Chiefs What's wrong with Mecole Hardman - Part 2 - Page 34

Spoiler alert!

Nothing is wrong with him! Unless you consider Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce as being a problem.

Mecole was 3rd on the team in targets (62), rec yards (560), and rec TDs (4). Those stats are right in line with any other teams 3rd most productive receiver and none of those other teams had 2 guys that were 1st team AP in front of that guy.

Green Bay Packers #1 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Robert Tonyan - 59 targets, 52 rec, 586 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 212
Rec - 148
Yards - 2064

Buffalo Bills #2 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Gabriel Davis - 62 targets, 35 rec, 599 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 273
Rec - 209
Yards - 2502

Tampa Bay Buccaneers #3 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Rob Gronkowski - 77 targets, 45 rec, 623 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 193
Rec - 135
Yards - 1846

Tennessee Titans #4 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Jonnu Smith - 65 targets, 41 rec, 448 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 198
Rec - 135
Yards - 2059

New Orleans Saints #5 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Jared Cook - 60 targets, 37 rec, 504 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 189
Rec - 144
Yards - 1482

Baltimore Ravens #7 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Willie Snead - 48 targets, 33 rec, 432 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 188
Rec - 116
Yards - 1470

Seattle Seahawks #8 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
David Moore - 47 targets, 35 rec, 417 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 261
Rec - 183
Yards - 2357

Indianapolis Colts #9 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Michael Pittman Jr. - 61 targets, 40 rec, 503 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 164
Rec - 99
Yards - 1391

Las Vegas Raiders #10 ranked scoring offense
3rd most productive receiving option
Hunter Renfrow - 77 targets, 56 rec, 656 yds

Top 2 options
Targets - 227
Rec - 155
Yards - 2092

Average for top 10 scoring offense's 3rd most productive receiving option :

Targets - 62
Receptions - 41
Yards - 530

Average for top 10 scoring offense's top 2 most productive receiving options combined :

Targets - 212
Receptions - 147
Yards - 1918

This is how Hardman stacks up against the other teams 3rd receiving option

Targets - 62 (62 avg)
Receptions - 41 (41 avg)
Yards - 560 (530 avg)

Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce combined

Targets - 280 (most in group)
Receptions - 192 (2nd most in group)
Yards - 2692 (most in group)

So what we can see from these stats above is that nothing is up with Mecole Hardman. His targets and reception matched the average of the 9 other top offenses 3rd receiving option and he was above average in yards, but the big huge difference is Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill just happen to be on the same team as him. Those two have 68 more combined targets, 45 more combined receptions, and 774 more combined yards than the others teams top 2 receiving threats.

TLDR;

Nothing is wrong, he's right in line with the other teams 3rd most productive pass catchers. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are monsters and the best pass catching duo in a long ass time.

PS:

Seriously Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are so good! There was only 11 QBs with more TD passes than those 2 had receiving TDs.

PSS:

Fucking Cam Newton started 15 games and had 45 less passing yards than Hill and Kelce had rec yards in the same amount of games!

PSSS:

Fucking MVP Lamar had 65 more passing yards than Hill and Kelce had rec yards and they tied for the same amount of passing TDs to receiving TDs.
[Reply]

Originally Posted by flinchfree:
Patrick Mahomes is on the sideline. Andy asks him, 'Who do you want as an option to throw to after we put Kelce and Hill on the field? Watkins or Mecole?'

Regular season, post season, Super Bowl, take your pick of the game.
Both players healthy, Mahomes gets to choose who he thinks is the better option.

Who do you think Patrick asks for?

Now ask the same question of Kelce and Hill, who do THEY want on the field either getting open or just drawing attention to make their lives easier?

Ask anyone in the league, assuming Watkins is healthy enough to take the field, who they want????

Mecole adds a wrinkle. He's not a real extra receiver out on the field.

Many of you seem to think I’m arguing that Hardman is as good or better, even after I’ve already acknowledged that Watkins stepped up big when it mattered most.

That wasn’t the point.

I’m simply talking about regular season production.
[Reply]

You’re assuming Watkins is healthy. He never is, so the whole discussion is moot.
[Reply]

Originally Posted by Delano:
Hardman destroyed his man with the stutter step start of his route. The CB was panicked and flailing. The safety picked up the route brilliantly and Mahomes put it in a spot where only Hardman could potentially get it. It was great coverage and a safe throw/throwaway. There isn’t a person on the planet that catches that ball.

Hardmans head was down because he knew the only way to beat the safety and get under the ball was to hit top speed and, last I checked, sprinters don’t look over their shoulders on the home stretch.

Thats his problem. Being a sprinter got him to the NFL. He's not learned how to be a football player yet. He is not the sharpest tool in the shed but he's smart enough to learn routes and the playbook. Athletic enough to run a route properly. So what's the hold up?
[Reply]