Tag: YAC

Cowboys’ gross deficiency in this metric an indictment on play design

The two best teams with the two best coaches lead the NFL in yards after the catch while the Cowboys finished near the bottom. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys were an elite offense most of the 2023 season. Finishing first in points, fourth in yards, second in EPA/play and third in success rate, it seems as if the offense is the least of their worries heading into the offseason.

But frequent disappearing acts against key opponents suggests otherwise. Dallas scored only 10 against San Francisco, 10 against Buffalo, 20 against Miami, 20 against Detroit, and then finished the season with a disappearing act in the first half against Green Bay. It all signals the offense isn’t quite as resilient as it needs to be, and nowhere near playoff level even if the cumulative data suggests otherwise.

Being more resilient on offense and squeezing the most out of every opportunity should be of highest priority for Mike McCarthy. McCarthy, the offensive play caller and chief play designer, just got a firsthand education on what successful offenses do to stay successful against the NFL’s best.

Super Bowl coaches Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan are regarded as two of the most offensively brilliant minds in the NFL. The Cowboys and the other 29 teams who didn’t play in the Super Bowl would be wise to take notice of what they’re doing. Neither offense is particularly similar, but both are widely successful in critical games.

Reid’s offense in Kansas City is a west coast offense similar to that of McCarthy. He focuses on high percentage passes to move the ball – often in place of a running game. Shanahan’s offense is a new adaptation of the old Shanahan offense. Instead of living and dying by wide zone and play-action passing like the days of old, it adds in motion at the snap and versatile personnel to exploit mismatches and create space downfield.

The Chiefs like to line up in shotgun and spread out. The 49ers like to play under center and in tight formations. KC likes to pass. San Fran likes to run. The differences across the board are significant so when a common trait is discovered, it stands out in a big way.

Rookie Tucker Kraft brings much-needed YAC to Packers TE room

In Tucker Kraft, the Packers will finally have a tight end who break tackles and gain yards after the catch.

The Green Bay Packers selected South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft in the third round of this year’s draft. The addition of Kraft will provide this Packers offense with some much-needed yards after the catch (YAC) ability at the tight end position.

During the 2022 season, Kraft dealt with some injuries and had just 29 targets, however, on his receptions, he averaged a whopping 8.0 yards after the catch. To put that into perspective, at the FBS level, this would’ve been tied for the highest rate in all of college football among tight ends. Also of note, in just 21 receptions, Kraft forced nine missed tackles.

For a larger sample size, during the 2021 season, Kraft had 59 receptions and averaged 5.8 yards after the catch, totaling 345 yards after the catch. Again, for reference, this would have been the sixth-highest total at the FBS level that season.

In part, Kraft’s dynamic ability with the ball in his hands comes from his athleticism. In what was a very deep and athletic tight end class, Kraft posted the fifth highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of the entire group at 9.68. But on top of that, he brings physicality to the tight end position as well, and isn’t afraid to run through defenders either.

“I will say, Tucker is very good with the ball in his hands after the catch,” said Brian Gutekunst after Day 2 of the draft. “He’s a really good basketball player coming out of high school. I think he has really good balance and strength to break tackles to keep himself alive.”

Picking up yards after the catch was an element that the Packers’ tight end room was missing during the 2022 season. Overall, Robert Tonyan average just 8.9 yards per catch, which ranked 34th out of 43 eligible tight ends. His average of 4.6 yards after the catch was around the middle of the pack, ranking 22nd according to PFF, but to a degree, that was also a product of Matt LaFleur being able to get Tonyan the ball in space. It wasn’t often that Tonyan was making defenders miss in the open field. On 53 receptions, he broke just three tackles.

Josiah Deguara, and Marcedes Lewis, meanwhile, combined for just 19 receptions throughout the entire 2022 season. Tonyan was the only true pass-catching threat at the position, and although reliable, he was limited.

Although Kraft’s YAC ability is perhaps one of the more noticeable aspects of his game, Gutekunst routinely complemented Kraft, as well as Luke Musgrave, and his ability to be an “all-around” tight end who impacts both the passing game and the run game. Having this skill set will help open up the playbook for LaFleur as that versatility at the tight end position will add some unpredictability which ultimately will help keep defenses off-balance.

