poke a hornet's nest...
…and say that Sweed could simply be another overrated product of weak Big XII defenses? Big XII teams haven’t been churning out a lot great NFL offensive starters lately. (I’m struggling to think of one.) That’s particularly true of Texas: the highly touted Vince Young and Cedric Benson flamed out, and Ricky Williams for all his talent has lit up more doobies than fields.
To be fair, the same could be said of many recent USC offensive stars. They put up some pretty numbers and highlight reels, but USC’s best products in recent years have all been defensive players. Credit to the Steelers FO for scoring Polamalu and leaving the glamour boys to other teams.
But now we’ve got Sweed. And I’m thinking all of his years of scoring against the wet toilet-paper defenses of Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Colorado, Baylor and such mighty non-conference foes as UT El Paso and Rice imbued him with false confidence, and he got a rude awakening this past year.
Since 2 of this season’s Top 10 receivers were Pitt Panthers, perhaps we should have looked closer to home…
by TURFgeek on Feb 28, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Well said
I think oftentimes people get caught up with those lime light teams. And in reality great talent is often found elsewhere.
Nate Washinton, aka, Tiffin Thunder. This guy is from Tiffin. Never heard of it. Couldnt probably get within 500 miles if I pointed my finger at a map.
by Mechem on Feb 28, 2009 1:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Go Tiffin! And Miami of Ohio! And Kent State! And Northern Colorado!
You’re right. The small colleges produce a lot of NFL studs. One of the reasons may be parity: the limelight teams (like USC) often dominate their conferences. It makes every player on that team look like a future NFL starter and produces a lot of false positives. (In recent years, the Heisman Trophy has proven to be a bust at predicting NFL studs. Jason White couldn’t even make the NFL!)
But when you get to conferences where there’s more parity — like the Big East or the MAC — or to smaller schools where there’s less supporting talent, that’s where you’ll often find diamonds in the rough. From an NFL draft perspective, I’ve always been more interested in the best players on unsung teams.
by TURFgeek on Feb 28, 2009 1:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
To be fair
Jason White’s didn’t have knees.
by Romain El 82 on Feb 28, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
perhaps
but he did make burning that DB look easy. I think the drop up has more to do with nerves than a lack of talent.
by phxsteeler on Feb 28, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
absolutely
He’s made tons of catches in college way more difficult than that one… it had to be in his head.
by tdp992 on Feb 28, 2009 10:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
Nive articles and posts here. Let it be known the Wide Receiver posion on the Pittsburgh Steelers takes time to get use to because defenses in the NFL are so complex to learn even being an offensive player. It takes time for our receivers to grow in their position.
Phillip Bunting
"Stairway To Seven"
by SteelersChatPack on Feb 28, 2009 1:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
/why would it take a Steelers receiver any longrr than a rookie receiver from another team? Are the defenses against the Steelers more complex than those defenses against other NFL teams?
by worldtrip on Feb 28, 2009 2:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Sweed
Bounces back from that drop to make that huge hit,make a tough catch in traffic,and break up what would almost certainly have been an INT by Ben in the end zone….Limas Sweed is going to be an outstanding receiver.
by rissaldar on Feb 28, 2009 3:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sweed will succeed
Sweed & succeed rhyme for a reason, heh.
by paulamalu on Feb 28, 2009 3:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Super Bowl Winner
.. or Mitch Berger.
by paulamalu on Feb 28, 2009 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Got this burger?
"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)
by PixburghArn on Mar 2, 2009 9:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The Steelers draft for year 2
Give Sweed a chance. Santonio Holmes was a first round pick and he didn’t blossom until this season. He showed promise before that but wasn’t the polished receiver he is now. Sweed will get his chance this season and I’m optomistic that he’ll show huge growth.
by Steev1705 on Feb 28, 2009 3:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Burress too
I remember when he first came into the league he couldn’t catch anything either
by WPIALkid22 on Mar 1, 2009 2:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
and when he finally caught something
he would just throw it to the ground without being down by contact
by steelersfan86 on Mar 1, 2009 5:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Sweed
I hope he finds a pair of hands over the summer because we can use them next year. I am very curious to see how he develops, budding superstar? dependable pro? bust? We will find out.
