Can we talk about Playoff Danny Amendola?

[Adrian's Dome]

I'm going to start this off by saying I have nothing substantive. No numbers. No analytics. Nothing at all to base this off of.

But Danny Amendola is a clutch receiver. When the ball comes to him when it matters, he comes down with it. As far as I'm concerned, he can sit out the regular season so long as he shows up like this when the cards are all on the table.

Is there anyone else in recent memory who looks entirely mediocre at all aspects then morphs into The Fucking Guy when it matters?

 

[Marbleheader]

I remember all the complaints about him when he started his career here. Ended up doing pretty well.

 

[Willie Clay's Big Play]

I'm going to start this off by saying I have nothing substantive. No numbers. No analytics. Nothing at all to base this off of.

But Danny Amendola is a clutch receiver. When the ball comes to him when it matters, he comes down with it. As far as I'm concerned, he can sit out the regular season so long as he shows up like this when the cards are all on the table.

Is there anyone else in recent memory who looks entirely mediocre at all aspects then morphs into The Fucking Guy when it matters?

I'm in the same boat. Just watch his TD catch to take the lead and tell me you need stats.

Edit: Spelling

 

[wilked]

No one I would rather have targeted when game on the line. Sticky hands and can take a hit

 

[Unin10D]

There was a stat, maybe last year, that he literally hadn't dropped a pass. In all of his targeted incompletions, none hit his hands.

When the game is on the line, I always look for 80, and hope that's where the ball is going

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

He should never have to buy a beer or wipe his own ass anywhere near Boston ever again.

 

[kenneycb]

Getting the 15 yards on the punt on the last TD drive is something that is going to be forgotten but was huge. He’s awesome.

 

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

He should never have to wipe his own ass anywhere near Boston ever again.

Dilly dilly!

 

[rodderick]

He may have the best hands in the NFL. It's just ridiculous how he comes up with every single catchable ball thrown his way.

 

[grsharky7]

Isn't he living with providence with little car port in his driveway? Someone get out and shovel for him if a blizzard hits next week.

 

[DJnVa]

He literally looked down and watched his second foot touch down in the end zone.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Plays way above his paygrade and an invaluable piece of the Patriot system. I remember thinking when he was with St Louis he'd be a great slot guy to replace Welker someday. He is just NAILS.

 

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

Its amazing we have this thread. I think this forum has had him cut before every season over the past five years.

Anyhow, he is a beast and the Patriots needed him badly with Edelman and Gronkowski both unavailable.

 

[Obscure Name]

Sure like him more than playoff Welker.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Playoff TD receptions is a weird stat -- it has a fair amount to do with opportunity -- but it means something. Danny now tied for 26th all time with 15 others. The names right above him, though, are several all time greats.

But what's most amazing about it is how few targets he has done it in. The nine targets today gives him 70 playoff targets and 49 catches. Compare to Edelman who -- on twice as many targets -- has 89 catches and 5 TDs. This isn't a critique of Edelman. He's a money postgame player. It's just to show how amazing what Danny has done is. (And of course, one of his TDs was from Jules.)

Just a money player.

 

[scottyno]

Pats resigned him to be the break glass in case of emergency 5th receiver. Unfortunately that glass was broken before the season even started with injuries to Mitchell and Edelman but he's been spectacular all year

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Didn’t some of the miserable sports media think he needed to be cut a couple of times over the past couple of years? The dude shows up to play when it matters. He’s so damn big in the playoffs.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

One other thought about today. He did not seem to be a significant part of the game plan. It would be interesting to see first half snap counts. Two targets before Gronk got hurt, and one of those was the surprise wheel-type route on fourth and short. Hard to know on tv, but the bottom line is that he had 7 targets after Gronk got hurt. Just a great job of changing on the fly -- both for the team and by Danny.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

He probably won't have the numbers but he'd be as deserving as any other NE WR to be nominated to the Patriots Hall of Fame.

