Grading the 2011 Tennessee Titans: Running Backs
by Jimmy on Jan 17, 2012 3:00 PM CST
in Tennessee Titans News
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You probably already know where this post is going. Chris Johnson was away from the team until the week before the season opener in Jacksonville. I foolishly thought that it was not that big of a deal for Johnson to miss all of that time. It turned out that it was as it would take him 10 weeks to get two 100 yard games.
Granted, all of that was not his fault. The offensive line was bad, and they will get a post of their own soon, but some of the problems throughout the year were on CJ. He was indecisive on a lot of runs and looked a step slower than earlier in his career.
He ended the season with 1,047 yards. That means he averaged 65 yards per game. That is not getting it done when you are the second highest paid running back in the NFL.
There is no doubt that Chris Johnson will benefit from a full offseason program with Chris Palmer. There are a variety of ways that CJ can be used that have not been explored yet because he has not been around.
Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper also carried the ball during the season, and neither of them were able to find very much success.
Grade: D
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I think people are putting too much into this "he's lost a step" thing
Has he? Maybe. But so what. He goes from a 4.24 to a 4.28. That’s pretty got damn fast.
Lemme See Your HANDS!
Regardless of the time
It’s apparently not fast enough…
"You play to win the game!"
MCM's Unofficial Devil's Advocate: It's not about how good your point is; I'm going to argue against it.
by TitanNDCClothing on Jan 17, 2012 3:21 PM CST up reply actions
Lost a step is just the generic line used on fast running backs.
I doubt he is slower. But his indecisiveness means he never really goes full speed, because that would require making a decision.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 3:24 PM CST up reply actions
agreed, more like
seeing two holes and wondering which to go into, both are equidistant from your body and will take the same time to go through.
i think he’s just over thinking
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 17, 2012 5:24 PM CST up reply actions
This is anecdotal, but in the times when he'd actually get into the secondary, I didn't see him outrunning defenders like he used to.
Sure, his speed is still a weapon, just not like it seemed to be in the past. Maybe some of that is defenders taking better angles. Whatever the case, he wasn’t as explosive this year in the open field.
He never went full speed because he was always thinking of juking that last guy.
I honestly don’t think he has lost his speed.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 3:43 PM CST up reply actions
Then you didn't watch the games
There were multiple times this season where he was behind the last defender and got caught from behind. That never happened before.
Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.
Yep.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 17, 2012 4:38 PM CST up reply actions
^This
"You play to win the game!"
MCM's Unofficial Devil's Advocate: It's not about how good your point is; I'm going to argue against it.
by TitanNDCClothing on Jan 17, 2012 5:05 PM CST up reply actions
was the defender a db?
if so that means they had atleast a 5 yard head start.
if cj still runs a 4.24 he will still get tackled by a guy who runs a 4.3 in the first 20 yards in that time thats an ankle tackle.
think of the colts game on his 35 yard run, he was slowed by a broken tackle by the last guy and in that 1/4 of a step loss he was caught from behind.
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 17, 2012 5:32 PM CST up reply actions
Never thought you would be making excuses for Chris Johnson did you?
Official MCM Hater!
Nate Washington Fanboy
by gramsey712 on Jan 18, 2012 8:41 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Neither did Reinfeldt...
You have been banned from Stampede Blue.
Calling a site admin a ‘fuhrer’ gets you banned without warning.
The Saint of MCM
oh ho, so i;m attacked!
Actually i’ve already known this stuff, it doesnt happen to just cj. it happens to alot of players, cj wasnt the first player i’ve used it for
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 19, 2012 1:59 AM CST up reply actions
You're right, I guess i just didn't watch the games.
Thats a good way to win the argument.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 6:15 PM CST up reply actions
I am just saying
it is clear that he had lost a step when he got in the open field this season. It happened quite a few times.
Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles even though gramsey hates it.
It was probably a fluke that he wasn't caught before.
If a safety is playing deep enough and takes the proper angle there’s not much to do about it.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 6:45 PM CST up reply actions
Ok so my internet is acting funny.
A safety playing deep and taking the proper angle will catch a fast RB.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 6:47 PM CST up reply actions
They had a lot more trouble catching him the first 3 years.
