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.”

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Sandy Cheeks

If there was ever a time to give max effort, this is it, Bowe.

Mostly...

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by REDHOTGTO

every time I hear a mofo brag they bust, I hope you know what you're doin bowe, if you don't I think they should walk you to the door

Except when Kennison actually did have somethin' fo' dey ass.

[kevonm]

For Bowe, every game is a bowl game.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by ChiefButthurt

Yeah, he lost his step after he got paid. Trade him.

Idiot

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by dingleberry

I remember some catches bowe made in Indy a few years ago. It was the same game hali got bloody, then he dropped the game winner.

He dropped back to back balls that would have won that game.

[ShortRoundChief]

Originally Posted by kevonm

For Bowe, every game is a bowl.

FYP

[Ragged Robin]

Originally Posted by Pam Oliver's Forehead

Alex will target him once.

I hope so. Bowe proved that he cannot be a reliable target after all those attempts they threw to him against the Colts. Throwing at him is basically a waste of a down.

[Mav]

If the Chiefs are going to win, Bowe is going to have to reach his potential.

[BigRock]

Originally Posted by Guru

Was that the game he made the nearly impossible catch and then dropped the one that nobody covered him at all on?

In 2010 against Indy, a meaningful game between two winning teams, he dropped what would have been a go-ahead TD at the end of the 3rd quarter.

In 2011 against Indy, as meaningless as a game can be with the Chiefs having one win and Colts playing Curtis Painter, he caught a TD that he tipped to himself while being interfered with.

That he knows this is a big-time game doesn't seem like a good omen.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Mavericks Ace

If the Chiefs are going to win, Bowe is going to have to reach his potential.

Poor routes, not fighting through coverage and dropping balls.

What's been his potential past that?

The real problem is that he's now operating in a system that mandates precision and hands. He's not that guy. He likes to freelance and make plays on the ball a la Randy Moss versus specifics on the field. Reid's offense is highlighting his short comings versus masking them as they did when guys like Cassel were throwing him the ball in a substandard offensive scheme and letting him "go get it." (Much the same as what he did at LSU with Jamarcus Russell.)

It's a system that makes guys like Jerry Rice All-Time greats. WR's don't have to be burners or highwire acts, but rather they need to make precision cuts and breaks and have timing down. It's not a system that just lets a guy "go fifteen yards down, cut in and I'll throw you the ball," especially at the WR position.

He's never had to do that in his career. And I think it's why he's struggled a bit this season.

[Anyong Bluth]

Do drops at crucial times to extend drives, or get us into scoring range count as ''big plays", if so, Bowe = playmaker already.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

guy is a dickhead

Yeah...I know. He only has his own charity and helps out the community.

But ****....he's no Phil Robertson....right?

[Mav]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Poor routes, not fighting through coverage and dropping balls.

What's been his potential past that?

The real problem is that he's now operating in a system that mandates precision and hands. He's not that guy. He likes to freelance and make plays on the ball a la Randy Moss versus specifics on the field. Reid's offense is highlighting his short comings versus masking them as they did when guys like Cassel were throwing him the ball in a substandard offensive scheme and letting him "go get it." (Much the same as what he did at LSU with Jamarcus Russell.)

It's a system that makes guys like Jerry Rice All-Time greats. WR's don't have to be burners or highwire acts, but rather they need to make precision cuts and breaks and have timing down. It's not a system that just lets a guy "go fifteen yards down, cut in and I'll throw you the ball," especially at the WR position.

He's never had to do that in his career. And I think it's why he's struggled a bit this season.

That's the problem though. Those are all easily correctable things.

That's the issue. He has the SKILL. He doesn't have the discipline.

Its the same issue I had with Crabtree.

But, nope, to point out their flaws, makes you a hater, and an Alex Smith ball washer.

Again. Josh Gordon led the league in receiving, with a clowns car full of qbs.

Big time players, make PLAYS regardless.

[ThaVirus]

You had the same problem with Crabtree while Smith was throwing to him that you have now with Bowe while Smith is throwing to him?

The "problem" that literally flipped on its head the instant Crabs started catching passes from Kaep?

[Ragged Robin]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

You had the same problem with Crabtree while Smith was throwing to him that you have now with Bowe while Smith is throwing to him?

The "problem" that literally flipped on its head the instant Crabs started catching passes from Kaep?

Crabtree caught 3 TDs in Smith's last 25 passes as a starter and was already on pace for the 1K season he finished with. The moment Vernon Davis's production went down Crabtree's went up and that started well BEFORE Kaepernick took over. Bowe's year has been more like Crabtree's sophomore year when he was dropping and tipping passes left and right.