Wednesday, October 28: Someone Else Doesn't Know Why Fred Davis Jumps
When Fred Davis made a catch during the game Monday night, I mentioned on Twitter that he "really loves to jump in the air for no discernible reason, doesn't he?" A couple of people agreed with me, and that was that. But the question sort of nagged at me: why DOES Davis seem to jump in the air every time he catches the ball, regardless of field position, down, distance, or any other details like that.
On Tuesday, I finally bit the bullet and asked him, and I've got some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that Davis is keenly aware of the bad habit -- he started laughing before I even finished the question -- and so are his coaches. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They say 'You shouldn't do that,'" he said. "They say, 'Just stay on the ground.'"
But Davis doesn't stay on the ground. He leaps, especially when large men in the opposing jersey are running at him, and the bad news is that even he doesn't seem to know quite why. He tried several reasons, though.
- First: "Man. I don't know, man. When you haven't been playing for awhile, sometimes you get outta shape a little bit. I feel kinda outta shape right now."
- Next: "I mean, it usually worked in college, but you've gotta set it up more. I haven't really been setting it up."
- Third: "There's a way you can do it, though, when they dive at your legs. But they ain't diving at me; they're trying to hit me high. So I gotta stop doing that until they start hitting me low."
The last bit of good news, though, is that Davis -- as promised -- was in today, working with tight ends coach Scott Wachenheim while the rest of the players were away for the first day of their bye week. Between that and the word from head coach Jim Zorn that Chris Cooley may be back in four weeks, this was a surprisingly good day for news about the Redskins tight ends.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-28-2009 @ 7:38PM
Ninja said...
Didn't Gary Clark love to jump every time he caught the ball??
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10-29-2009 @ 12:05PM
Mia said...
he did, but the fact is: when someone knows that at ANY moment, his knees could be taken out..it is a subconscious action..(i know every time i go on a roller coaster, my palms sweat..) i believe it is like a grasshopper hops..*nudge on the pun there...LOL!
10-28-2009 @ 7:47PM
cjmrfix said...
If your a true fan you know all the words (and can sing them loud and proud) to the fight song. Which unfortunatly I'm sure none of the players and the coaches could do. But as I am now emberessed to be a fan I thought that this would be appropriate from now on
WHAIL TO THE DEADSKINS
WHAIL DEFEAT
WIMPS ON THE BENCHES
CRY FOR OL'DC
FUMBLE, INT, AND NOT SCORE
WILL WE EVER GET MORE?
BEAT US, KICK US, WE SUCK
WILL THE POINTS EVER SOAR?
CRY ON...CRY ON...
TILL YOU HAVE LOST
GIRLS OF WASHINGTON
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
WHAIL TO THE DEADSKINS
WHAIL DEFEAT
WIMPS ON THE BENCHES
CRY FOR OL'DC
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10-28-2009 @ 8:12PM
davevernet said...
that was weak cjmrfix
10-28-2009 @ 8:39PM
rufwork said...
The comparison is moot, I know, but I asked a guy why he always jumped when catching playing Ultimate -- which is a non-contact sport where you're supposed to stop after catching it. Very non-NFL like.
Still, it was goofy looking. Why? I was told it allowed him to ignore footing issues and concentrate on the catch. After paying it more attention, it turned out I was doing something similar when passes were a little high, jumping to put the disc back "on the numbers" as it were.
I missed Davis jumping -- is it *during* the catch?
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10-28-2009 @ 9:56PM
Stoney said...
ejmrflx
B E L O W M E E E E
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10-29-2009 @ 1:07AM
geagin said...
Receivers tend to jump for a subtle, psychological reason. When you are running and trying to keep your eye on an incoming ball, long strides jolt your head and the ball thus appears to be bouncing around. If you jump, it removes the jolting and the view of the ball smoothes out. The better technique is to shorten the steps, which has the same smoothing effect, and allows the receiver to change direction more quickly after the catch.
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10-29-2009 @ 8:53AM
petebozick said...
Thanks for finally asking him Matt. So I guess the answer is that no one knows why he jumps so much. Did he play track and field in college or something?
