DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Massaquoi: Poised for improvement

I am excited to see what Massaquoi can do this year. He had a more than respectable year last season with very little quality or stability at the QB or other WR positions.

http://www.ohio.com/sports/100603039.html

Mohamed Massaquoi poised for improvement
Second-year wide receiver says he has better feel for game

By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer

BEREA: To Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, his rookie season often felt like one big blur.

''It was like there [were] guys flying by me all the time and I wasn't always sure what I was supposed to do,'' said Massaquoi, now in his second training camp.

Massaquoi, a second-round pick (50th overall) out of Georgia last year, is confident he's found a way to slow the game down a bit into a more understandable process.

''Now, I know there's a way to organize the chaos,'' he said. ''Last year was just a lot of chaos going on, just not knowing where guys were because at this level everybody's smart and everybody's athletic.''

His rookie season was difficult both mentally and physically for Massaquoi.

''When I look back on some of the things I did last year, I definitely understand the game a little more now,'' Massaquoi said. ''I definitely understand why I do certain things versus just going out there and doing it. Understanding the game really helps slow it down so you know what's going on rather than just reacting all the time.''

An uncertain and often changing quarterback situation didn't help Massaquoi and his fellow receivers. Neither Derek
Anderson nor Brady Quinn provided the necessary leadership and the result was just 80 receptions for Browns' wide receivers for a total of 1,063 yards and six touchdowns. The Browns finished last in the league in both passing and total offense.

''I don't really speak on last year because there's really no reason to look back,'' said Massaquoi, who finished eighth among rookies in receiving yards. ''We're focused on moving forward now. And in that regard, the quarterbacks have been doing a great job getting in sync with us. They're putting the ball where it needs to be, and we're doing a good job catching it.''

Despite last season's offensive struggles, Massaquoi tied for the team lead with 34 catches and led the team with 624 receiving yards. He caught three touchdown passes, and his 18.4 yards per reception broke the Browns' rookie record held by Paul Warfield, whose mark of 17.7 yards per catch had stood since 1964.

But with new quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and backup Seneca Wallace, the Browns expect their passing game to improve this season as Massaquoi teams with fellow second-year wide receiver Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey (who joined the team last year in the deal that sent Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets) and do-it-all man Josh Cribbs.

''I think they are doing an outstanding job,'' Delhomme said recently of the progress of the team's young receivers. ''It's different guys. I think they all have their strengths [and] are extremely intelligent. They understand, and they work. These kids, they work their tail off.''

Delhomme's main influence has been on the field, but Cribbs has gone out of his way to spend time behind the scenes tutoring Massaquoi and the others.

Last year, his big message to the receivers was handling themselves professionally even when things weren't going well on the field.

''I just let them know how important being a pro about it is,'' Cribbs said. ''How you have to come out and just be a pro about it every day, even when it's not going your way. I just let them know what to expect and how to carry themselves as a professional athlete.''

To keep things light while Massaquoi and Robiskie struggled last season, Cribbs constantly played the role of ice breaker.

''I was always joking with those guys as much as possible, especially during serious moments, just to relax them a little bit,'' he said. ''This is a game, and it doesn't make sense that we can't have fun playing it.''

Of course, a big part of fun comes hand in hand with success — something Cribbs and others expect more of this season.

''For Massaquoi and Robiskie, having that year under their belt, having that experience, now they're more relaxed when they're running their routes,'' Cribbs said. ''They know how [their routes] should be run, they're used to the level and caliber of players in the league now, so they're over all that rookie stuff. And that's big.

''Now they feel like they're vets, they're feeling themselves and they're making plays. I'm excited to see how well they do this year.''

That's exciting stuff to hear. Now, sure its their teammates saying this stuff and you can hardly expect them to say they are playing like crap but its still good to read that. You know one of these guys is gonna break out this year, maybe by mid season we will have an established number 1 receiver on our team.

It's good stuff to hear, but it'll be much, much nicer to see results on the field from it.

Even though this was about momass, I get the feeling time after time that somebody raised Cribbs correctly.

Quote:

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''Last year was just a lot of chaos going on, just not knowing where guys were because at this level everybody's smart and everybody's athletic.''

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Is he refering to Dawg Talkers ? .. I like how he points this out... Some players may get it quicker than others.. hope he`s able to make the adjustments necessary to improve his game.

Really like Massaquoi. 624 yards, 3 TD's last year as a rookie with two crap QB's.

With some consistent QB play you would think he could bump that up to 1,000 yards 6 TD's.

check the sig

Just curious...did every one come up with that MoMass independently because I know the first game he started playing well in we just started screaming MO MASS!!! Just came natural. Now I see it everywhere and here everyone say it.

rofl... let's hope so..

and someone else came up with Mass Murdera too..

i did say that.. lol.. i didn't think he was worth a 2nd round pick.. look at his production in college.. and he didn't produce when the dawgs needed him too.

I hope he switches it up though.. he seem like he did last year.

Nodding in agreement with Puprpl and his parade. Tell it!