Dwayne Bowe wants to make big-time plays in big-time games

[FloridaMan88]

Dwayne Bowe wants to make big-time plays in big-time game

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/01/01...-make-big.html

BY RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star

Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe knows there’s a difference between making catches and making plays.

Bowe has caught 57 passes this season but has produced few of the signature or game-altering plays that have distinguished his seven seasons as the second-leading receiver in franchise history.

He knows it. His coaches know it. And they all realize Bowe is going to have to make an impact Saturday for the Chiefs to defeat Indianapolis in an opening-round AFC playoff game.

“Your game-changer type players have to show up and make those plays,” offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said.

Bowe, who signed a five-year-contract extension worth up to $56 million last spring and predicted he’d lead the league in receiving, failed to lead the Chiefs in receiving for the first time in five years.

That honor went to running back Jamaal Charles, who caught 70 passes for a team-leading 693 yards and seven touchdowns.

But Charles, called “Public Enemy No. 1” by Colts coach Chuck Pagano, will be a marked man in Indianapolis. So someone else may need to make the big plays on offense.

“I’m ready to go,” Bowe said Wednesday. “Games like this … big-time players make big-time plays, and these are games I mostly show up in … everything on the line, and great preparation all week. It’s win or go home …”

Actually, Bowe was held without a catch in his only postseason appearance, the Chiefs’ 30-7 loss to Baltimore in 2010. The Chiefs had the ball for only 18 minutes, 16 seconds and attempted just 18 passes.

Bowe figures to be targeted early and often against the Colts, as he was two weeks ago when he was targeted 10 times in the Chiefs’ 23-7 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. Bowe caught a pass for nine yards on the first play and drew a pass interference call on the second.

In all, Bowe caught five passes for 46 yards against the Colts and suffered what turned out to be a mild concussion in the fourth quarter when he was struck in the head/neck area by Indianapolis safety LaRon Landry.

Landry, a former college teammate of Bowe’s at LSU, where they were both first-round draft picks in 2007, was called for a personal foul. Bowe left the game, returned for another play, and even practiced last Tuesday before complaining of concussion-like symptoms.

He was held out of last Sunday’s game at San Diego, like most of the other starters, and returned to practice this week.

“I’m fine,” Bowe said. “I had a little minor headache. It was nothing big. Coach was going to rest me anyway. I had time to rest and recover and be fresh for this game.”

The injury didn’t frighten Bowe, even in this day of concussion awareness.

“I didn’t look at like that because I didn’t feel as bad as others felt who had concussions,” Bowe said. “I felt a little tired. There wasn’t any dizziness or problems with vomit … or none of that stuff. It was mainly just fatigue.”

Nor did Bowe harbor any resentment to Landry.

“He was just playing football,” Bowe said. “I talked to him after the game. It wasn’t a dirty hit or anything like that. I was going down, and he was going down. … it’s football. Things like that happen. It wasn’t a vicious or bad hit.”

Bowe, 6 feet 2 and 221 pounds, should enjoy matchup advantages over the Colts’ smaller corners, Vontae Davis, who is 5-11, 204; Greg Toler, 6-0, 190; and Josh Gordy, 5-11, 196.

“The one thing Dwayne is really doing really well right now is utilizing his size and strength, and it’s creating some space for him,” Pederson said. “We want to, get him going, get his hands on the ball as early as we can, because you know somewhere in the second half, he is going to make that clutch play and you have confidence going back to him.”

Bowe, a Pro Bowler in 2010, has accepted his role of doing a lot of the dirty work of running routes that clear space for Charles and blocking downfield on the screens that have worked so well for the Chiefs.

“Everybody has their year … and I’m just proud to be part of a team,” Bowe said. “We have a lot of guys playing the role I had previously in my career. Being an all-around receiver both blocking and receiving … to see those guys prosper … I feel good and happy to be their teammate.”

Some might interpret that as Bowe, 29, admitting he has lost a step and his ability to create separation from defensive backs. Don’t believe it.

“I still got it,” Bowe said. “I’m showing it each and every day in practice. The coaches know I got it. I’m setting up a lot of great things for the offense you see we’re doing right now.”

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by planetdoc

Dwayne Bowe Working With a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer For First Time in Career

I sure hope its not his Grandma

[Easy 6]

I'm withholding judgement on his play last year, I've been such a big fan for a long time that I'm going to simply wait for him to show me this year.

And truth be told, he may never again reach his old numbers, Smith likes to spread it around, I've lost count of how many times last year where we had 6, 7, 8 receivers in a game... I just want him to maximize the targets he does get more often.

If he has more games like Indy this year, I'll remain a big fan... he's a homeskillet man, gotta give him another chance.

[Mr. Arrowhead]

lets be honest D bowe is not the smartest cat out there, maybe it took him a full year to learn the brand new playbook and to get on par with Alex Smith.

[Mr. Laz]

I want to Kate Upton.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Iconic

He didn't catch the ball 'in stride'. He caught it using his chest, with his left hand, over a DB's helmet. That wasn't 'in stride'. Like I keep saying, if that ball is thrown higher Bowe could catch with his hands and not have to adjust his body position- thus resulting in him having a better shot at staying in bounds.

Alex Smith threw a ball just like you suggest and Bowe didn't make a play on that one either. He let the defender go up and high point the ball. In fact, Alex Smith try to put the ball in just about every place you could and there was always some kind of Bowe excuse about why the pass wasn't caught.

Bowe doesn't come back and fight through the defender so the ball can be back shoulder
Bowe doesn't high point the ball so the pass can't be a jump ball
Bowe isn't fast enough to be 3 yards open
Bowe lets the defender push him against the sideline so it can't be just pass/placed in his hands
Bowe catches with his chest, not his hands so it can't be 'in stride' or he is out of bounds or the defender has time to knock it away
If Bowe isn't open then 'Smith needs to just throw it' anyway but on the slant that Bowe failed to fight inside, Smith wasn't just suppose to throw it to a covered Bowe

endless gawd dam excuses, endless

[planetdoc]

Chiefs’ Dwayne Bowe is a different guy than a year ago

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Mr. Arrowhead

lets be honest D bowe is not the smartest cat out there, maybe it took him a full year to learn the brand new playbook and to get on par with Alex Smith.

Yeah couldn't be because Alex Smith devalues wide receivers. Nope, not at all. Has nothing to do with the fact that no wide receiver has EVER produced 1,000 yards with Alex Smith at QB. You dunce.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by planetdoc

Dwayne Bowe Working With a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer For First Time in Career

devito too

Terez A. Paylor ‏@TerezPaylor 18h

DeVito’s determination makes sense. Barely played in the Indy loss, must be more productive rushing the passer.
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Terez A. Paylor ‏@TerezPaylor 18h

DeVito said he also hired a nutritionist to help him change his body a bit.
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Terez A. Paylor ‏@TerezPaylor 18h

DeVito says he’s trying turn to some of his bad weight into good weight so he can be more effective rushing the passer. #Chiefs
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