I guess as long as he doesn't fumble (like past games) or get injured (knock on wood), I'm o.k. with it.
Have a great day.
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10-29-2009 @ 9:26AM
FalloftheSnyderEmpire said...
Forget Fred Davis, he is the least interesting part of this team right now.
Instead, let's keep looking at how the media is portraying our Washington Redskins:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/10/around_the_horn_tackles_the_si.html#comments
Matt, do you think all these people (Steinberg, ESPN's Around the Horn, Dave McKenna (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=37987), Mr. Irrelevant, etc.) just have the story wrong about Redskins management organizing an effort to remove anti-Snyder and anti-Ceratto expressions from Fedex field?
Regardless, this is more terrible PR news for the Redskins (i.e. that the sign ban story went national last night). Is there any coordinated effort by the Redskins to clearly address this issue now in an attempt at salvaging something good out of it, or is everyone at Ashburn just hoping this is going to blow over? Sending out the chief lawyer for the Redskins to talk to people in the media - angrily talk to them, by the way - is NOT a winning PR strategy. It's not a strategy at all, in fact. Donovan should be holding meetings in his offices, not going on the Mike Wise show and bloviating everywhere.
I have a feeling it's going to remain an issue for the rest of the year now at every home game. People are angry about this. I just can't believe a billion dollar organization is so ham-fisted in dealing with its customers.
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10-30-2009 @ 10:59AM
svucci said...
If they won't listen to former players like Sonny, Joe and John Riggins, it's hopeless. All say Vinny has to go and Snyder stay out of the operations.
10-29-2009 @ 1:13PM
Matt Terl said...
As I said yesterday, no, I don't believe there's a concerted top-down effort to remove anti-ownership sentiments from FedExField. If Steinz, McKenna, the Mottrams, et al. are alleging that, then, yes, I disagree with them.
(Also, I find Fred Davis's efforts to shed the bust label and replace an all-pro tight end pretty interesting.)
10-29-2009 @ 11:17AM
richardasmithjr said...
well theres not much to say about this o so we need to work on defense. We need to blitz around haynesworth. No one person can block him one-on-one so blitz the gaps beside him and get all the inside push you need. Orakpo is not a lb. Hes given up 2 tds this season in coverage so he needs to be on the line. Think he only rushes the qb on 3rd and long and has 3.5 sacks. He comes off the edge fast so we need to take advantage of that. Carter only had 4 sacks all of last year and now he has 6.5, so just think if the redskins would line up carter,griffin,haynesworth, and orakpo and blitz the gaps besides haynesworth, this top 5 defense could be 1.
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10-29-2009 @ 12:19PM
Mia said...
Defense is NOT the word..I believe Campbell has lost his "mojo" and needs to regroup..it kinda reminds me of the Cleveland Browns "Bernie Kozar" who lost it then went to Dallas..hmm do you think we could do that?! Send him to Dallas?! (he needs to be second string..either that..or find another home for this man..if he "does not play well with others". I see him as not a good team player, and not focused..when the announcer said that he (Campbell) went to his players to "help celebrate" our touchdown..RIGHT THERE..should have told us (THE FANS) that Campbell needs to be pushed to the second string..and let a new light shine..because you know..if you are not a team-player it messes up the season, and the money income..
I know when i had listened to/watched a couple of games..i heard that COOLEY and RANDEL EL were open for a TD pass, and Campbell omitted them..NOT a team-player to me, when we have the power to score, and move the football. (Guys, THIS is coming from a FEMALE..if I CAN SEE THIS..happening..then we must push this issue to the end of the line. Granted, (playing devil's advocate..Campbell has some good passes here/there..but really..more THEN than here or there..)
I think he needs rehabilitation for his mind, body, soul. Somehow, his head is working, and his body, and soul are not REDSKIN MATERIAL.
10-29-2009 @ 12:51PM
ramedina65 said...
The next question Matt needs to ask Davis is, when will you learn to block?...Cooley will be sorely missed on the offensive line when it comes to what little protection there is...This is Davis' 2nd year...he should have picked up on some type of technique or will we continue to chart him as a "work in progress" as we have with 5th year "rookie" JC....
