Question: Importance of WR Route Running?

[4Q Basket Case]

May be a stupid question, but it won't be the first one I've asked. For those more knowledgeable about the finer points of the game: Why is good route running so important to the passing game?

Please understand, I'm not talking about being in the entirely wrong place on the field. If the WR breaks out to the sideline when he's supposed to run a post, the problem is more a flat-out mistake than a sloppy route.

There are just so many variables that influence precisely where the WR is on the field relative to the QB at any given instant -- where the WR is lined up at the snap, if he's in motion at the snap, the speed of his motion, whether the DB gets a good chuck at the line, the speed and direction of the QB's drop, whether he's under pressure and how he reacts to that pressure, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

It would seem to the untrained eye (mine) that all those factors would overwhelm any minor advantage gained by making a cut here vs. two feet over there.

But I'm picking up that one reason the passing game is expected to be better in 2010 is that more experienced receivers run better routes. I'm also picking up that a small deviation in the route makes a big difference in the completion percentage.

So what constitutes a good route? As a fan watching from the stands, are there any telltale signs of good vs. bad route running I could watch for?

 

[AlexanderFan]

Crisp routes help open a receiver by getting seperation from dbs. This can be done by selling the deep route then digging in hard for a curl route, or vice versa. Also hard cuts on the outs and ins allow valuable space for qbs to put the ball in.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[buzzincuzzin]

Spacing combinations is key. ie... spreading/stretching the field creating throwing/running lanes. Then the obvious "if the route is off by a yard so is the pass". Stabler was one of the best ever at throwing to a spot knowing the receiver would be there.

 

[Bama1970]

A wr running sloppy routes is easier to cover. If his cuts are more "rounded" than sharp, its easier for the db to stay with him. I don't care how good a db is, a wr who makes sharp cuts is all but impossible to cover closely.

 

[TexasBama]

Timing and the QB putting the ball in right place.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[tidefan39817]

you can discuss speed, height, leaping ability and what not all day long, but if a WR can not run a good route he isn't worth a flip. Jerry Rice was never the fastest or most athleticly gifted WR in the NFL. He was just the hardest working and had the best route running ability of anyone. He was where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be. if the route was a 5 yard out on a 3 step drop...Montana/Young knew without looking where rice was going to be.

 

[tidefanbeezer]

you can discuss speed, height, leaping ability and what not all day long, but if a WR can not run a good route he isn't worth a flip. Jerry Rice was never the fastest or most athleticly gifted WR in the NFL. He was just the hardest working and had the best route running ability of anyone. He was where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be. if the route was a 5 yard out on a 3 step drop...Montana/Young knew without looking where rice was going to be.

Same with Manning and Marvin Harrison. Because of Harrison's crisp routes, Manning could deliver the ball to a specific spot and know that it would arrive at the exact same time that Marvin did. Very difficult to defend that.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Of course, the pros have a lot more time and continuity to work on it. Spurrier's offense gave a lot more freedom to the WRs, but his QBs still knew the tendencies and habits of the WRs...

 

[thunderz7]

QBs knowing tendencies is key,
Crisp cuts, jukes and fakes to get seperation,
we haven't had enough people open for such a long time.

Some of it gets back to the QB and O-line and how much time the QB has,
Our run blocking is great now,
our pass blocking has gotten better every year since Connelly has been gone,
QB still needs a little more time though.

When our pass blocking gets near the level of our run blocking,
play action will be almost unstopable.

A key word also is RECIEVER,
when you have so many drops every game,
those are not receivers,
they are droppers.
I am talking about balls hitting "receivers" in the hands.

 

[Relayer]

I would add that against top competition the difference between a pass broken up, intercepted, or completed can be a matter of inches. Precise routes can create the extra few inches of separation that mean a successful completion.

 

[mittman]

I would add that against top competition the difference between a pass broken up, intercepted, or completed can be a matter of inches. Precise routes can create the extra few inches of separation that mean a successful completion.

Exactly.

"A perfect throw is indefensible" is an often used cliché. "A perfect combination of route and throw is extremely difficult to defend" is more accurate.

 

[Crimson Blood]

A good recieving route is important for more reasons than just "getting open". I played slot black in high school and many of the routes we ran had nothing to do with catching the ball. It can be about setting up blocking angles or getting a defensive player to follow you to an area of the field that is actually away from the play. It can be about getting linebackers, corners, and safety's out of position. Routes need to be run crisp and clean everytime, no matter if the reciever is going to get the ball or not. The diffference between a good route and a bad one could be 6 points... for either team.