There’s a common adage in New England (and beyond) about being a pass-catcher. You just need to get open and catch the ball. Those two steps have their enormous complications, but when put that way, the job sounds relatively simple.
Of course, former Patriots running back Shane Vereen explained why it’s not that easy. Playing for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterback Tom Brady taught Vereen an interesting lesson.
“It’s not necessarily catching the ball. It’s not necessarily getting open,” Vereen told ESPN’s Mike Reiss in a recent interview. “What it is, it’s getting to the right spot. Getting to the spot where the quarterback expects you to be. Getting to the spot where there is no defense — if it’s a zone, sitting in the void; if it’s man, breaking away the right way, not running into another route. Those things aren’t really talked about … I don’t think a lot of people pay enough attention to it … but those are even more important than actually catching the ball and making a play.”
Running routes for Brady is notoriously challenging. Brady is picky about where and when he wants his receivers. If they’re not perfect, they don’t get the ball. Because of Brady’s high standards, experienced and young receivers have flunked out of New England’s system.
Vereen’s revelation is an interesting way of thinking about New England’s system. And because Vereen caught 11 balls from Brady in Super Bowl XLIX, he probably knows what he’s talking about.
