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Hopkins Says He can be Better than AJ

eriadoc said:
Well, he blew that already. But I already he think he's a better red zone receiver than AJ was.
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Remember how a lot of us kept saying, why the heck did you have AJ in the red zone and not throw the ball to him.

No doubt that Hopkins has the vertical and the big mits, but I still don't understand why they didn't target AJ more.

It was perplexing to say the least.
 
nut said:
Andre didnt get targeted because we never had a quarterback.
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I think it's more coach decision. AJ was easily as "open" as Hopkins was today but the plays were designed and Schaub was told to look 1st to the supposed to be wide open TE, etc.

Today we saw plays that were "throw to Hopkins unless it's a pick."
 
Brisco_County said:
Dude, if there's one thing Dre never was in his 12 years of putting the team on his back, it was being "diva." Please.
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I was just about to say that. Dre and the team had a falling out where both parties looked less than their best. Ok, it's over now. In the meantime that dude went about being as unconventionally lunchpail a WR as any I've seen for over a decade right smack in the height of the diva era. It was a thing of no nonsense beauty and he earned being remembered as the farthest thing from a diva wide receiver as a team could ask for.
 
Mollywhopper said:
I was just about to say that. Dre and the team had a falling out where both parties looked less than their best. Ok, it's over now. In the meantime that dude went about being as unconventionally lunchpail a WR as any I've seen for over a decade right smack in the height of the diva era. It was a thing of no nonsense beauty and he earned being remembered as the farthest thing from a diva wide receiver as a team could ask for.
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Yeah, the comment is so bizarre that I would've suspected him of trolling, but he's the guy who condoned throwing ice at Matt Schaub and cheering his injury on the field.
 
infantrycak said:
I think it's more coach decision. AJ was easily as "open" as Hạopkins was today but the plays were desearigned and Schaub was told to look 1sgt to the supposed to be wide open TE, etc.

Today we saw plays that were "throw to Hopkins unless it's a pick."
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Actually, as I recalled, AJ was targeted frequently, until the red zone. It's incomprehensible. And he was in ISO.
Darn it.
 
76Texan said:
Actually, as I recalled, AJ was targeted frequently, until the red zone. It's incomprehensible. And he was in ISO.
Darn it.
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Eh, I wouldn't say "frequently". I watched the game, he didn't get targeted that much. And he flat out dropped a 2 point conversion in the end zone.
 
Vance87 said:
Eh, I wouldn't say "frequently". I watched the game, he didn't get targeted that much. And he flat out dropped a 2 point conversion in the end zone.
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He had the third most targets with 10. Hilton lead in targets with 14. Second was moncrief with 11.
 
Brisco_County said:
Dude, if there's one thing Dre never was in his 12 years of putting the team on his back, it was being "diva." Please.
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Let's not let the last two years shade our memory of Good 80. I did not see him with Good Schaub after the 527 yard performance three years ago. But he was a great possession receiver during the seasons I've been following him. But you only get so many targets when those around you are nearly as good as you are. He didn't have many of those years here.

ps This is an agreement, not a counter argument.
 
infantrycak said:
And out of those 35 targets they had 15 receptions. Luck was off.
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Bringing it back to the Texans, Kubes was all about the TE in the RZ. AJ was a decoy. It wasn't like they tried to go to him and he couldn't catch a TD.

It's clear that OB wants to target Nuk more in the RZ. Doesn't make him better. Doesn't change AJ's RZ stats when he was here. Just two different philosophies.
 
Brisco_County said:
Dude, if there's one thing Dre never was in his 12 years of putting the team on his back, it was being "diva." Please.
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Up until the last two seasons I would agree with you. But his final two years, he was behaving like a selfish diva. Seems stupid to me to be as committed to the Texans as was all of those years only to finally give up on it in his twilight. Go all out, or move on earlier in your career. He should have been on board with us the rest of his career and not pulled this crap over the last two seasons IMHO. Love, love, love the guy. But he lost my respect over these last two seasons.
 
The entire Colts passing game looked bad and that has a lot to do with Rex Ryan and his front seven. That being said, 'Dre looked like he was running in mud most of the afternoon.
 
