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I still don't understand why Kevin Norwood didn't see the field more this season
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:31 pm
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:31 pm
I always felt this way even before the BCS National Championship Game. It seemed like Norwood didn't get a lot of playing time even though he always seemed to make plays whenever he was on the field. He was also one of the few players with great size in the receiving corps this season. I came upon this chart on Roll Bama Roll.
Norwood led the team in yards per target and yards per catch. He was clearly one of the most productive wide receivers when he was on the field yet he was only the eighth most targeted receiver this season. It doesn't make any sense. The guy scores a really nice TD against Penn State early in 2010 and he doesn't catch another pass game until the Georgia State in the second to last week of the season. He was one of the few offensive players that was making big plays in the Mississippi State game yet he hardly saw the field for the previous seven weeks after the Penn State game. I just don't understand these long stretches where Norwood seems to disappear to the coaching staff even those his play seems to be warrant more playing time.
Norwood led the team in yards per target and yards per catch. He was clearly one of the most productive wide receivers when he was on the field yet he was only the eighth most targeted receiver this season. It doesn't make any sense. The guy scores a really nice TD against Penn State early in 2010 and he doesn't catch another pass game until the Georgia State in the second to last week of the season. He was one of the few offensive players that was making big plays in the Mississippi State game yet he hardly saw the field for the previous seven weeks after the Penn State game. I just don't understand these long stretches where Norwood seems to disappear to the coaching staff even those his play seems to be warrant more playing time.
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Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:36 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
Well, that is surprising. However, after his performance in the NC alone, I think he will. He left me speechless. I didn't even have time to get worried about Maze being hurt. Step up big time. Now, I don't want to start a rumor, but has he had some discipline problems? I hope not, he had a Julioesque performance.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:38 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
Being a receiver in Bama's offense is more than catching the ball when it's tossed your way. There's proper route running and blocking and that's usually what keeps some off the field.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:39 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
I hope he breaks out more next year. Played against him in High School, and really hope he gets more time.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:41 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
Norwood probably has the best hands of any WR on the team. Chances are he doesn't know the playbook as well as they want him to.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:41 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
He wasn't gonna get Maze's or Hanks' minutes.. I heard that it was also based on practice consistency... Bell and White are pretty good and needed minutes... he will get his chance to be the man this season.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 7:42 pm to Robot Santa
Excellent point.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:20 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
I think it was just a matter of Saban playing the older, more experienced WR's.
As far as talk about him not knowing the playbook or having discipline problems, maybe, but he seems like a very well-mannered intelligent kid. I'm not typically a FB stalker, but somehow I ended up being friends with two Bama players - Eddie Lacy and Kevin Norwood. Norwood obviously paid attention in school because he writes better than 80% of my FB friends.
As far as talk about him not knowing the playbook or having discipline problems, maybe, but he seems like a very well-mannered intelligent kid. I'm not typically a FB stalker, but somehow I ended up being friends with two Bama players - Eddie Lacy and Kevin Norwood. Norwood obviously paid attention in school because he writes better than 80% of my FB friends.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:21 pm to Teague
2010 PSU game, Norwood flipped into the end zone on that first TD. Enter the doghouse, Norwood.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:23 pm to 3rdandlong83
quote:
2010 PSU game, Norwood flipped into the end zone on that first TD. Enter the doghouse, Norwood.
That was a long time ago and he's played since then. Maze had some similar penalties early in his career too.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:38 pm to Teague
Then it's either not practicing hard enough or Saban favoring older players, which Norwood will be in 2012.
Can't be the playbook...Bama's playbook can't be that difficult for a competent football player to understand.
Can't be the playbook...Bama's playbook can't be that difficult for a competent football player to understand.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:39 pm to Teague
There is ridiculous talent at WR right now. Shinn,Norwood, White, Bell,and all of the incouming WRs are fighting for the few balls that won't go the the RBs or TEs next year.
Michael Williams is going to get a lot of balls next year and the RBs will always get a lot of balls. There are maybe 12-15 passes thrown to WR in a given game. Very few chances to make plays.
Not alot of chances to make plays.
Michael Williams is going to get a lot of balls next year and the RBs will always get a lot of balls. There are maybe 12-15 passes thrown to WR in a given game. Very few chances to make plays.
Not alot of chances to make plays.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:42 pm to BhamDore
I hope Michael Williams gets more passes his way next year. He always seems to be the go to guy on trick plays, too, going back to the 2010 UF game
Posted on 1/26/12 at 8:44 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
i just named him in the 'most respect for' thread. guy made some tough grabs.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 9:19 pm to Unbiased Bama Fan
Honestly, the #3 & 4 WR spots have been kind of puzzling since Saban arrived.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 9:22 pm to Robot Santa
I'd say his hands are on par with Carter's.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 9:35 pm to AllBamaDoesIsWin
KN is not a slot receiver. He is better suited for split end. He has good hands and good physical abilities but what he does not have is good blocking skills. With the way SEC teams (and likely most D-1 teams) scout, until his blocking skills improve the other team would be expecting a pass if he is in the game.
KN would play in a game but not get good grades for his blocking and someone else would get the chance the next game. Most of the younger receivers had the same problem.
KN would play in a game but not get good grades for his blocking and someone else would get the chance the next game. Most of the younger receivers had the same problem.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 9:41 pm to Teague
quote:
2010 PSU game, Norwood flipped into the end zone on that first TD. Enter the doghouse, Norwood.
It demonstrates a mind set that could be more ME and less TEAM than is desired in a receiver that needs to block well when they're on the field.
Saban has recruited the position of receiver as hard as any position on the team, harder than many.
I expect to see 2 or 3 superstars step up sooner or later due to the emphasis put on recruiting that position.
Norwood may be one that makes a move.
This post was edited on 1/26/12 at 9:43 pm
Posted on 1/26/12 at 10:35 pm to LOYALBAMA
I thought he's had some nagging injuries that kept him out of the rotation.
Posted on 1/26/12 at 10:55 pm to SECFan413
quote:
he's had some nagging injuries that kept him out of the rotation.
and also everything yall have said about, blocking and older players and bell and white earning their time too.
bama didnt play three wide recievers very often. maze and hanks were pretty well established at the top two spots. Norwood is not a "Julioesque" talent, as someone said. He stepped up when he got his chance and all the props in the world to him for that, but he's not really a gamechanger. although he might be now, after he let his nuts hang all over a heisman candidate in the biggest game of his life.
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