I knew he was big, 6’4" 220LBS but when you actually see him on the field against the DB’s…dam is he a big dude!!!
by SteelerMike on Feb 28, 2009 3:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sweed
He did come back after his horrible drop and make a couple of plays. That’s really as much as I would expect from most rookies. Every year some rookies step up and really make an impact, but most take some time to develop.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Feb 28, 2009 4:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
WRs
Donnie Avery, Devin Thomas, Jordy Nelson, James Hardy, Eddie Royal, Jerome Simpson, DeSean Jackson, Malcom Kelley, Dexter Jackson.
All of those WRs were drafted in the same round as Sweed, and the only one would made consistent contributions this year was DeSean Jackson.
No college WR plays DBs, let alone entire defenses, with the speed and skillset of an NFL defense. Maybe once in a while you’ll get an “elite” match-up…the most recent I can remember was Braylon Edwards vs. Chris Gamble, and before that it was David Boston vs. Charles Woodson.
by Romain El 82 on Feb 28, 2009 5:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Royal outstanding
A couple other second-rounders deserve mention. Eddie Royal of Denver was by far the best rookie WR with 91 receptions for 980 yards and 5 TDs. He also had a 26.1 avg on KR and 10.0 on PR. Donnie Avery had 53 catches for 764 yards and 3 TDs. Jackson had a very good season with 62/912 yards. Undrafted Davone Bess was terrific with 54/554 yards. Jordy Nelson also made a solid contribution with 33/366 and 2 TDs. Hardy, Simpson, Thomas, Kelley and Jackson (drafted as much for kick returning as receiving) all struggled in their rookie seasons along with Sweed. Predictably it was the bigger guys who struggled more than the smaller, quicker guys. The biggest adjustments to the NFL are mental (understanding routes) and the footwork required to get separation from DBs who are much better than they faced in college. Will be interesting to see which of the bigger WRs (Thomas, Nelson, Hardy, Kelley, Sweed) develop the most.
by steeler.lifer on Feb 28, 2009 7:06 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
statistical proof of opinions!
Thank you! It seems to me that 97.38% of opinions posted online are just that — pure opinions. Well, maybe 99.9% pure.
by TURFgeek on Feb 28, 2009 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I stand corrected
Avery though I’m going to say was partly because of the system, and Royal…well, he was amazing in the “Ed Hochuli game” in week 2, but I didn’t want to comment on him because honestly that was the only Bronco game I’d watched all year.
by Romain El 82 on Feb 28, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Kick Returner
Off topic but i just came across this: http://www.kolotv.com/sports/headlines/40449762.html Looks like the Steelers are looking to take Tenesse’s kick returner. Haleluja, the 20 yards they’re getting now are safe but not likely to change field position in our favor.
by Steev1705 on Feb 28, 2009 5:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Other "Busts"
It’s way too early to label Sweed a bust. Think back to other “Busts” after their first season…Troy looked completely out of his element his first season. He turned out pretty OK I’d say. Last year everyone was ready to run Timmons out of town. Now he looks like more of a play maker with every game. Remember Burris’s spike in Jacksonville? Sure he’s a head case, but he turned into a great receiver. The other side of that coin is Troy Edwards. Looked very promising as a rookie, then was never heard from again. My point is one season doesn’t make a career. Don’t get too high or too low on him. It’s simply too early.
by SixMachine on Feb 28, 2009 10:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
+1
Great point. Six. One of my favorite receivers is Donald Driver. When he broke in with Green Bay they were set at the WR position. He had 37 catches his first three seasons and didn’t become a regular starter until he was 27 years old. Since then he has been one of the best and yet must underrated WRs in the game. Six 1,000-yard seasons in the last seven years.
Sweed has to learn to cope with the pressure of being a second-round draft pick. He’s not going to get babied and coddled like he was in college. Tomlin’s tough love is what he needs to get his head in the right place and the rest is up to him.
by steeler.lifer on Feb 28, 2009 10:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+2
This is why I love this site. I wrote a paragraph on Burress’s spike against Jacksonville, but deleted it because A.) I didn’t think the reference would be understood, and B.) I didn’t want to piss off too many people.
Not suggesting Sweed did any of this intentionally, but watching the replays of The Drop, the ONLY thing I thought was “he looks EXACTLY like freakin’ Plaxico.” Physically, the way he carries himself, the extreme length, the lack of concentration…looks just like Plex as a rookie.
