Becoming a Better Wide Receiver: Step 1

Hey guys! Sorry for not posting anything recently. As I talked about in my post before, I will be helping people become a better player at a position that I played and know a lot about. This will just be a step by step guide on how to become a better wide receiver.

Ok, so the first step during this process will be learning how to catch a football. If you already play the game you still might not have the best idea of how to catch a ball, or you might have been taught the wrong way. So, first things first, take both your hands and hold them out in front of you with your palms facing forward. Spread your fingers as if you were to give someone a high five. Now, tilt them a little bit and use both index and thumbs to make a spade symbol.

Like this:http://content5.videojug.com/5f/5f10053f-b38b-cad1-1587-ff0008ce7c00/how-to-catch-a-football.WidePlayer.jpg

Now that you have the correct position for your hands you are ready to catch the football. You always want to catch the ball out in front of you, never in your stomach as this will just make you get the wind knocked out of you and there is a better chance it could be deflected in the air off of your pads. Also, always make sure to catch the ball with the point of the football going into the spade, or that opening when you form your hands. Catching the ball in front of you decreases the chance of a defensive back getting to it and it also lets you see the ball coming into your hands. As catching it is only half the battle. Not too many people can catch with their eyes closed. My dad always told me, “Make sure you catch that ball before you start looking up field, because the second you take your eyes off that ball will be the difference between a catch and a dropped pass.” The number one thing I struggled with was deciding where I was going to run up field instead of keeping that extra second on the ball. So, for all the beginners it helps that every time you catch a football in practice watch it go into your hands, because if you don’t do it on the practice field then you’re not going to do it in a game.

A couple of tips:

·         Ask your coach if you can catch the ball always with one hand during drills. This is a simple way to improve your catching ability.

·         Once you make that catch make sure you tuck that ball in. Catching it with your hands extended and not pulling it back quick enough is an easy strip for a guy on defense.

·         Improve your ability to slowly bring your hands closer into your body while the ball comes closer, this helps for keeping the ball protected and will let you be quicker at cutting up field on a button – hook route.

·         ALWAYS expect to get hit right after the catch, being loose and relaxed after catching the ball can lead to injuries, always try to think that you might get nailed on a catch, so make sure your body is ready for impact.

·         TUCK IN THE BALL. This is a huge problem for new wide receivers. After you make that catch you need to secure it, because a fumbled ball won’t keep you in the game for long.

These are just some beginner tips for you guys to hopefully practice with. I guarantee you if you follow this simple advice then you will be seeing improvements on the field.  Also, the whole “catching with one hand” thing is ONLY for practice. Your coach will rip you apart if you drop a ball because you didn’t get two hands on it.

About Me

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you in on a couple of things about me and where I started the game of football. I've been watching football my whole life, literally, my dad and doctor were both watching a Dan Marino playoff game when my poor mother was giving birth to me!

Anyways, I started playing the game when I was 5 years old. It was for a flag football league which I would end up playing for, for 10 years. My first team that I was on was the Redskins. I never received much playing time, considering all the other kids on the team were six and seven years old. As I became older the more playing time I received.

I first fell in love with the game when I was about nine or ten. This is when I started watching NFL games and became interested in the NFL. Later on, my dad would teach me little by little and tell me his memories of the Miami Dolphins, back when Marino was the quarterback and our offense was an elite group( unlike recent years). When I first started becoming interested with players and stats was when I collected football cards( for the youngsters, this is a great way to learn a lot about the game, such as player names and what kind of statistics are recorded in the game).

Football eventually became an addiction for me. I would play everyday with anyone I could find, like my sister, dad, mom, friends, heck I was even throwing with my 65 year old babysitter. After playing the game for a couple years was when I started to become good at the game. Every year, my team would drive further and further in winning the super bowl of the flag football league. For flag football we had a rating system for how kids would be picked to teams. Every head coach and commissioner of the league would hold a group meeting about a month and half before the season started. Kids were graded on a 1-5 star scale and thats how the coaches drafted. With my hard work and dedication to the game I finally became a 5 star when I was about 10. At this time, my father and I had made great friends with a coach, Ed, and his son, Randy. Along with us came our great friend Zack ( the quarterback of the team). Our team was dominant and actually won back - to - back superbowls together. This was when I really became great at the game.

After my flag football career I ventured over to tackle football, where I met up with my buddy Randy and his dad Ed. We had a pretty good team and made it to the superbowl, although we lost. I was about 15, and this where I drew lest interest in playing the game. Not playing tackle football my whole kind of put me on edge all the time and I never really got used to the pads, and especially the helmets. During my freshman year of high school I played yet again. This time not playing very much at all, which I wasn't used to. Mostly because of injuries and lacking the "want" to play more. I quit after my freshman year and haven't put on the pads since.

Even though I stopped playing football is still my heart and soul, and my bread and butter. I simply love the game to death and that's why I shared all of this with you. I'm here to teach you some tips and tricks to the game and hopefully they'll help you out.

Positions mostly played, categorized by how frequent: Wide receiver, strong safety, corner back, quarterback, amd kick returner.

How can we rate Matt Moore?

The AFC East is one tough division, so how well does Matt Moore rate?