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10-29-2009 @ 1:15PM
Matt Terl said...
He was working on it yesterday. And probably today as well, although I haven't specifically seen him. And almost certainly for the whole week afterward. He talked openly about his shortcomings as a blocker, and he's eager to get it corrected.
10-29-2009 @ 1:14PM
Paul said...
Actually the next question should be..
Dan..What is it like at Ashburn in the bunker right now?..Is Danny running around yelling at everyone that "youre fired"..or standing in a corner mumbling to himself in German like Hitler did? Actually it would be nice if he ended up the way Hitler did. Does Danny and Donovan confer with Vinny and Punchdaclock(Larry Micheals) in the shadows at the park. Does Larry feel feel the heat as well. Are Vinny and Larry helping each other update their resumes.
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10-29-2009 @ 1:54PM
FalloftheSnyderEmpire said...
OK Matt, fair enough.
Do you think that coverage of the team in the local and national media over the issue of signs is misguided, then? Much ado about nothing? Misinformed?
I guess I just wonder at this point what you think about all this negative coverage: from the WaPost, the WaTimes, WaCityPaper, WUSA-9, Hogs Haven, Mr. Irrelevant, USAToday's The Huddle blog, to name but a few of the media outlets criticizing the Redskins' sign policy. If you need reference links for all these stories, start with the WaPo's Bports Bog.
What do you think of this coverage? Is it all wrong, Matt?
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10-29-2009 @ 2:02PM
Matt Terl said...
There's a difference between the coverage of events and the extrapolation from those events to (your words) "Redskins management organizing an effort to remove anti-Snyder and anti-Ceratto expressions from Fedex field".
The events occurred; I'm not disputing that.
The coverage of them has been negative -- in many cases rightfully so; I'm not disputing that.
But -- as I've said repeatedly -- I don't agree with the theory that this is a conspiracy. And, to be fair, much of the coverage hasn't alleged any such thing either.
10-29-2009 @ 2:25PM
FalloftheSnyderEmpire said...
"Redskins management organizing an effort to remove anti-Snyder and anti-Ceratto expressions from Fedex field" does not (necessarily) equal "conspiracy."
I have not once used the word conspiracy in any of my comments, ever, on any blog. Especially this blog. Never. You are now "extrapolating" from my "theory" that when I write "Redskins management organizing an effort to remove anti-Snyder and anti-Ceratto expressions from Fedex field" I really mean "conspiracy."
Come on, Matt. Don't put words in my mouth. As you can see, I already have plenty there as it is (ba dum bum!).
Seriously, all I am doing is asking about what you think of the coverage. If you see the coverage, yes they are reporting facts, but a great many of the facts include fan indignation at Fedex security taking away the right to freely express themselves (which Dan Snyder has every right to do on his property, yes). Do you see any meaning beyond the facts of these events, Matt?
I find your continued assertion that all of these suppression events - including the removal of t-shirts and stopping of chants - were simply the result of random, individual decisions made by security guards all over the stadium, with no direction or guidance from anyone else (i.e. supervisors and/or other managers), pretty untenable at this point.
Come back to us, Matt! We like you. Try looking at the internet outside your workplace, that might help clear your head.
Thanks again for all you answers. I am being a jerk, but I think this whole sign, t-shirt, chant suppression thing is just...well, I think it speaks for itself.
I guess you don't.
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10-29-2009 @ 2:36PM
Matt Terl said...
Fair point, and I shouldn't have ascribed a word to you that you didn't use.
I read everything you've listed and then some, every day. I've seen all these stories. In some cases, I've spoken to the reporters in question and heard even more anecdotes that haven't gotten published. And I still reached my stated conclusion.
I'm not saying -- nor did I ever intend to say -- that these were all random events, but whatever organization existed I believe occurred at a much, much, MUCH lower level than people seem to want to believe.
Nothing ever speaks for itself; events require people to interpret them. You and I interpret these events differently. That's all.