The thought haunts me…but that drop can, in many ways, be seen as a similarity to Burress. After he made the first down catch (one of the few this year he actually held on to), the way he celebrated to himself, and basically left the ball at the ref’s feet in that ultimate hardass way…ugh, I’m just glad he’s not wearing No. 80.
by ncoolong on Mar 1, 2009 6:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
just my weekly check in..any major injuries, in-fighting, contract disputes, Evil Kinevil stunts, Kung Foo’d tampon dispensers? throw us a bone will ya…we’re trying to figure out which 2008-2009 Ravens /Pitt game tape to watch to prepare for the season… Lets see, tape 1naah, tape 2 nope, tape 3 crap….got Kemo back huh?..that’s not good.
by raven on Mar 1, 2009 12:23 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Games
Watch the first one and have the line learn how to block James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Watch the second one and have your QB learn how to drive your team 90 yards for a division championship. Watch the third and learn how any preconceived gap between Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed should be summarily dismissed.
Sorry…couldn’t resist. All three were epic games, and Pittsburgh didn’t (and does not) have a more worthy adversary. I love Coach Harbaugh, and what he’s done with that team. They will compete for a long time with him at the helm.
by ncoolong on Mar 1, 2009 6:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Things worse than signing Kemo
Not signing Bart Scott and Ray Ray. Losing Rex. I think the 2009 Ravens will look more like 2007. They were 0-3 last year with these guys. How can they possibly think they can compete with the Steelers this year without them? The Ravens had a nice run last year, but I don’t see it happening again any time soon.
by SixMachine on Mar 1, 2009 2:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Actually...
The Ravens’ defense did pretty well against us (aside from the stank). It was simply a matter of their offense not being able to get the job done. I have little doubt their offense will improve. Browboy, for example, should improve after having another preseason and training camp under his belt. The big question is whether their defense has the necessary depth to overcome the loss of those big splash players.
by Varmint on Mar 2, 2009 9:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Give the boy time.
Rest assured, Limus will learn how to deal with this level of competition. If any of u have seen any of his college games, u would’ve seen he was a beast. Yes he would drop the occasional easy pass, but for the most part a beast. I like to tell alot of Big Ben haters(who only wished that thier qb could do what Ben does) that “not everybody can be Big Ben MAAAAAN!”. Get that ravens fans? Don’t expect your team to just win the Super Bowl next year(like Ben did in his 2nd season). Sorry ya’ll, I digress. Anyway, we can’t expect Limus to just go out there and do what ,let’s say, Marques Colston did in his rookie year. Some guys just get it faster than others.
This guy has shown the nack to go deep and burn the fools who have been covering him. With a little confidence(really alot), I think he’ll get it together the way we expect him to. When he does ya’ll, whooooooo, it’s going to be on! I still got faith in u brotha’, even though u pissed me off big time in the playoffs. I mean I was calling for your head dog! Fo Real!! PEEEAAACE!!
by Steeldog on Mar 1, 2009 2:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sweed is no Charles Johnson
I watched lots of Sweed’s college games. Over-rated, with bad hands. He might be an ok #2 guy, but nothing more. I think his career will be something like Ernie Mills’ at best.
by upabob on Mar 2, 2009 7:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
No Charles Johnson?
We don’t need him to be a #1 receiver. We already have our future #1 in Santonio. We need Sweed to be our deep threat. I really think you(upabob) wanted to just post a comment with that one. It’s way too early to judge the man’s total career in one season worth of work. I don’t recall Hines bieng worth jake as a receiver in his first couple of years. Hall of Famer now. This man had in college and has in the pro level the one thing(besides hands, that’s comin’) that receivers desparetly need, the ability to seperate from coverage. That’s not just forty speed that I’m talkin’ about. This man has mass agility. There is a difference. With time and PATIENCE he will gain confidence in his hands. I do believe that. Was Holmes droppin’ easy balls in his rookie season? Yep. Couldn’t field a punt or kick-off worth jake either. Looks like he developed quit nicely despite the haters.
I could go on and on about the multitude of receivers that couldn’t catch a cold in thier first year, but that’s not the point. This man has all the phisical attributes to play in this league. It’s all in his head now that needs fixin’. P.S.- I don’t believe u(upabob) have seen alot of Sweed’s games in college bro. Not with that Charles Johnson reference u made.. Fo Real!! PEEEAAACE!!
by Steeldog on Mar 2, 2009 11:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
hes is tall too
that helps
I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!
by drinkyourmilkshake on Mar 3, 2009 2:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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