Chris Johnson Effect on NFL Offenses (1 Viewer)

[socrates]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored.

 

[fantasysharkctb]

CJ is the perfect storm. Besides having the best speed in the game, he's also probably got the best vision in the league. This combo is devastating when watching, and in the books.

Those guys have a lot to prove.

 

[benm3218]

It is not just the speed it is the vision and the cut accelaration. Watch the highlights on NFL.com today. He can accelerate while he cuts. Its just nasty. Any other RB that can do this will of course be awesome. Thats a given. But, speed alone won't produce the results that CJ is getting.

 

[Ilov80s]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored.

I am sorry, but comparing some of these guys to Chris Johnson is crazy. McFadden? Give me a break, the guy can't run through contact and can't make defenders miss. If there is a hole, he can run through it really fast and thats about it. Bush can not/will not run inside.

 

[LittlePhatty]

It is not just the speed it is the vision and the cut accelaration. Watch the highlights on NFL.com today. He can accelerate while he cuts. Its just nasty. Any other RB that can do this will of course be awesome. Thats a given. But, speed alone won't produce the results that CJ is getting.

Right. Speed is just one attribute. CJ has a lot of other things going for him too.Darrius Heyward-Bey is fast too. But...

 

[socrates]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored.

I am sorry, but comparing some of these guys to Chris Johnson is crazy. McFadden? Give me a break, the guy can't run through contact and can't make defenders miss. If there is a hole, he can run through it really fast and thats about it. Bush can not/will not run inside.

I am not suggesting any of the above-mentioned players can be compared to C. Johnson. He is a rare, exceptional talent. As a Dynasty owner, however, I am seeking to stay ahead of the curve and identify players not currently in the top-tier of running backs, who may benefit from any shift toward speedier backs who have the ability to take it the distance.

 

[Sammy Traveller]

what about the Titans offensive line? Would CJ have done well in, say, Oakland?

 

[Ilov80s]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored.

I am sorry, but comparing some of these guys to Chris Johnson is crazy. McFadden? Give me a break, the guy can't run through contact and can't make defenders miss. If there is a hole, he can run through it really fast and thats about it. Bush can not/will not run inside.

I am not suggesting any of the above-mentioned players can be compared to C. Johnson. He is a rare, exceptional talent. As a Dynasty owner, however, I am seeking to stay ahead of the curve and identify players not currently in the top-tier of running backs, who may benefit from any shift toward speedier backs who have the ability to take it the distance.

I understand looking at Spiller or Best as they teams may value them a bit more after watching CJ. McFadden and Bush were top picks, they have been given chances. McFadden isn't sitting on Oakland's bench because the team doesn't think he has NFL ability. They aren't going to catch a CJ highlight reel and think "hmmm...McFadden is fast too, maybe we should give him a chance". He already has had chances!

 

[Chaka]

We'll see 100 Trung Candidate's come and go before we see another Chris Johnson.

 

[FavreCo]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

 

[FavreCo]

what about the Titans offensive line? Would CJ have done well in, say, Oakland?

Not as well for sure. TEN has a great OL.

 

[Ilov80s]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

Could you please explain that to me.

 

[dotman]

I think the effect will be that teams will start to figure out that size isn't that important if they guy truly has world class explosiveness...there where only be a handful of guys that this will be the case, another recent player where this comes to mind is DeSean Jackson....when he was drafted it was known he had sick speed, and it was also known he was pretty damned polished for a WR as well....it seems he slid out of the 1st round because of his small size alone. Oops.

 

[benm3218]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

Could you please explain that to me.

Its an argument you can't win.... Since Norwood is fast and of a similar size he can say that, but there is not enough data to disprove it. I agree with you though, he is not even close to CJ.

 

[Jewell]

CJ is the perfect storm. Besides having the best speed in the game, he's also probably got the best vision in the league. This combo is devastating when watching, and in the books.

Johnson is also such a patient runner. There are times that he takes the handoff and it looks like he's just walking the first couple steps and then... BOOM... he's off to the races!He's even patient with his downfield blocking. I forget if it was his swing pass TD or long run TD yesterday, but on one of them he zigged back inside and actually slowed up to let a blocker get in front of him -- and that was about forty yards downfield.Most of the other guys listed in the OP not only don't have Johnson's vision, but they also don't have his patience.

 

[Chaka]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

Could you please explain that to me.

Its an argument you can't win.... Since Norwood is fast and of a similar size he can say that, but there is not enough to disprove it. I agree with you though, he is not even close to CJ.

