There are still approximately two weeks to go before the Oregon Ducks kickoff the 2019 season in Arlington, Texas versus the Auburn Tigers, but given the crippling hits the Ducks have sustained to the wide receiver position in recent days, it’s hard to say whether head coach Mario Cristobal should hopelessly lobby for more time to in order to heal his team before the opener, or appeal to play the game as soon as possible.
The first bit of bad news came roughly two weeks ago, when it was announced that senior wideout Brenden Schooler would be sidelined until likely early October in order to recover from a foot injury suffered one week into fall camp.
The second blow came this past week, when true freshman JR Waters also suffered a foot injury that required a procedure, sidelining him for the next four to six weeks.
Oregon freshman receiver JR Waters has foot surgery, out 4-6 weekshttps://t.co/4ztkshb1il
— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) August 17, 2019
The third, and perhaps most crushing blow of all, however, came this past Saturday, as during the Ducks’ second fall camp scrimmage, prized recruit and hopeful first-year star Mycah Pittman injured his shoulder diving for a catch. The injury, according to a statement Cristobal made through the university Monday, will sideline Pittman for the next six to eight weeks.
Injuries and football have long walked hand-in-hand, but three significant fall camp injuries to a position group that was already under intense scrutiny heading into the upcoming season feels particularly cruel. Couple that with the fact that Pittman might have very well been Oregon’s most indispensable player on offense (outside of Justin Herbert), and it begins to paint a pretty drab picture as you try to envision what the offense looks like without Pittman in it.
So what does this offense look like without Pittman and his injured teammates at receiver?
For the next several weeks, there will be a particularly heavy burden on grad transfer Juwan Johnson, juniors Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson, redshirt freshman Bryan Addison, and true freshman Josh Delgado to not only produce, but to also stay healthy. The most optimistic scenario would have Schooler and Waters returning for the Ducks’ final non-conference game of the regular season versus FCS opponent Montana on September 16, though it seems far more likely that Oregon will see neither return to lineup until their Pac-12 home opener versus Cal on October 5. Pittman’s return, meanwhile, figures to come even later in the Pac-12 schedule. Until then, the onus is on the aforementioned five, plus Oregon’s tight ends (who have also been banged up for most of fall camp) to be reliable targets for Herbert in the passing game until reinforcements arrive.
There will also be considerable pressure on Ducks offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo to make chicken salad out of the leftover ingredients he has at receiver. Already carrying a healthy amount of skepticism concerning his abilities as an offensive play-caller coming into the upcoming season, the first half of the Ducks’ schedule, beginning with the Auburn game, will fairly or unfairly serve as an early referendum on how far the Oregon offense has come. Especially, after a string of lackluster performances punctuated the end of the 2018 season. How well Arroyo and the offensive staff is able to scheme around the obvious holes at receiver may be as intriguing as any storyline surrounding the program over the first few weeks of the season.
One potential way for the Ducks mitigate the extended absences of Pittman, Schooler, and Waters would be to increase the usage of their deep stable of running backs in the passing game. Being able to run the ball effectively, consistently, is probably the perfect remedy for Oregon’s anticipated shortcomings at wide receiver as the season begins. Beyond that, however, finding different ways to utilize guys like CJ Verdell (who finished third on the team in receptions last season) and Sean Dollars (who was ranked as the nation’s no. 2 all-purpose back coming out of high school) could provide the air attack with a bit of a lift, specifically in key down and distance situations.
Make no mistake, though. In this moment, with Pittman virtually guaranteed to miss the first half of the season, the Ducks are arguably as compromised at receiver than they were even last year. However, after enduring an offseason filled with criticism from naysayers and skeptics, the opportunity is there for the remaining, largely veteran core to change the conversation around their ability to be relied upon.
If you’re a Duck fan, you can only hope that the outside noise has served as fuel for a season to be defined by redemption, not further regression.
Auburn’s WR corps is banged up too, and they have a true freshman at QB. Stanford lost a ton of receivers going into this season. On paper, the Ducks still boast a better receiving corps than both schools even without Schooler and Pittman. Assuming both are back in time for UW, our offense should be fine. Cristobal, Arroyo, Herbert (soon) and our OL (soon) are getting paid tons of money because they should be good enough to compensate for losing a couple wideouts.
Thanks for the comment, Kris!
I understand what you’re saying about Cristobal/Arroyo/Herbert/Oregon’s offensive line being held in high enough regard that they should be able to overcome these injuries, but I think too many people are oversimplifying just how easy that will be.