As I wrote about recently, the transition from college to the NFL for tight ends is a very challenging one due to all of the responsibilities that come with this role. But with LaFleur’s ability to scheme players open and Kraft’s ability to line up in the slot where he can be a mismatch, the opportunity to get him the ball quickly and in space should result in some easy completions for Jordan Love and potentially explosive plays for the offense.

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Terry McLaurin leads all WRs in yards after catch; trails only Alvin Kamara in NFL

When it comes to making plays with the ball in his hands, no WR in the NFL is better than Terry McLaurin at this moment.

Any fan of the Washington Football Team knows how special WR Terry McLaurin is, and it seems that the NFL as a whole is starting to get the picture as well.

Through the quarter-mark of the 2020 NFL season, McLaurin now leads all receivers when it comes to yards after the catch, and he ranks second in the entire league, trailing only RB Alvin Kamara from the New Orleans Saints.

With 208 yards after the catch, McLaurin now has 387 total receiving yards this season, which ranks fifth in the NFL. It’s also important to note that among the top-five receivers in that category, he is the only player without a Pro-Bowl level quarterback throwing him the ball. If Dwayne Haskins can continue to progress and settle into his role as a franchise QB, it will be absolutely incredible to see what McLaurin can do.

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Terry McLaurin ranks as NFL’s No. 3 overall receiver in this key stat

Averaging more than 20-yards per catch on Sunday against the Browns, McLaurin once again showed how dangerous he is in the passing game.

A new wave of receivers is taking over the NFL, and Washington’s Terry McLaurin is helping to lead the charge.

McLaurin had yet another great day on Sunday in Washington’s 34-20 loss to the Cleveland Browns, and his team did a good job of getting him the ball early and often. McLaurin finished the day with four catches for 83 yards, but what was most impressive that he averaged 20.8 yards per catch. More impressive than that? The second-year WR averaged just over 10-yards per target, meaning he picked up over half of his yards after the catch.

Once again, McLaurin is showing the incredible talent he has with the ball in his hands, and he ranks as the third-best receiver in the NFL when it comes to plays that pick up more than 10 yards, trailing only DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley.

Now imagine what he could do if the quarterback situation were to improve in Washington? Look out, because that could get dangerous in a hurry.

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ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk could help solve Packers’ YAC problem

The top YAC creator in the 2020 draft class could help the Packers solve a major need.

A former running back who led the 2020 draft class in yards after the catch could help the Green Bay Packers solve a major issue on offense.

Arizona State receiver Brandon Aiyuk has the ability to be a dynamic player after the catch in the NFL, and there’s no doubting the Packers’ need for a player who can create after the catch.

According to Pro Football Focus, Aiyuk, one of the top senior receivers, led all players in the 2020 draft class with an average of 9.9 yards after the catch. A little over half of his total receiving production came after the catch.

A history at running back and experience returning punts and kicks helped create Aiyuk’s rare ability to break tackles and create space after making the catch.

“My background is at running back,” Aiyuk told Dane Brugler of The Athletic in October. “It’s like being a back again after the catch. I think it’s the strength of my game and it really makes a difference.”

After Pro Bowl receiver Davante Adams and running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, the Packers lack a player capable of creating on his own after the catch.

As noted by Bill Huber of SI, Packers receivers forced a total of nine missed tackles in 2019. Pro Football Reference was even more harsh, crediting Packers receivers with only six broken tackles – three from Adams, two from Jake Kumerow, one from Geronimo Allison and zero from everyone else.

Jones and Williams led the team in broken tackles after the catch, with both creating 10. Aiyuk could give the Packers a similar threat at receiver.

The Arizona State star is a gifted athlete who showed the vision to find space,  instincts for creating creases in the defense and acceleration to get around and past defenders. Even if his route tree is limited early in his NFL career, he could be a difference-maker on quick in-breaking routes or tunnel screens.  Aiyuk was particularly dangerous on slants, turning several into long touchdowns during his senior season.

The Packers are going to be on the hunt for explosive offensive players this offseason. Acquiring playmakers in the passing game is one of the major needs for GM Brian Gutekunst.

Expect Aiyuk to be on the Packers’ radar. His best skill – an ability to create after the catch – fits perfectly with one of the Packers’ needs at receiver.

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