I can’t see this year being a season’s worth of fluke plays.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 17, 2012 6:53 PM CST up reply actions
There is no player in NFL history that was never caught. Just saying, thinking he was never going to get caught in the open field is a tad overambitious.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 7:01 PM CST up reply actions
I didn't say he would never get caught in the open field, ever.
I’m saying, there was a trend his first 3 years in the league. That trend was, when he got into open space, he rarely got caught. He looked like he was just flat out faster than everyone else on the field. Consistently.
This year, he almost always got caught in the open field. He didn’t show the big play potential of his first three years in the league at all. Even his really good games weren’t typical CJ games where he took one to the house for 80. He was getting caught in the open field consistently.
You can’t call it a fluke if it’s a consistent trend.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 17, 2012 7:32 PM CST up reply actions
Again he was so indecisive, I'm not sure he ever even turned on that last gear.
But if everyone is so keen to say he has lost a step, then thats fine. I just don’t really share that opinion until i see a decisive CJ getting caught all the time.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 7:44 PM CST up reply actions
To jump in here,
if his indecisiveness is causing a loss of speed, why should we not consider that ‘losing a step’? From my understanding of this debate, you guys are specifically dealing with some of the second-level runs, the longer ones that are farther from the LOS. What sort of “decisions” does CJ need to make then?
I think the indecision is more of an argument for the short runs, where we so often saw CJ stopped behind, at or 1 yard after the LOS. I think we can all agree he did a fair bit of hesitating back there, and I’m putting that nicely. But on the longer runs, the only decision he has to make is run to green or run to the defender. If he is indecisive enough on that decision to slow himself down, then I would consider that ‘losing a step.’ And a bigger issue.
FWIW, I disagree with your position but what we’re dealing with is just two people using the eyeball test, so either of us could be wrong. I just think your supporting argument isn’t that strong.
You have been banned from Stampede Blue.
You apparently aren't interested in commenting on the Colts, but instead just want to take shots at editors for how we manage our blog. Thus, you're now no longer welcome.
by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 17, 2012 7:57 PM CST up reply actions
Because "losing a step" to me is losing the ability to run as fast.
I don’t think he has lost that ability, I think he lost his decision making so he never uses his full ability. He is too busy juking to go top speed.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 8:02 PM CST up reply actions
Whatever the reason, he's not running as fast as he used to.
Which is why I say he lost a step.
You have been banned from Stampede Blue.
You apparently aren't interested in commenting on the Colts, but instead just want to take shots at editors for how we manage our blog. Thus, you're now no longer welcome.
by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 17, 2012 8:18 PM CST up reply actions
I gotta ask.
I don’t think he has lost that ability, I think he lost his decision making so he never uses his full ability.
If you contend that he never uses it, then how could you, or any of us, even know if it’s lost or not?
I don't pretend to know that anyone here actually knows whats going on with him.
I just tend to have a little more faith, it seems. There is a definite hate for CJ that I do not quite share yet.
Ain't no time for hesitatin'
All you got to do is groove
by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 17, 2012 9:08 PM CST up reply actions
When he had the 48 yard td in the bills game i still saw the extra gear
http://www.nfl.com/videos/tennessee-titans/09000d5d824b9148/RB-Johnson-48-yd-run-TD
out runs the angle from the CB? and SS?
but even in this run, his patience which is what he has been praised. like in
This video.
Patience behind the LOS, is what rbs are supposed to do if the block is setting up slow, and i remember from some of superhorn’s shots that our pulling linemen didn’t always get there
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 17, 2012 8:01 PM CST up reply actions
F.
Because he failed, and because its the starting letter of the word in my mind whenever he got a carry.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 17, 2012 4:13 PM CST reply actions
I agree. I was surprised it wasn't graded F--AIL!
He may have lost a step, but he also hardly ever ran with effort, IMO.
The Force is with you, young SkyLocker, but you are not a Jedi... yet!
What is lower then an F?
because that is what the running game should be…
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G!
G, for Grill
or for God awful…
"You play to win the game!"
MCM's Unofficial Devil's Advocate: It's not about how good your point is; I'm going to argue against it.
by TitanNDCClothing on Jan 17, 2012 5:07 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Or G - for garbage.
