08-17-2018, 02:13 AM
“Football is all about learning. Learning from your mistakes, learning from what your opponent does to you. It’s a copycat league, so if something works for one team, of course your next opponent is going to do it unless you correct it. – Xavier Rhodes________________________________________
Part of the fun of studying for the test for Rhodes is zeroing in on the wide receiver he’s going to match up against.
The first lockdown gig he was ever given by Zimmer just happened to come against Calvin Johnson — only one of the most dominating and intimidating physical receivers in the history of the NFL.
“He used to run all types of curls, slants, drag routes, post routes just to block you out to the point that when the ball is in the air, you can’t get to it,” Rhodes said. “It’s hard to get over a person who’s 6-foot-5, 230-pounds with broad shoulders without getting a flag.”
Johnson provided a blueprint for how some of the top big receivers would attack him.
“The guy who is 6-foot-4 really wants to run through you,” Rhodes says. “Michael Thomas isn’t 6-4, but he plays like he is 6-4. Julio Jones, those guys they use their size and their strength like me. I try to use my size and strength too.”
Where Rhodes’ education comes into play most is against the smaller receivers. It’s simple: If you don’t study for their tests, you will get an F in front of 60,000 people.
“Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, T.Y. Hilton, those guys that can really get in and out of breaks, those guys you have to have perfect footwork. Perfect. Phenomenal footwork,” Rhodes says. “If you were to mess up once, they will run past you. You really have to look at their releases, if he’s lined up in a certain position with a foot up or a release inside, which routes they run inside. With those guys you have to look into every detail of the game.”
Gray says one thing that has helped Rhodes become adept at battling some of the best receivers in the NFL is that he goes against two of them in practice on a daily basis in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. He and Diggs took their daily level of competition at camp so far one day that Mike Zimmer kicked them both out of practice.
“He’s got big time speed and great quickness,” Zimmer said of Diggs. “He’s got big time acceleration. He catches the ball well, but the way he runs his routes he’s able to get the defender on his back hip because he can beat him at the line and get into that spot.”
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/0...very-test/
Part of the fun of studying for the test for Rhodes is zeroing in on the wide receiver he’s going to match up against.
The first lockdown gig he was ever given by Zimmer just happened to come against Calvin Johnson — only one of the most dominating and intimidating physical receivers in the history of the NFL.
“He used to run all types of curls, slants, drag routes, post routes just to block you out to the point that when the ball is in the air, you can’t get to it,” Rhodes said. “It’s hard to get over a person who’s 6-foot-5, 230-pounds with broad shoulders without getting a flag.”
Johnson provided a blueprint for how some of the top big receivers would attack him.
“The guy who is 6-foot-4 really wants to run through you,” Rhodes says. “Michael Thomas isn’t 6-4, but he plays like he is 6-4. Julio Jones, those guys they use their size and their strength like me. I try to use my size and strength too.”
Where Rhodes’ education comes into play most is against the smaller receivers. It’s simple: If you don’t study for their tests, you will get an F in front of 60,000 people.
“Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, T.Y. Hilton, those guys that can really get in and out of breaks, those guys you have to have perfect footwork. Perfect. Phenomenal footwork,” Rhodes says. “If you were to mess up once, they will run past you. You really have to look at their releases, if he’s lined up in a certain position with a foot up or a release inside, which routes they run inside. With those guys you have to look into every detail of the game.”
Gray says one thing that has helped Rhodes become adept at battling some of the best receivers in the NFL is that he goes against two of them in practice on a daily basis in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. He and Diggs took their daily level of competition at camp so far one day that Mike Zimmer kicked them both out of practice.
“He’s got big time speed and great quickness,” Zimmer said of Diggs. “He’s got big time acceleration. He catches the ball well, but the way he runs his routes he’s able to get the defender on his back hip because he can beat him at the line and get into that spot.”
http://www.1500espn.com/vikings-2/2018/0...very-test/