Nitrofish said:
Up until the last two seasons I would agree with you. But his final two years, he was behaving like a selfish diva. Seems stupid to me to be as committed to the Texans as was all of those years only to finally give up on it in his twilight. Go all out, or move on earlier in your career. He should have been on board with us the rest of his career and not pulled this crap over the last two seasons IMHO. Love, love, love the guy. But he lost my respect over these last two seasons.
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Yep, agree completely. Up until two years ago, A.J. was an elite pro. However, holding out and pouting are modus operandi for being a diva. It is what it is. I look forward to 80 being retired and hanging from the rafters of NRG, but all that love does not change history.

WolverineFan said:
The entire Colts passing game looked bad and that has a lot to do with Rex Ryan and his front seven. That being said, 'Dre looked like he was running in mud most of the afternoon.
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They said on the highlights that the Bills blitzed Luck 27 times yesterday. That's almost a non-stop avalanche of pressure.
 
If you make plays in certain situations, coaches come back to you. If you prove you can do it over and over again, coaches come to rely on you. All coaches are similar in this regard, sometimes to their detriment.
 
Quite the dig to find this post. I'm not sure if "better" is correct because they're so different, but he appears to be nearing Andre's equal (edit: still has lots of work to do obviously). Hopkins certainly had a good mentor of course*, but his game reminds me much more of Larry Fitzgerald's - whom I likened him to coming out of college. Andre didn't have natural hands (hell he had bricks), he just worked harder than anyone at it, and worked harder at everything - routes, scheme, knowing the zones, steps, positioning. Hopkins doesn't have that off the charts physical talent, but has does have that work ethic to go along with by far the best hands in the game and an innate "go up and get it" that made Fitz special.

*A really good segment starts at 2:45.
 
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Texanmike02 said:
You know, this no longer seems crazy. Probably owe this guy an apology.
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Nuk has better hands - he probably has some of the best WR hands in history. AJ was physically better. Both are special WRs and probably pretty close as far as production goes. The fact that this is even a legit conversation is amazing.
 
Scooter said:
Quite the dig to find this post. I'm not sure if "better" is correct because they're so different, but he appears to be nearing Andre's equal (edit: still has lots of work to do obviously). Hopkins certainly had a good mentor of course*, but his game reminds me much more of Larry Fitzgerald's - whom I likened him to coming out of college. Andre didn't have natural hands (hell he had bricks), he just worked harder than anyone at it, and worked harder at everything - routes, scheme, knowing the zones, steps, positioning. Hopkins doesn't have that off the charts physical talent, but has does have that work ethic to go along with by far the best hands in the game and an innate "go up and get it" that made Fitz special.

*A really good segment starts at 2:45.
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I dont know why but watching that catch er bad offensive pi call this sprung to mind.

I'm not saying hes better, they are different, but I don't think AJ made me rewind and watch his catches like hopkins does. Every damn week he does something crazy.

Man he kind of called out his QBs. He always comes off as so likeable.
 
Texanmike02 said:
I dont know why but watching that catch er bad offensive pi call this sprung to mind.

I'm not saying hes better, they are different, but I don't think AJ made me rewind and watch his catches like hopkins does. Every damn week he does something crazy.

Man he kind of called out his QBs. He always comes off as so likeable.
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Which kinda goes as a point to Andre in a way. He did make impossible catches, but didn't have to. Andre was able to get separation regardless of the coverage, because few short of Jerry Rice worked as hard on being great on the little things that go into greatness - like counting steps, turning defenders and identifying coverage. The former best receiver in the game was able to get wide open against anyone until his hamstring fell off ... the current best has to fight for every inch, but is so talented he keeps winning almost every opportunity (in increasingly spectacular ways).

Edit: I've found Hopkins more honest and reserved than 'likeable'. He's not going to say much as he learned from Andre and is his perceived personality, but isn't shy about the truth. He's not attacking the QB's, just stating what is too obvious to deny.
 
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Both 2 different type of WR, I doubt we will ever see Hopkins run over 4 defenders such as AJ did vs the Cardinals on his way to a TD. And we never saw AJ make these circus catches that Hopkins makes. AJ had amazing size with speed, and was amazing route runner. Hopkins has good size, average speed but amazing hands. IMO I think as an all around WR that AJ was better, but the argument can be made both ways.
 