Maybe S for suckage. Lol
The Force is with you, young SkyLocker, but you are not a Jedi... yet!
I reckon this should be a ?
As quite frankly we wont know until next year how much blame to put on the line and how much were the backs. If I had to go for a grade now it might be a C just because we flashed the ability to run the ball occasionally. But never did it consistantly, for me thats a C
I watch the Music City Miracle every time I visit MCM just because I can
If I show "flashes" on 1/16, 1/8, or even 1/4 of a test, I won't get a C.
I’ll get an F.
His few good games don’t make up for all the bad ones, in my opinion.
And next year probably won’t tell us anything about whether the line is to blame or not. I’d be very surprised if we have the same line next season.
Of course, even if we make the line changes and CJ has a great year, you won’t hear many people saying, “Whoa! Look at that line block!” It will be, “CJ is finally back!!!”
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 17, 2012 7:35 PM CST up reply actions
He is afraid to take a hit...simple as that.
when he is in the open field with no one around him, he’s great. He not hesitant because he is deciding which hole to run through; he’s looking for a huge hole where no one will hit him-he’s even afraid to run forward sometimes. I just hope it had something to do with the hold out.
By the way—-he got a 300,000.00 bonus for reaching the 1,000 yard in a season ‘milestone’…maybe someone else posted that, but I haven’t seen it yet…
...what I meant to say was...
Barry Sanders was afraid to get hit
Why do people think that speed backs with small bodies are looking to get hit?
He has taken solid, a scat backs speed is what helps them last long in games from taking solid hits, now we can’t say he’s never ran over or through a tackler, he just doesnt do it as much as a bigger back would. which is normal
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 17, 2012 7:44 PM CST up reply actions
Barry was not afraid to get hit
He was instinctual in the way he ran, he just reacted to what the defense was trying to do to stop him. Running Back is a lot like Saftey, you have to be instinctual to become successful. You have to make split second decisions that can cost your team field position or give the opposing team a TD or it can create an 80 yard highlight TD run/INT return for a TD that will be replayed ad nauseam till the end of time. When you lack this judgement, you end up like Mike Griffin or CJ this year. However if you have this judgement, you end up like Rod Woodson, Barry Sanders, or Walter Payton.
Fan of: New Jersey Devils, Tennessee Titans, New Jersey Nets, New York Mets, and the U
by NJD28 on Jan 17, 2012 10:31 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
you sure, i thought i heard him say it in an interview
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 19, 2012 2:00 AM CST up reply actions
To be honest…
I was almost afraid to open this post just because I knew the grade could be no greater than a D+ and no less than an F-.
I almost feel bad for our backs, it’s hard to run when there are no holes, but they have to be able to take advantage when our OL makes an occasional hole on a given play. Between CJ and Harper appear to be overthinking what they are supposed to be doing on a play, they try to make that extra move to make that wow play instead of taking what they are given by the defense. If CJ and Harper can get back to the fundamentals, then we will be talking about this year as a fluke year when CJ is up for a HoF vote. However if they continue to play the way they have been this year, we will be looking at a how much cap space we will loose to a CJ buyout.
Fan of: New Jersey Devils, Tennessee Titans, New Jersey Nets, New York Mets, and the U
by NJD28 on Jan 17, 2012 9:27 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Could be worse
I do believe he out rushed the top paid RB and did not get injured so hey small victory. based on the fact he did get over a thousand yards and did not get hurt you can’t give it an F. So D is right on the money.
by TopherYork on Jan 18, 2012 9:02 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
well he did have a hamstring injury earlier in the season, and then the mild ankle sprain
so when can’t say he didn’t get hurt, we can just say he is still keeping his games not played due to injury number down.
The best sig ever, reason 1, reason 2, reason 3, reason 4 Just got even Better, 0ne L0ve To Ben Breedl0ve
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 19, 2012 2:02 AM CST up reply actions
Two things
No training camp and a front line incapable of making holes. I am willing to give CJ the benefit of the doubt. I expect to see some shifting in the o-line this year.
That said, if he doesn’t show improvement by game 4 next season, I will wonder if the money didn’t make him lose his hunger. Steven Jackson is a guy who never lost his. I hope that CJ is being honest about his personal drive.
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