Let’s not forget, last season was pretty underwhelming from an offensive standpoint, particularly down the stretch. And while Herbert and the OL have another year in Cristobal and Arroyo’s system, that system is, at best, still very much unproven. Throw in the departure of Dillon Mitchell to the NFL, and the rash of injuries that have been suffered at WR during fall camp, and that’s a pretty uneasy cocktail heading into a monumental season opener against a top 20 opponent who boasts one of the nation’s toughest defenses.
I know people are bullish on the progress Johnny Johnson and Jaylon Redd have made, but you’re banking on a quantum leap from both those guys from a developmental standpoint, plus strong play from 3 others (Juwan Johnson, Bryan Addison, and Josh Delgado) who are virtual unknowns in terms of their ability to produce in a Duck uniform.
And while your point about Auburn’s QB being a true freshman is well taken, to suggest that Auburn’s WRs are worst than Oregon’s – particularly as the Ducks’ WR unit is currently comprised – is a bridge too far. Yes, Auburn’s WRs have had some health issues of their own, but certainly not to the extent of Oregon. And though relatively young, reports from those who cover the Tigers suggest that this could turn out to be one of the strongest WR groups they’ve had in recent memory.
We’ll no doubt learn a lot about this team next Saturday, but if you’re not concerned about state of the Oregon offense in the build up to this game, you’re willfully overlooking a lot.
Thanks for the thorough response. I think the concern has more to do with execution than talent. My point is that, on paper, the Ducks have one of the best QBs and OLs in the country. We are returning very experienced WRs in Johnson, Johnson and Redd. Addison has the talent to be productive and Delgado and Crocker can provide depth. Plus, we have 3-4 TEs that can be productive. Therefore, I do not think it is a talent issue if our offense struggles – it would primarily be due to execution, perhaps play-calling.
I do not want to underestimate the loss of Pittman, though. He has a bright future and all us Duck fans want to see him have a successful career. But if our offense struggles against any team before Pittman is back, it should not be used as an excuse. Blame should be on execution and/or play-calling.
My point regarding Auburn is that it would seem irrational to put so much emphasis on losing Pittman even though we return one of the top QB and OL combinations, while at the same time, Auburn is starting a true freshman QB and banged up WRs. If either offense has a reason to complain about poor performance, it should be Auburn’s.
I think where we differ is in our assessment (or perhaps confidence) in what Oregon is returning out wide. The Johnson boys and Redd definitely have experience and have shown flashes of being reliable players, but consistency has eluded all three of those players over the course of their respective careers. And behind them, you’re relying on guys with raw talent, but are totally unproven at this point.
Similar things can be said of Oregon’s TEs. Breeland and McCormick are veteran presences that give the passing game a bit of a boost, but neither has been able to stay healthy, while Bay and Kampmoyer are largely blocking TEs.
Having quality a QB and OL is a great foundation for success entering this game if you’re a Duck fan, but they had those things last year. And while I’ll be the first person to point to suspect play-calling as a major reason for why the Oregon offense sputtered all too often last season, the Ducks also possessed perhaps their worst collection skill players they’ve had the past two decades…and was with a record-setting receiver out wide. The Ducks are now without that record-setting WR, in addition to three players who were expected to play prominent roles (especially in the case of Schooler and Pittman), to start the season.
There’s plenty to be optimistic about when considering this team’s upside this season, but the offense, in particular, is going to have to show us something that we haven’t yet seen in order for me to feel confident about them in this game and beyond. And they’re gonna have to do it at less than full strength.
Great article Chris! I’m excited to find this site!
I am really excited to see what Redd does. I think he can make some plays and really take a step early this season!
Hopefully we can survive the rest of camp without any further injuries….
Glad to have ya, Seeinggreen. Looking forward to seeing you around!
Cancel the season! A player who has never played on Saturday is hurt!
Lol…
No one is saying cancel the season, Chicken…but there’s no denying that losing Pittman for an extended period of time is a significant hit to Oregon’s receivers and the offense at large. If you put any stock on what’s been reported in camp the past several weeks, Pittman has stood out as perhaps the best receiver on the Oregon roster.
And considering his injury is coupled with the fact that the Ducks will already be without Brenden Schooler and JR Waters for probably the first month of the season due to injuries of their own, you start realize that depth at WR (or lack thereof) is a major issue for this team heading into the year.
Good stuff Chris. Even though he’s yet to play a snap in college, losing Pittman is a big blow. We can only hope Redd, Johnny Johnson, Addison and maybe Delgado are able to fill the void.
Haven’t heard much on Addison. There were pretty high expectations when he came on board.
Any word on Cam or Breeland’s health? Would be a huge boost of they could get healthy.
Thanks, OD!
Reports out of camp are that both players have been hampered by nagging injuries, though I believe both are set to return to the field today (Tuesday). Ducks need whatever boost they can get from healthy bodies at tight end.