Post by EagleGene on Dec 30, 2005 15:45:48 GMT -5
BROWN A STANDOUT IN YEAR 1
December 30, 2005
By CHRIS McPHERSON
So, who was it that said rookie wide receivers can't be significant contributors in the Eagles offense?
No one ever said it, but until Reggie Brown this year, rookie receivers haven't had success in the complicated West Coast Offense.
Brown's success started against Washington, the same team the Eagles face Sunday to conclude the 2005 season, back on Nov. 6. Starting for only the second time, Brown hauled in five receptions for 94 yards and scored the Eagles' lone touchdown in a 17-10 loss.
If you combine the stats of these six rookie receivers during head coach Andy Reid's era - Na Brown, Dameane Douglas, Greg Lewis, Billy McMullen, Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston - they had a combined 64 receptions for 828 yards and three touchdowns. The best individual rookie season of those receivers was Mitchell who had 21 catches for 283 yards and a touchdown.
This season Brown is second among all rookies in receptions and yards with 36 and 494, respectively. He's tied for fourth among all rookie receivers with a pair of touchdowns.
Brown is shooting to set a rookie record for Eagles wide receivers, and a big game on Sunday will etch his name into the record books. Victor Bailey caught 41 passes for 545 yards and a touchdown in 1993.
"He's doing something a little better, playing faster, he's not thinking and he's endured this thing more than anything," said offensive coordinator Brad Childress.
"It's a grind, in terms of the length of the season, the beating you take at that position, catching the football and then being able to block and dish it out while being tough. I think he's done all those things."
That touchdown against Washington, the first of his career, came on a 56-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Donovan McNabb. His efforts earned him the Diet Pepsi's NFL Rookie of the Week award.
This Sunday, Brown wants to prove that his performance was legit.
"I know they're not going to try and let me do that again, but I'm ready to go out there and show them that first time wasn't a fluke," said Brown.
"I think (Reggie's) done as good of a job as anybody," said Childress. "Right from the minicamps he's been very bright eyed and the best thing is that he's played one position the whole time. When I say that he's played one position, he has not lined up at one spot.
That is why it's difficult for receivers to adapt quickly to the Eagles offensive scheme.
"He's been inside, outside, he's come out the backfield, he's played in the slot, motioned from side to side, so when you say he's played one position, he plays that main position, but it's not like he stands on the right side like Indianapolis' wide receivers," said Childress. "That does not happen."
For Brown to get it done Sunday, the Eagles must limit their mistakes on the offensive side of the football. Injuries, penalties, turnovers and miscues have added up to struggles for the offense in the second half of the season.
"We just have to get it in our mind that we are not going to make the same mistakes," said Brown. "We have a lot of guys playing out of position. There are a lot of guys going out there for the first time. You have that margin of error and we're going to have to deal with that. We just have to pull it together and not try and make mistakes."
In one year, Brown went from a part-time player to a full-time starter. His rapid development has coaches believing he can step up and become the No. 1 receiver next season.
"That's certainly how we drafted him," said Childress. "He's playing at a pretty high level right now and I just think it will be that much better - that jump from year one and all the things that go with year one to year two. You would think that he would have a chance to do that."
December 30, 2005
By CHRIS McPHERSON
So, who was it that said rookie wide receivers can't be significant contributors in the Eagles offense?
No one ever said it, but until Reggie Brown this year, rookie receivers haven't had success in the complicated West Coast Offense.
Brown's success started against Washington, the same team the Eagles face Sunday to conclude the 2005 season, back on Nov. 6. Starting for only the second time, Brown hauled in five receptions for 94 yards and scored the Eagles' lone touchdown in a 17-10 loss.
If you combine the stats of these six rookie receivers during head coach Andy Reid's era - Na Brown, Dameane Douglas, Greg Lewis, Billy McMullen, Freddie Mitchell and Todd Pinkston - they had a combined 64 receptions for 828 yards and three touchdowns. The best individual rookie season of those receivers was Mitchell who had 21 catches for 283 yards and a touchdown.
This season Brown is second among all rookies in receptions and yards with 36 and 494, respectively. He's tied for fourth among all rookie receivers with a pair of touchdowns.
Brown is shooting to set a rookie record for Eagles wide receivers, and a big game on Sunday will etch his name into the record books. Victor Bailey caught 41 passes for 545 yards and a touchdown in 1993.
"He's doing something a little better, playing faster, he's not thinking and he's endured this thing more than anything," said offensive coordinator Brad Childress.
"It's a grind, in terms of the length of the season, the beating you take at that position, catching the football and then being able to block and dish it out while being tough. I think he's done all those things."
That touchdown against Washington, the first of his career, came on a 56-yard catch-and-run from quarterback Donovan McNabb. His efforts earned him the Diet Pepsi's NFL Rookie of the Week award.
This Sunday, Brown wants to prove that his performance was legit.
"I know they're not going to try and let me do that again, but I'm ready to go out there and show them that first time wasn't a fluke," said Brown.
"I think (Reggie's) done as good of a job as anybody," said Childress. "Right from the minicamps he's been very bright eyed and the best thing is that he's played one position the whole time. When I say that he's played one position, he has not lined up at one spot.
That is why it's difficult for receivers to adapt quickly to the Eagles offensive scheme.
"He's been inside, outside, he's come out the backfield, he's played in the slot, motioned from side to side, so when you say he's played one position, he plays that main position, but it's not like he stands on the right side like Indianapolis' wide receivers," said Childress. "That does not happen."
For Brown to get it done Sunday, the Eagles must limit their mistakes on the offensive side of the football. Injuries, penalties, turnovers and miscues have added up to struggles for the offense in the second half of the season.
"We just have to get it in our mind that we are not going to make the same mistakes," said Brown. "We have a lot of guys playing out of position. There are a lot of guys going out there for the first time. You have that margin of error and we're going to have to deal with that. We just have to pull it together and not try and make mistakes."
In one year, Brown went from a part-time player to a full-time starter. His rapid development has coaches believing he can step up and become the No. 1 receiver next season.
"That's certainly how we drafted him," said Childress. "He's playing at a pretty high level right now and I just think it will be that much better - that jump from year one and all the things that go with year one to year two. You would think that he would have a chance to do that."