EllisUnit said:
Both 2 different type of WR, I doubt we will ever see Hopkins run over 4 defenders such as AJ did vs the Cardinals on his way to a TD. And we never saw AJ make these circus catches that Hopkins makes. AJ had amazing size with speed, and was amazing route runner. Hopkins has good size, average speed but amazing hands. IMO I think as an all around WR that AJ was better, but the argument can be made both ways.
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Agree with this. No matter who is better, if Hopkins stays on this path they will both wear gold jackets.

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EllisUnit said:
Both 2 different type of WR, I doubt we will ever see Hopkins run over 4 defenders such as AJ did vs the Cardinals on his way to a TD. And we never saw AJ make these circus catches that Hopkins makes. AJ had amazing size with speed, and was amazing route runner. Hopkins has good size, average speed but amazing hands. IMO I think as an all around WR that AJ was better, but the argument can be made both ways.
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Nuk doesn't run over them, but us YAC has improved tremendously this year... the spins against Dallas to get the game winning FG in overtime is the equivalent of running over 3 redskins imho. Nuk doesn't have the size AJ did, so he has to do it different
 
Scooter said:
Quite the dig to find this post. I'm not sure if "better" is correct because they're so different, but he appears to be nearing Andre's equal (edit: still has lots of work to do obviously). Hopkins certainly had a good mentor of course*, but his game reminds me much more of Larry Fitzgerald's - whom I likened him to coming out of college. Andre didn't have natural hands (hell he had bricks), he just worked harder than anyone at it, and worked harder at everything - routes, scheme, knowing the zones, steps, positioning. Hopkins doesn't have that off the charts physical talent, but has does have that work ethic to go along with by far the best hands in the game and an innate "go up and get it" that made Fitz special.

*A really good segment starts at 2:45.
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Just a thought.....how much better would AJ have been with today's receivers gloves? Or better yet, a QB who could've actually hit him on the fly versus the majority of time him having to hit the brakes and return to catch another under thrown ball from Schaub? Keenum gave Texans fans a little appetizer when he could throw a ball that allowed AJ to catch it in stride....different receiver entirely.
 
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I could honestly care less who is better than who. If Nuk continue on his trajectory he will join AJ up in the rafters one day, and have a gold jacket as well. We should just be thankful to have had to great, I'm not even sure if great describes them enough, receivers on our team who don't have toxic attitudes like many other star receivers do. Nuk coming in and learning under AJ, and befriending and also using Larry Fitzgerald as a mentor has done wonders for him both on and off the field.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
Just a thought.....how much better would AJ have been with today's receivers gloves?
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Maybe a little better, but I think the gloves are being extremely overstated. Hopkins has huge hands and is going to make impossible catches with or without gloves "because he can". They may have more of an impact on someone like Andre who has 'hard hands', but not a major impact. Drops are as high as ever, gloves haven't turned receivers' hands into magnets.
 
Scooter said:
Maybe a little better, but I think the gloves are being extremely overstated. Hopkins has huge hands and is going to make impossible catches with or without gloves "because he can". They may have more of an impact on someone like Andre who has 'hard hands', but not a major impact. Drops are as high as ever, gloves haven't turned receivers' hands into magnets.
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I was in high school while AJ was playing, our high school receivers had the same sticky ass gloves then that they are using now so I'm pretty certain AJ was wearing them too
 
Nuk is my guy...love him..but prime AJ was just unstoppable & could do whatever you needed him to do. I think Nuk benefits greatly from an offense that is built more around him than AJ ever had...& the fact that Nuk has had a credible reciveving threat opposite of him for pretty much most of his career. AJ had the likes of Walter, Lestar Jean & and aging Andre Davis. IOW's it was him or it was noone that was going to make plays in the passing game.
 
Mr teX said:
Nuk is my guy...love him..but prime AJ was just unstoppable & could do whatever you needed him to do. I think Nuk benefits greatly from an offense that is built more around him than AJ ever had...& the fact that Nuk has had a credible reciveving threat opposite of him for pretty much most of his career. AJ had the likes of Walter, Lestar Jean & and aging Andre Davis. IOW's it was him or it was noone that was going to make plays in the passing game.
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Incredible receiving threat by him? You mean the guy that is healthy like 50% of the time? That's laughable. They've both been in horrible offensive situations for most of their careers. AJ was more of a physical freak to use strentgth and size, but Nuke is more polished. He runs way better routes and has better hands. They are different types of receivers. Fun to debate though. I think I'm starting to lean towards Nuke at this point, and that hurts me to even say that. Tough call though.
 
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