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

 

[FavreCo]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

Could you please explain that to me.

Check Norwood's career yards per carry and yards per catch. They are the same or better (catching) than Chris Johnson's. He just doesn't get 250 carries a year.Simply put, if you put the ball in Norwood's hands as much as Chris Johnson, he would produce similar results based on past results. He is however hurt all the time.

 

[FavreCo]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

 

[benm3218]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

You acknowledge the very real possibility that with increased touches those numbers would go down? That is why I said this argument can't be won with data. Norwood can't stay healthy to get the carries to show what would happen... It's a tired argument since everyone agrees he can't handle the workload.

 

[Jewell]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

I'm not saying that Norwood definitely couldn't hang with Johnson, but if coaches felt he could -- then why hasn't he been given the opportunity? There has to be a reason why several different head coaches in Atlanta have been reluctant to give Norwood the opportunity.Sure Norwood's per carry numbers are comparable to Johnson's, but that's in a limited role. So are Felix Jones' numbers, but those are also in a limited role. There's something to be said for the back that has proven that he can shoulder the load for 250+ carries and neither Norwood nor Jones have proven they can do that. Johnson is showing that he can do that, and he can do it quite well.

 

[Ilov80s]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

I'm not saying that Norwood definitely couldn't hang with Johnson, but if coaches felt he could -- then why hasn't he been given the opportunity? There has to be a reason why several different head coaches in Atlanta have been reluctant to give Norwood the opportunity.Sure Norwood's per carry numbers are comparable to Johnson's, but that's in a limited role. So are Felix Jones' numbers, but those are also in a limited role. There's something to be said for the back that has proven that he can shoulder the load for 250+ carries and neither Norwood nor Jones have proven they can do that. Johnson is showing that he can do that, and he can do it quite well.

My question is, has there ever been a RB used in a limited role that has not seen their YPC drop significantly when given a feature role?

 

[FavreCo]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

I'm not saying that Norwood definitely couldn't hang with Johnson, but if coaches felt he could -- then why hasn't he been given the opportunity? There has to be a reason why several different head coaches in Atlanta have been reluctant to give Norwood the opportunity.Sure Norwood's per carry numbers are comparable to Johnson's, but that's in a limited role. So are Felix Jones' numbers, but those are also in a limited role. There's something to be said for the back that has proven that he can shoulder the load for 250+ carries and neither Norwood nor Jones have proven they can do that. Johnson is showing that he can do that, and he can do it quite well.

That's true but I watched the ATL games from the 1st 2 years of Norwood's career and he would come in bust off huge chunks of yardage and never be heard from again. 1. Petrino was coach in 2007, Norwood's 2nd year. He was a clueless schmuck. 2. The new staff brought in Turner to be the feature. Norwood was cast aside because of that.I'm not saying he's better. I'm saying he could put up excellent numbers if used the same way.

 

[Chaka]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

No I didn't.No he can't.Wow this is easy.

 

[socrates]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

I'm not saying that Norwood definitely couldn't hang with Johnson, but if coaches felt he could -- then why hasn't he been given the opportunity? There has to be a reason why several different head coaches in Atlanta have been reluctant to give Norwood the opportunity.Sure Norwood's per carry numbers are comparable to Johnson's, but that's in a limited role. So are Felix Jones' numbers, but those are also in a limited role. There's something to be said for the back that has proven that he can shoulder the load for 250+ carries and neither Norwood nor Jones have proven they can do that. Johnson is showing that he can do that, and he can do it quite well.

That's true but I watched the ATL games from the 1st 2 years of Norwood's career and he would come in bust off huge chunks of yardage and never be heard from again. 1. Petrino was coach in 2007, Norwood's 2nd year. He was a clueless schmuck. 2. The new staff brought in Turner to be the feature. Norwood was cast aside because of that.I'm not saying he's better. I'm saying he could put up excellent numbers if used the same way.

I think Norwood is a perfect example of a speedy back who has that"take-it-the-distance" potential every time he touches the ball. With proper scheming and blocking (and an absence of injuries), I agree Norwood could excel. Those factors are undoubtedly not so easy to achieve, and even in that scenario, Norwood is certainly not Chris Johnson's equal; however, I for one would be excited to see how Norwood would perform. When you pepper in those long runs Norwood is capable of, his YPC is likely to be high.I understand the argument that extrapolating his numbers from a small sample size is not necessarily an accurate predictor; however, you must account for Norwood's running style. The true key is whether Norwood could ever handle such a load, and whether he has the remaining skill set (can he pass block? Can he convert a third and short?) to ever garner that type of playing time, and thus far the answer has sadly been "no".

