Plaxico
10 Games / 9 Starts
35 receptions
454 yards
13 yards per catch avg.
4 TD's
Hixon
16 games / 7 Starts
43 receptions
596 yards
13.9 yards per catch avg.
2 TD's
There are those that say those stats don't matter because after Plax went down, Hixon didn't do anything in our last six games...
Hixon's last six games at #1
@ Washington: 5 catches, 71 yards, 14.2 avg., long of 18
Philly (his worst): 3 catches, 30 yards, 10 avg., long of 17 (one HUGE drop)
@ Dallas: 6 catches, 60 yards, 10 avg., long of 19
Carolina: 4 catches, 71 yards, 17.8 avg., long of 40
@ Minny: 4 catches, 62 yards, 15.5 avg. 23 yard (TD)
Philly: 2 catches, 37 yards, 18.5 avg., long of 32
Plaxico's last six games as a Giant (I'll make it 7, because Plaxico didn't start against Pitt)
Cincy: 3 catches, 45 yards, 15 avg., long of 28
@ Cleveland: 4 catches, 58 yards, 14.5 avg., long of 25, TD
San Fran: 3 catches, 24 yards, 8 avg., long of 14, TD
@ Pitt (did not start): 3 catches, 15 yards, 5 avg., long of 8
Dallas: 3 catches, 34 yards, 11.3 avg., long of 22
@ Philly: 1 catch, 17 yards, TD
Baltimore: 3 catches, 43 yards, 15.7 average, long of 21
I also threw out his last game vs. Arizona because he really didn't play at all, even though he started. He may have played one series.
Okay, so now, the averages.
Hixon's per game average over the last six games
4 catches per game
55 yards per game
.16 TD's per game
Plaxico's per game average over his last 7 games
2.85 catches per game (less than Hixon)
33.71 yards per game (significantly less than Hixon)
.428 TD's per game
Keep in mind, that both Hixon and Plaxico had monster games, Plaxico vs. the Skins, and Hixon vs. the Seahawks that are not included, so you get a better look at the overall view. Believe it or not, Plaxico was becoming somewhat non-existant well before he shot himself.
There seems to be a strong opinion here, some would say fact, that the team dropped off BECAUSE of the loss of Plaxico. I think these stats dispute that. There is also a strong opinion that Plaxico being double covered was what opened things up for the rest of the offense. That may be true, but it should be noted that Eli threw for the most yards (301) against Washington w/out Plaxico, and we ran for the most yards of the season (over 300) against Carolina.
I think the main thing that sticks out here are the TD's. Hixon is really good between the 20's, and moves the chains. However, where Eli really missed Plaxico was in the redzone. I think this supports the argument that we don't really need a "stretch the field" reciever as much as we need a "big redzone target". I think a trade for Tony Gonzalez would create the exact same double coverage and mismatches that we got with Plaxico Burress down inside the 20.
Overall, I think Hixon gets a lot of the blame for our late season collapse, with some of you going as far to say that our recievers are number 3's or 2's at BEST, and that they've already hit their ceiling. I would argue that Hixon can in fact be this team's number one, and could quite possibly be a very good one. Having a 6'5 WR is not the only way to get mismatches and double teams.
Therefore, I'm going to go with myth. Big, overblown myth.
Flame on.
As Dorgan pointed out, they weren't able to ever really do that by the time Plax was completely unavailable.
I still think the season was lost moreso by the DL injury situation than by Burress, but certainly the confluence of the two really made it a steep hill to climb.
And as much as I mostly think he's contrary for no reason at all, GoTerps has a chance of being right that one of Smith/Manningham/Hixon/Moss could easily emerge without Toomer/Burress on the roster. Particularly when you factor the continuing development of Boss in year two as a starter.
So, factor in more reps throughout the offseason for the healthy "kids" at WR, development by Boss, and a re-factoring of the playbook to their particular skillsets by Manning/Gilbride/Coughlin, and there's no reason to panic.
Which is why Reese hasn't simply met the Browns demands for Edwards already. Reese isn't the sort to leave things to chance. If he felt that Edwards was the indispensible missing piece (after what he did with the defense in FA), he'd have acted decisively and left no chance for Philly or some other team to snatch Edwards from under them. Either Reese is supremely confident that Mankok is going to blink and that there are no other serious suitors, OR Reese simply believes that getting Edwards isn't vital in the pursuit of the XLIV Lombardi.
BigBlueBrethren : 12:42 pm
You mentioned what any obvious supporter of getting Braylon's argument would be, and completely discounted it by using stats and pointing to Hixon's potential as a #1 which I think you are as high as a kite to be seeing.
Hixon was cut by Denver about 1.5 yrs ago, I know guys that get released sometimes turn out to be very good...and he's been much more than we ever expected...but he's not a #1 WR.
YET. He's not a number on, yet. Maybe he never will be, but you saying that he can't be is just as assinine a statement and prediction as you think me saying he can be is.
Secondly, I support getting Braylon Edwards at the right price, dictated by Jerry Reese.
