Chris Johnson versus a REAL rush defense

this pretty much sums up any point i was attempting to make. CJ got fat and looks ordinary this season. Can he get it back? I dunno...


Last year, or the year before last, I made a post on here asking.. how much tread does CJ have left on the tires and what is his shelf life? I got flamed for asking this... but now its evident... those 400 touches he got that one season when Fisher decided that running CJ every play was what he was going to do after we were 0-6 playoffs were not an option really took a toll on the kid.

Here's what I don't understand... We rest superstars when we have nothing to play for at the end of the season. (example: 2008, when we started benching starters because we had nothing to play for)

But when the playoffs are out of reach and nothing much left to play for except pride... What did Fisher do? He did the exact opposite.. He ran CJ into the ground and gave him the ball like he was Eddie George.

CJ is nothing like Eddie George. Eddie could take a beating. Eddie could run it up the middle for 3-4 yards a play. Eddie could break tackles. Eddie could slam Ray Lewis down on his rear end and talk smack to him because he was a MAN. Not a boy wonder. CJ is a boy wonder.. He's not an Eddie George type of back.

CJ needs a compliment back. If we are going to commit to the run, we need a smash for his lack of dash.

 

You should go being from Chattanooga, I got a $30 ticket this morning even though I am not terribly optimistic about this match-up one bit. We are going to need not only a baller performance out of CJ, but also a huge special teams play or turnover for a TD to even be competitive. Still making the trip though, ATL is close enough where we have no excuse not to have a lot of Titan Blue sprucing up that dim, filthy, date-rape dome.

 

Totally agree, this game is huge! I also feel it's a make or break game. ATL is as good an opponent as we can face. Great RB, great QB, great TE and really good defense. I want to see us come out and play with purpose and like a team that deserves to win the division, deserves to make the playoffs and deserves to be in the running for it all. The thing that sucks about this team right now is we look like the best team in the league one game and then look like a team with no heart and no will the next.

The thing about this ATL game is that we are in great position to capitalize on the opportunities we have in front of us. By taking it one game at a time and playing our best ball, playing smart, playing with heart we control our own destiny. We can win this division, we can make that push into the playoffs and then it's all up for grabs. Again, it all starts sunday against ATL. I'm pumped and excited as can be. This game is huge because I honestly feel that a win over the falcons in their home dome will give us the confidence boost we need to get us on a roll.

Like Deuce said we can beat any team, the sad part is that we also can be beaten by third stringers and scrubs.

 

The offensive line makes nearly 3 times what CJ does. They need to do a better job just as much as CJ does. The o-line has $120 million in contracts and they're only doing half of their job.

In 5 of 7 games, he got 14 carries or less. He wasn't good of course except for 2 or 3 games but to use the 100 yard mark is a stupid idea since there is no way he'd hit 100 yards in those 5 games unless he averaged like 8YPC.

 

I am leaving from Nashville, I am originally from Chattanooga, but moved here last year.

 

I'm as big a CJ fan as the next guy but all the blame can't be put on the offensive line. Early on a lot of it was the line but in that past few weeks he's had some of the same blocks that he was getting when he would take it to the house in the past. He isn't using his jukes and shiftiness like he has before. Some of it is the line but a lot of it is him not getting the most of what he's given.

He's proven that he can take it to the house with limited open field in front of him and he hasn't done that yet this season. He's had more than a few chances to take it to the house and didn't take advantage. I don't think he's lost it, but he's definitely not playing his best.

 

I in no way shape or form said all the blame is on the o-line..My point is the o-line isn't being paid scraps, they're being paid a lot of money too and need to do their job. Being ranked at the very bottom in the NFL for run blocking for the past two years and making 120 million isn't going to cut it and they need to improve as well. I agree with everything else you said though.

 

Great point. Can't argue with that. And add to the fact that our head coach and new O-line coach are both Hall of Hamers.