 

[tims4wins]

If they win it all again you can argue he has been more important to the recent dynasty than Edelman or Gronk. At least from a postseason perspective

 

[kenneycb]

This game reminded me of his first game against the Bills. Just made play after play.

 

[Number45forever]

No question, Pats HOF member. He's been so clutch the last few years, it's almost unquantifiable. No Edelman this year has thrust him into an even bigger part of the offense. He's also returned punt all season. Can't say enough about Amendola, totally unsung hero of the last half decade or so. Hope he's here again for another 2-3 seasons.

 

[bsj]

I still cant believe he got that 2nd foot down. In real time I was like, there is NO way he got that 2nd foot down. Then the replay, and he did (and it wasnt even close)

 

[NortheasternPJ]

This game reminded me of his first game against the Bills. Just made play after play.

Hopefully he didn’t tear his groin in this one though.

I love how they bubble wrap him all year and he’s ready to go come January.

 

[Dave Stapleton]

He literally looked down and watched his second foot touch down in the end zone.

I was watching with my son and a friend and I pointed that out to them. Absolutely amazing!

 

[simplyeric]

I still cant believe he got that 2nd foot down. In real time I was like, there is NO way he got that 2nd foot down. Then the replay, and he did (and it wasnt even close)

Same here. I was like ‘oh man so close’ and then on replay I was embarrassed by how clearly he had gotten the foot down.

 

[lambeau]

BB postgame: "If you look up good football player in the dictionary, his picture is beside it."

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

This is partially about playoff Danny, but more generally about his versatility and importance to pick up the slack.

Danny in the regular season overall: 4.1 catches per game, 44 yards per game, 2 TDs.

Danny in 2.5 quarters where we played without Gronk: 19 catches (7.6 per full game) 209 yards (83.6/game), 2 TDs.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Sure like him more than playoff Welker.

I actually turned to my wife after the 3rd and 18 catch and said "if we had Amendola instead of Welker, we'd have another SB". There's no way Amendola drops the game clinching pass of the SB ever.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Between Brown, Branch, Welker, Edelman, and Amendola, it’s amazing how deadly the small-ish Pats WRs have been in the Brady era.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Givens, Patton

 

[Kliq]

I'm not sure if it is due to injury or to age, but I think he has slowed down a bit and that made it so he hasn't really been able to beat man coverage consistently. He wasn't targeted much until the fourth, and on his big catches (the third and 18, the two touchdowns, the eight yard catch before the second TD) it wasn't like he was wide open. I think in normal circumstances Brady thinks he has better options, whether that be Cooks downfield or Lewis in the flat. However, when the game is on the line, Brady relies on #80. Tom knows he has the hands and the toughness to make a play as long as the throw is good .

 

[InstaFace]

Its amazing we have this thread. I think this forum has had him cut before every season over the past five years.

So did Belichick, if he didn't agree to take a pay cut to help the cap. And he's done it twice now IIRC. He has been incredible value at the dollar figures on his contract.

 

[Al Zarilla]

I actually turned to my wife after the 3rd and 18 catch and said "if we had Amendola instead of Welker, we'd have another SB". There's no way Amendola drops the game clinching pass of the SB ever.

As soon as I read this post, I imagined Danny out there on that play, and he absolutely catches the pass.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I'm not sure if it is due to injury or to age, but I think he has slowed down a bit and that made it so he hasn't really been able to beat man coverage consistently. He wasn't targeted much until the fourth, and on his big catches (the third and 18, the two touchdowns, the eight yard catch before the second TD) it wasn't like he was wide open. I think in normal circumstances Brady thinks he has better options, whether that be Cooks downfield or Lewis in the flat. However, when the game is on the line, Brady relies on #80. Tom knows he has the hands and the toughness to make a play as long as the throw is good .

I'd agree he has slowed down a bit and isn't as good as he used to be in man, but he's a zone defense assassin.