This was more of an argument to point out to those that are predicting a 7-9 to 8-8 season for us, if we don't get Edwards, that it was only a small part of the problem at the end of the season.
We were worn out and used up.
We have attempted to address that.
We became too reliant on the X position.
We'll attempt to address that.
Is there any sane reason to think that one or several of Hixon (age 24), Smith (23), Manningham (22), Moss (25) and Boss (24) won't make substantial progress next year?
Again, my present mindset(I'm open to being objective, certainly)is that without that #1 and all that that person would bring to the table, I believe we're definitely playoff caliber, just not SB contending...I pray I'm incorrect about this
This is not a Braylon Edwards Lover (there are a lot of you out there) bashing thread. It's about the slight on Eli and our current WR's that are being made out to be a bunch of bums... Well, not Eli.
And to those saying we'll change our offense this year, thank god, off with Gilbrides head
Fully agree
I also point out that the folks insisting that Plax drew the double team "all the time" are not correct. Different teams did different things under different downs and distances.
Witness the 300 yards at Carolina or Ware running in Minny or or or
I don't want Braylon Edwards at any price. Two years ago he had an excellent season and went to the Pro Bowl. Last year he dropped 16 balls, none of them difficult catches. He has a history of dropping too many balls throughout college and his time in the league.
He's very early in his career and it's unusual for a team to unload a 1st round pick with lots of talent so soon. There's something going on there. Like maybe the coaches are sick to death of watching him drop balls in practice.
and doubt that he'll ever make another Pro Bowl.
But, in answer to your question, if Braylon had a year like 2007 he'd be a big help.
Outside of the Carolina game, where we played a very average defense who was missing their big run stuffing DT, we couldn't do anything
210 minutes of football against the Eagles, Cowboys and Vikings (in the one half the starters did play) the offense did not score a Touchdown, outside of a garbage time TD trailing Philly 20-7 with 10 seconds left in week 14. And we shouldn't even count that
The depth on the DL was a hit but not the biggest culprit. They allowed essentially 16 points against the Eagles in the playoff game, the Eagles scored a TD on a one yard drive when Eli threw a pick to set them up for another score, and i can't hang that on the defense. They weren't the biggest reason our offense couldn't sniff the endzone against any halfway decent D
For all intents and purposes our offense scored 6 points in that playoff game. 2 were on a safety and 3 were on a FG which was basically a 10 yard drive off the Robbins INT
I really can't hang that loss on the DL.
The second thing I want to discuss is the excuse I've heard sports announcers and Pitt. fans use and that is the punter and longsnapper excuse for that loss. We were about the get the ball back anyway and turned around and scored a TD, so tell me again how those injuries altered the outcome?
It was most evident against the better defenses. The passing game looked inept vs. DAL and PHI late in the year, as their excellent CBs pushed our WRs around. No one stepped up. Hixon is one of my favorites but he showed he wasn't ready for prime time last year.
I still have high hopes for Mario Manningham - he's got the goods to be a Pro Bowl #1 WR. A sick talent - and he looked good in the season finale vs. MIN. Tons of separation.
So we didn't get Edwards. Big deal. I'm loving our WR core:
Hixon
Smith
Nicks
Manningham
Barden 6'6
Boss
Beckum 6'4
Two big Redzone targets. Exactly what we needed.
We're good between the 20's, we just need guys to go up and get it. Nicks attacks the ball, and will fight for it. The other guys, specifically Beckam, are tall and play like WR's. Reese played it perfectly, IMO.
Nobody wants to hear it, but we didn't need Edwards. He was a luxury, not a neccessity.
Our difference is that with no trade or "need" as you put it for an Edwards or #1 vet WR, we are left with nothing but hope...I don't see it manifesting into much in 2009 beyond a playoff appearance...Apparently you do...Which one of us do you think I hope is right?
Ok, movin' on...:o)
5 games does not make a career.
All of them: young and hungry. No divas, nobody feeling like they're owed something. All of them trying to earn their spot and make a name for themselves. All of them at every workout, every conditioning session, every OTA.
Eli's never, ever had that before here. Eli and the WR's are going to be the sharpest this year they've been in years. I'm telling you.
Defense is going to be absolutely sick and the O is looking much better now. The competition is gonna be fun.
Now, one last thing. Please god keep our team healthy. Please!
In the end we are fans...and we hope
Fortunately, unlike fans for most teams in the NFL, over the next couple of years, we have rational support for hoping.
Edwards could've easily come here and posted another 800-yard underwhelming season.
Reese obviously was not poo pooing the need for getting Eli weapons like many were. He attacked this weakness about as strong as anyone could attack a weakness in the draft.
They obviously didn't agree - as they used 2 premium draft picks at the position - 1 on a guy who is almost a carbon copy of Plax physically.
Hixon's best role on this team is as a backup WR and special teams ace. KR/PR and coverage.
We should be able to score more than the 16 that the D gave them.
What we need is a WR that is going to draw a double team....plain and simple. He doesn't even have to be as productive as Burress. He just has to scare defenses.