Lots of long catches next goal for Bills’ Lynch

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, June 15, 2009  |  Comments( 58 )

Buffalo Bills
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While Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch caught more passes last season, he still needs to get more. His 47 catches during 2008 was a good total, but the 300 exact yards he gained from them was not. Coordinator Turk Schonert did a decent job using his star back’s secondary dimension, and the goal this season is to get bigger gains for the player after he takes that first step during Week 4.

Lynch’s 6.4-yard rate of return in the passing game was unsettlingly low. It put him at 135th best out of the 138 players who qualified by catching at least 30 passes during 2008. By comparison, teammate Fred Jackson’s 38 receptions for 317 means his average was 8.6; he was one of almost all players who surpassed his teammate.

The Oakland native did far less with each pass in 2008 than the year before. Lynch only received 18 balls during his rookie season, but his 10.2 average allowed him to at least get 184 air yards. It’s clear Lynch is capable of creating lengthier pass plays based on both his work in 2007 and his somewhat obvious running ability. Unfortunately, his aerial-based production worsened as last season progressed. The only bright news is that it wasn’t entirely his fault.

His output crested on Nov. 2, a 42-yard reception in the first New York Jets matchup, was his longest of the season. It was one of the three he caught that game for 52 total yards. But that was Lynch’s peak.

He played seven more games and, while he caught 20 passes in them, they only collectively went for 101 yards. Basically, each catch was on average the equivalent of a decent rush. Factor incompletions sent his way, and it would have been better to just hand Lynch the ball every time.

So, what caused his yield to sink? The troubles started when he caught no passes during Buffalo’s ninth game, the first bout with the New England Patriots. Lynch followed that by reeling in 10 throws against the Cleveland Browns; alarmingly, he only gained 58 yards from them on a night when Trent Edwards could barely hit receivers out of his wingspan.

The next week saw Lynch catch five for 25 against the Kansas City Chiefs in a contest where the Bills didn’t need him to do more than that. After that, J.P. Losman happened. Lynch was the recipient of five passes over the three games in which Losman appeared for 18 stinking yards.

The Cal man had 27 catches for 199 yards up to and including that earliest Jets game, good for a slightly respectable 7.4 rate. But it all changed when the Bills visited New England: Along with the rest of the roster, he suddenly faced an uphill struggle which led to his efficiency going downhill. As with virtually every other season with this team this decade, facing the Patriots was their Saratoga-style turning point.

A few odious drops scattered throughout the campaign may have hurt both quarterbacks’ faith in him. But Lynch didn’t fail to catch frequently enough to make it an epidemic. As for 2009, quarterback constancy will of course be of great assistance. Plus, what would help the back even more would be better fellow options.

For one, a fine pass-catching tight end would at least open some field, ground which could be exploited by Lynch to get open and then run. Rookie Shawn Nelson will get numerous chances, so he needs to be ready.

Plus, the Terrell Owens Affect means that deep defenders will often shy away from the line of scrimmage for fear of getting beaten by the long ball. If Owens plays as well as he thinks he does, it will aid Lynch’s gains per grab.

That’s accurate even if Lynch is just playing safety valve: More legitimate passing targets will lure the final seven defenders. Lynch will then not only have room to make a reception but also run afterward. He’ll gobble more ground if his teammates can win more attention.
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