 

[thatguythere]

I hate Chris Johnson....

What's up with that thing he does with his neck anyway....looks like a chicken.

 

[teamroc]

I'll win it right here: Norwood isn't nearly as good as CJ.Game, set and match.

You just lost. He isn't as good but numbers wise he can hang with Johnson given the opportunity.

I'm not saying that Norwood definitely couldn't hang with Johnson, but if coaches felt he could -- then why hasn't he been given the opportunity? There has to be a reason why several different head coaches in Atlanta have been reluctant to give Norwood the opportunity.Sure Norwood's per carry numbers are comparable to Johnson's, but that's in a limited role. So are Felix Jones' numbers, but those are also in a limited role. There's something to be said for the back that has proven that he can shoulder the load for 250+ carries and neither Norwood nor Jones have proven they can do that. Johnson is showing that he can do that, and he can do it quite well.

That's true but I watched the ATL games from the 1st 2 years of Norwood's career and he would come in bust off huge chunks of yardage and never be heard from again. 1. Petrino was coach in 2007, Norwood's 2nd year. He was a clueless schmuck. 2. The new staff brought in Turner to be the feature. Norwood was cast aside because of that.I'm not saying he's better. I'm saying he could put up excellent numbers if used the same way.

I've seen all of ATLs games. I've been to a few summer practices. Norwood will never be a feature RB. Look at his freaking legs. He has twig legs. He can't even stay healthy as a backup RBBC. He's banged up and hurting every year. It won't work. Won't happen. Ever. Move on. As for the OP, the NFL has been drafting for speed for about 15 years. That's nothing new. Anyone who can run at his speed always gets drafted.

 

[Da Guru]

We'll see 100 Trung Candidate's come and go before we see another Chris Johnson.

We already have. I still think McFadden could have a decent career in the right offense, but the right offense is not in Oakland.

 

[benm3218]

Norwood is one of the most annoyingly overrated RB's people like to pimp on here. First off, he isn't a feature back. He is always hurt as a part timer with a feature role I guess he'd die. Second, his legs are not strong and muscular. They are skinny and puny looking. Third, he is kind of like any of the small scat backs that don't do a ton but have some giant reputation. Leon Washington, Darren Sproles, Jerrious Norwood, except Norwood is hurt all the time. All these guys get big names cuz they are NOT feature backs.

 

[benm3218]

I hate Chris Johnson.... What's up with that thing he does with his neck anyway....looks like a chicken.

haha. It's kind of like a tic he isn't aware of. He has said its due to his dreads under the helmet and he shakes it to adjust them.

 

[FUBAR]

Jerious Norwood was Chris Johnson before Chris Johnson. Too bad Atlanta has never figured that out.

Could you please explain that to me.

Check Norwood's career yards per carry and yards per catch. They are the same or better (catching) than Chris Johnson's. He just doesn't get 250 carries a year.Simply put, if you put the ball in Norwood's hands as much as Chris Johnson, he would produce similar results based on past results. He is however hurt all the time.

Sure glad you know more than Mike Smith. Turner isn't producing better than CJ but his backup would? Even when he's not hurt he's nothing but a COP back.Sproles is more likely to produce like CJ none of these guys will.People like to wonder how Barry Sanders would have done in Dallas. We're finally seeing it.

 

[Matt Waldman]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating. He lacks Johnson's balance, technique, and toughness between the tackles. This is why Johnson is unique with his skill set.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.If he can stay healthy and the Cowboys become more confident that he'll remain on the field, he has Jamaal Charles-esque ability, see below.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased He doesn't play slower, he lacks the vision of Jones. Always has. He is not a patient runner. So what you see is McFAdden slamming into the line and therefore it's a fast run into a wall. It makes him look like he's not fast enough to break runs, but in reality he is not waiting long enough to let blocks develop and then accelerate. Plus his balance is below average and this prevents him from maximizing his strength to break tackles he should.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball. Great potential. His only issue ever was refining his vision. He saw holes very well, but he did not always make the choice that best helped his team move the chains. He'd see the high-degree of difficulty cutback for potential long gain and always try to take it over the easy 4-5 yard run. He has learned to do this better now.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored. I loved Bush, but he ran differently in college. In the pros he tries too hard to make that extra move too often. He'd be better off as a wide receiver because his hands and routes are very good.

See above in bold, but Johnson is a unique back. You don't find players with 4.2 speed, great acceleration, and terrific patience and balance between the tackles. They drop in team's laps.

