Terrance Williams leads NFL in catch rate
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams (83) gets set during the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Terrance Williams came into the draft with concerns about every part of his game that wasn’t related to speed. Many- and I’ll be honest in saying that I was one of those people- slapped the “one-trick pony” tag on him, because he just didn’t seem like a consistent enough player. When word leaked out that he was suffering from drop issues in OTAs, the stigma of him being an ultra-raw rookie only grew.
Williams received his first start in Week 4, as Miles Austin injured his hamstring the week before. It was an up-and-down starting debut for him, but he quickly rectified some of the mistakes he made in Week 4. In a crucial game against the Denver Broncos, Terrance Williams blew up with a four-catch, 151-yard performance. Since then, he’s had a touchdown in three straight games, and he could very well make it four today against the Detroit Lions.
Looking at the leaderboards, Williams leads the NFL with an 85.7% catch rate, which means that he is catching 85.7% of everything thrown at him. That’s a pretty staggering rate, and there are only 12 receivers in the NFL with catch rates of at least 70%. Williams has been a monster so far this season, and it’s crazy to see how much he has improved since he came into the draft. The former Baylor Bears receiver has been lauded by Cowboys fans, fantasy football players, analysts, and his quarterback, who clearly trusts Williams to make big plays downfield.
And why shouldn’t he? Not only has Williams caught 85.7% of all of his targets, but he is also averaging 15.8 yards per reception. He’s consistently making plays, and he isn’t a playmaker who is whiffing on any passes. No, this is a guy who has more big plays than incomplete passes thrown at him. That’s why Williams has 24 catches for 380 yards this season, and it’s also why Tony Romo is averaging a staggering 13.6 yards per attempt when throwing it in Williams’s direction. And yes, Williams is also leading the NFL in yards per attempt/target.
Miles Austin, it looks like you’ve been Wally Pipp’d as the team’s No. 2 receiver.
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