We all know who the number one quarterback is, and with out a doubt it's Tom Brady. No questions asked. He's led an offense of "unknown" talent into some of the best receiving threats in the NFL, such as Wes Welker, Rob Gronkrowski, and Aaron Hernandez. He ran a quick style offense that wasn't shut down once during the whole season, expect in the Super Bowl. His controlled attitude and the ability to make throws late into the game rank him number 1.

As for the Bills, they had quite an up and down season. Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing some great football, and was considered top 5 during the the first 4 weeks of the season. Then it kind of changed, they played a couple of away games, and thanks to the Dolphins the injury of Fred Jackson, who was putting up a bid for MVP honors. Later into the season, Fitz struggled with completions and late game drives which made them quickly out of playoff contentions, and also led the league in interceptions at 23.

The Jets, led by quarterback Mark Sanchez. Struggled through out the year. Some maybe already consider him a bust, but the reason why he has held his position is because of the back to back AFC championship games ( in which they both lost). His accuracy at times can be horrendous and which causes some of the losses for this team. Obviously, with a great amount of bad passes also leads to more interceptions with 18 on the year, but not as much as Fitzpatrick's 23. Also, resulting in a 8-8 record with playoff hopes gone, and ended their streak of the past two years making it.

Now comes Matt Moore, the Dolphins quarterback. A lot of people could say he played "OK" with his beginning struggles, but as a starter midway through the season he looked pretty good to me. I understand is first couple of losses resulting in not really knowing the starting receivers yet, that's understandable. But, the games where he went on a 3 game win streak really impressed me, having a quarterback rating of 147.5, 75.2, and 133.3. Not only that but he threw 6 touchdowns to 1 interception in that stretch. I think he has the tools to be a great quarterback for the Miami Dolphins and could turn this team around.

Quarterback Rankings:
1. Tom Brady
2. Matt Moore
3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
4. Mark Sanchez

Lamar Miller could provide utility play for the Miami Dolphins

Lamar Miller has highlight clips littered with quick runs during his two seasons at the University of Miami.

The Miami Dolphins, who picked Miller in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft, see endless possibilities for the rookie running back.
Such as kick returning. His explosive speed, and ability to squirt through tackles and race away making him an appealing prospect. With the Hurricanes, he had 15 kick returns for 376 yards and a touchdown.
“I think he has a chance,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said of kick returns. “I think he has a chance, there is a possibility. We will have to see, give him some opportunities and see how well he does.”
In 23 games, Miller had 335 carries for 1,918 yards and 15 touchdowns as a running back. He made some catches, too. One memorable one was a touchdown catch last season against Virginia Tech. Lined up in the backfield, Miller ran right as Jacory Harris lateraled left to Phillip Dorsett, who threw a deep pass. Miller was wide open, and made a diving catch in the end zone for the 16-yard score.
Philbin, who has employed offensive coordinator Mike Sherman to implement a new West Coast offense, sees possible uses for Miller beyond the backfield. Philbin got an up-close look at Miller last week during a rookie minicamp at the Dolphins’ training complex.
Miller had previously worked out for the Dolphins leading up to the draft.
“Well we liked it when he came over here, you know that we had the Miami Day, and we liked the way he caught the football,” Philbin said. “There’s a couple pictures of him being spread out and I think there’s a chance that down the road, once he gets acclimated, he might be able to spread himself out and play as a receiver, to a certain degree. I’m not saying he’s going to make a full position change, but I think that there is some flexibility with what you can do with the guy. I think he has some skills that we can utilize.”

Original Post found here: http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2012/05/lamar-miller-could-provide-utility-play-for-the-miami-dolphins.html

In His Own Words: Lamar Miller

After one of last week’s OTA practices, Jesse Agler caught up with Lamar Miller to see how he’s adjusting this summer. Here’s what he had to say:

On his progress

“I think I’ve  come a long way from the rookie mini-camp. During rookie mini-camp I had to get used to the players and tempo. Now, since the veterans came along in the OTA’s, it has been good to learn from some of the veterans such as Reggie Bush, Steve Slaton and Daniel Thomas, who are helping me and the other rookies out during the practice. We are just out there competing and getting better every day.”

On the veteran leaders

“It is always great learning from some of the guys who have been there in the situation when it’s crunch time during a game. I am just learning from some of them and just out there doing whatever to help the team win games.”

On the transition to the NFL

“I’m just getting the playbook down and knowing everything. I’m just being where you are supposed to be at all times. That is pretty much it.”

On his team role

“I think that will be determined later on. I am not sure where they are going to use me at. I am just ready to get on the field and help the team out the best way I can.”

On the praise he received from former coach Al Golden

“I feel it is always a great situation where Coach Golden is telling Jeff Ireland that [praise]. We are just trying to come in and compete. That is something we always did at the University of Miami. Just competing and trying to make our teammates better and play good on Sunday and be the best team we can be.”

On getting to know the fellow rookies

“I’ve talked to the majority of the rookies because we are always together, whether it is the rookie success or outside of football. I have been with Olivier [Vernon] all the time, but I am getting to know some of the other rookies.”

On giving back to the community

“It is always a great feeling to give back to the community because growing up some kids look up to people, and they wish to be in the same shoes you were in. It is always great giving back to the community and teaching the kids some of the things you know.”

Original post found here: http://thefinsiders.com/blog/2012/in-his-own-words-lamar-miller