 

[creeps1313]

CJ is the perfect storm. Besides having the best speed in the game, he's also probably got the best vision in the league. This combo is devastating when watching, and in the books.

Johnson is also such a patient runner. There are times that he takes the handoff and it looks like he's just walking the first couple steps and then... BOOM... he's off to the races!He's even patient with his downfield blocking. I forget if it was his swing pass TD or long run TD yesterday, but on one of them he zigged back inside and actually slowed up to let a blocker get in front of him -- and that was about forty yards downfield.Most of the other guys listed in the OP not only don't have Johnson's vision, but they also don't have his patience.

He actually did it on both tds....but it was the swing pass that was truely a thing of beautiful. His patience and vision are sick! Then you add in the acceleration and cutting ability and you have something that ive never seen before. I joke with my buddies that he looks like a deer out there...he almost bounces around.AD runs like a wild horse...CJ runs like a deer.

 

[socrates]

In the copycat league that is the NFL, I cannot help but wonder how Offensive Coordinators and Player Personnel Executives will react to the success Chris Johnson is enjoying in Tennessee. There is no denying that homerun speed can have a dramatic game-changing effect on a game. As the saying goes, speed kills.

NFL Defenses are faster than in years past, and along with this defensive evolution, the pendulum is swinging toward speedier offenses as well.

Chris Johnson is a rare physical talent, no doubt, but with his success, will we see other hyper-fast backs showcased? Who are those backs that could benefit? Here is a short list:

1. CJ Spiller: Spiller could benefit mightily from Johnson's success. He was Clemson's "Lightning" to James Davis' "Thunder". He is a smallish, electrifying playmaker. Despite some concerns about his size, Spiller has OC's salivating. He lacks Johnson's balance, technique, and toughness between the tackles. This is why Johnson is unique with his skill set.

2. Felix Jones: Felix plays much faster than his 40 times suggest. He has great cutback ability and a second gear in the open field.If he can stay healthy and the Cowboys become more confident that he'll remain on the field, he has Jamaal Charles-esque ability, see below.

3. Darren McFadden: Thus far in the NFL, Felix Jones' college teammate seems to me to play slower than his timed speed. McFadden was a true homerun threat in college, and playing for the speed-enamored Raiders, I have to believe McFadden's speed will soon be showcased He doesn't play slower, he lacks the vision of Jones. Always has. He is not a patient runner. So what you see is McFAdden slamming into the line and therefore it's a fast run into a wall. It makes him look like he's not fast enough to break runs, but in reality he is not waiting long enough to let blocks develop and then accelerate. Plus his balance is below average and this prevents him from maximizing his strength to break tackles he should.

4. Jamaal Charles: Charles displayed his game-breaking speed this week with a 76 yeard romp to paydirt. Charles is a former track star who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball. Great potential. His only issue ever was refining his vision. He saw holes very well, but he did not always make the choice that best helped his team move the chains. He'd see the high-degree of difficulty cutback for potential long gain and always try to take it over the easy 4-5 yard run. He has learned to do this better now.

5. Reggie Bush: I know, I know . . . It is interesting that Chris Johnson was compared to Reggie Bush coming into the league. Bush has not exhibited an ability to be an every-down back, but as a specialist in the Saints' exciting offense, Bush's value cannot be ignored. I loved Bush, but he ran differently in college. In the pros he tries too hard to make that extra move too often. He'd be better off as a wide receiver because his hands and routes are very good.

See above in bold, but Johnson is a unique back. You don't find players with 4.2 speed, great acceleration, and terrific patience and balance between the tackles. They drop in team's laps.

Johnson is no doubt unique.

 

[FavreCo]

Sure glad you know more than Mike Smith.

It's certainly possible.I know a lot more than about 50% of the HC's today.A simple example. Buffalo is about what? 32nd in run defense? Yeah. I would have run DeAngelo and Stewart all day long. I wouldn't throw the ball 44 times and lose at home to the worst run deefense in the league. btw, that was 1 week after high powered Houston ran the ball over 50% of the time on Bufalo. Pretty sad when you just watch game film of the previous week, have superior RB's and still don't get it.

 

[new-guru]

I see a little bit of Chris Johnson in the way Jamal Charles handles himself. Especially of late. great acceleration, finding the holes and making the cuts. State hurdle champ in High school. the kid has speed.

 

[LittlePhatty]

I joke with my buddies that he looks like a deer out there...he almost bounces around.

When he is going full speed it looks like his stride length is twice that of those around him.