The Jacoby Jones thread

**FadeToBlack** · 02-06-2013, 11:02 PM

He catches the Flacco bomb over Rahim Moore to send us to overtime in cold-ass Denver, he catches the heave from Flacco vs. the 49ers, rolls, gets up, spins & jukes his way to the wide side of the end zone and returns the 2nd half kickoff for the TD.

Oh yeah, and he had a pretty good season too.

MY GOD, let's talk Jacoby Jones!!!!!!!!!!

**Shambla** · 02-06-2013, 11:18 PM

Best return man in the game right now.

**bt12483** · 02-06-2013, 11:21 PM

I still don't think he can catch for a lick (uses his body not his hands)...but I'll be damned if he didn't come up huge this year.

**RavenScallywag** · 02-06-2013, 11:22 PM

He seems like one of those guys that's really more a luxury for a run. I'd love to keep him around to stick it to Houston, but I think he's going to be too much to retain without contributing more as a WR.

**FadeToBlack** · 02-06-2013, 11:51 PM

Without Jacoby Jones, we are not
champions.

Nuff said.

**acn2f** · 02-07-2013, 12:16 AM

I love Jacoby too. As the OP said, he was integral in what are without question 2 of the 3 biggest plays of our season (F-bomb catch and 2nd half KO return). But I know most of you are lying if you don't (proverbially) pray that he isn't going to drop the damn ball on a given punt or kick return. I don't recall if he actually lost any of the balls on muffed catches, but I felt like he would muff a kick or punt at least once a game. Maybe its just me being overly critical or a strange sample bias of the ONLY punt returner in the NFL for whom I watched every single return attempt, but I must not be the only one whose stomach turns right before he catches it or when he is moving through traffic with that ball way out wide from his body.

**Sephy** · 02-07-2013, 12:26 AM

Yeah, he still can't be relied on to just cleanly catch a punt time after time, but damned if he isn't super dangerous with the ball in his hands.

**duffybr** · 02-07-2013, 12:28 AM

He could be essential in that with 4 and 5 wide formations he and smith can open up the middle for young slot receivers and we could live without boldin and save alot of cap space. New England has done well by letting guys go a year too early instead of a year too late. Something we could improve on some. Boldin and Reed are expensive and in positions where we are strong and have young talent with more on the way in the draft. The addition of Webb more than offsets the loss of Reed. Love them both but...

**Shas** · 02-08-2013, 03:00 PM

After seeing him on Kimmel I couldn't help but wonder what Texans fans were thinking after shoving him out the door and now seeing him play like this in the playoffs (along with former Texans Pollard and Leach for that matter). Here's a long thread on a Texans message board that starts by applauding his release (with a few "wish him wells" thrown in) ... and that ends with some rationalization about what could have been.

While on the topic of scooping up players the Texans give up on, keep an eye on Connor Barwin. If Paul Kruger gets a huge offer -- and you have to figure he's going to command a 5-year/$40million deal -- could Conner be a cheaper option? It's hard to say what his market value is because of consistency. He was hurt in 2010, had 11.5 sacks in 2011, and just 4.5 sacks this year. If that scares off teams who would rather give money to a player on the upswing, theoretically, like Kruger, then who knows.

That's probably not very sound analysis, but I have to like the idea of acquiring another jettisoned Texan. It's just one of those coincidences I like to ponder. Kind of like the Ravens being the fourth team in the last four years to win the Super Bowl after playing in the Eagles' home opener (Saints, Packers, Giants, Ravens).

**The Excellector** · 02-08-2013, 03:15 PM

I already apologized to the man. What more do you want? lol.

I think a Texans poster said it best, that Flacco made catching easier for him, because those bombs came down like punts.

**Shas** · 02-08-2013, 03:23 PM

Anyone notice that on the Prayer In Thin Air catch Jacoby made in Denver he doesn't catch the ball with his hands? He lets it bounce off his pads and then it drops down into his hands. He kind of cradles it like a punt. (clearest on final replay of this clip)

I can say it now, but can you imagine if that poor technique had led to him dropping the winning TD in Denver. Just saying.

**The Excellector** · 02-08-2013, 03:26 PM

He's a basket catcher. Always has been. Schaub just couldn't put the ball like that.

**burnwood** · 02-08-2013, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

Anyone notice that on the Prayer In Thin Air catch Jacoby made in Denver he doesn't catch the ball with his hands? He lets it bounce off his pads and then it drops down into his hands. He kind of cradles it like a punt. (clearest on final replay of this clip)

I can say it now, but can you imagine if that poor technique had led to him dropping the winning TD in Denver. Just saying.

He caught it like that in the SB too.

**Shas** · 02-08-2013, 03:59 PM

While falling on his ass. How can a guy who is so fine with the dance moves be so spaz with the catches?

**Boulderraven** · 02-08-2013, 03:59 PM

He was this SB run equivalent of Shannon Sharpe. What a GREAT move OZZIE!!! Brilliant.

**Shas** · 02-08-2013, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Boulderraven

He was this SB run equivalent of Shannon Sharpe. What a GREAT move OZZIE!!! Brilliant.

Not to quibble, but I would have said that Anquan played the role of Shannon Sharpe. I'd compare Jacoby Jones to Jermaine Lewis (although you have to accept that a street free agent is like a fifth round draft pick).

**Real Fan Dan** · 02-08-2013, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Shas

Anyone notice that on the Prayer In Thin Air catch Jacoby made in Denver he doesn't catch the ball with his hands? He lets it bounce off his pads and then it drops down into his hands. He kind of cradles it like a punt. (clearest on final replay of this clip)

I can say it now, but can you imagine if that poor technique had led to him dropping the winning TD in Denver. Just saying.

A lot of folks have said that was a lucky throw and catch and we were lucky the Denver safety misread it. After seeing the same play with the same results in the Super Bowl I believe that both were designed plays to take advantage of Joe's ability to throw a long, high arcing pass intentionally angled to fool defenders, and Jacoby's ability to read the angle and make a non-standard punt like reception. I think thy planned it and practised the hell out of it. In both cases it was the same type of pass and catch, and in both cases the defender completely misread it. In Denver their guy took the wrong angle and in the SB, the SF guy overan the play. Result: 2 TD's.

**bmorecareful** · 02-08-2013, 04:25 PM

I think he needs to stick around for a while. Great player who fits what we want to do and seems like a great guy.

He's not without his faults. His hands/catching technique are downright bad, and if we would have lost one of the several kicks he muffed over the postseason we'd likely be singing a different tune.

I think he'd be best as a dedicated, full-time return specialist who maybe played on a handful of "package" plays a game, basically Devin Hester. I think it's overworking him to ask him to return all kicks and punts and also play a lot of snaps as the #3.

**leachisabeast** · 02-08-2013, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by bmorecareful

I think he needs to stick around for a while. Great player who fits what we want to do and seems like a great guy.

He's not without his faults. His hands/catching technique are downright bad, and if we would have lost one of the several kicks he muffed over the postseason we'd likely be singing a different tune.

I think he'd be best as a dedicated, full-time return specialist who maybe played on a handful of "package" plays a game, basically Devin Hester. I think it's overworking him to ask him to return all kicks and punts and also play a lot of snaps as the #3.

IMO he is better than Devin Hester as a pure receiver, but yeah, I agree with this post.

**ballhawk** · 02-08-2013, 04:59 PM

Our offense didn't become dynamic until Caldwell put Jones on the outside with Smith. That's a lot of speed and it opened everything up for boldin and the TEs. Keep him in there as a decoy if nothing else. He needs to be on the field.

They going to let leach walk and play more 3 wide sets. Jones will have a big role next year.