Disappointed Chris Johnson Owners (1 Viewer)

[karmarooster]

anyone else disappointed with the way the titan's utilized CJ4.24 in the game last night?

it's not that the defense was too tough for him... he was looking pretty solid in the first half, but disappeared almost completely in the 2nd half. obviously, the steelers are a very good defense so he wasn't ripping huge gains on every play, but he had a couple long gainers.

I thought especially after Troy Polamalu went out they would use CJ in a better way... Troy is basically the only guy on the steelers who has the speed and ability to tackle him in the open field. maybe their logic was that without Troy, the steelers couldn't stop the passing attack... and that was mostly true. but with Collins having success in the air, there had the be MORE room to run for CJ.

what i'm talking about is the WAY he was utilized. mostly run up the middle into a pile of bodies. the 30 yard run he had was essentially a broken play where he reversed field and got around the corner. i haven't re-watched the game, but i don't think he had any pitch or toss runs, or even a stretch play. IMO he should be run between the tackles and outside about equally, to keep the defense honest.

also only 1 reception on the night. his number of carries - 15 - was perfectly adequate for a RB with his skill set, but he should be catching 3-5+ balls in every game. including dump offs in the flat and screens. there were rumors of him lining up in the slot and outside this year... but i didn't see any of that. why not get him in motion before the snap and send him on a wheel route up the side line?

some pre-season talk about him focused on him being 'eased into' the offense last year. supposedly the offense was going to open up for him this year. in the PLAYOFFS against the ravens, he was utilized in such a manner... in particular i remember the short pass to him in the flat where he schooled bart scott in the open field. 3WR set, CJ to the weakside... 1 on 1 matchup with a LB with the safeties 20 yards away. i was really hoping to see more of that.

I'm looking for opinions... specifically from F&L and Waldman, two people who i know are very high on him. it's evident that CJ is one of the top 5 or so most talented pure runners in the game, along with Peterson and DWill. it's just frustrating not to see him deployed in a way to take advantage of his talent.

Disclosure- i own CJ in my dynasty league, but don't have him in any re-drafts.

 

[ceo3west]

I agree, it's mindblowing how this guy is not catching more passes.

 

[Sinrman]

I wouldn't throw out the white flag of surrender yet. It was the Steelers. Sure, they could have used him a bit more on screens and such, but I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[karmarooster]

I wouldn't throw out the white flag of surrender yet. It was the Steelers. Sure, they could have used him a bit more on screens and such, but I wouldn't sweat it.

I'm not throwing up a white flag per se, but the Ravens are a great defense too. like i said, the quality of the defense isn't what limited him in the game. behind the titan's o-line, there isn't a defense in the league that can shut him down... steelers included.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

 

[Freakin'Farmer]

anyone else disappointed with the way the titan's utilized CJ4.24 in the game last night?

it's not that the defense was too tough for him... he was looking pretty solid in the first half, but disappeared almost completely in the 2nd half. obviously, the steelers are a very good defense so he wasn't ripping huge gains on every play, but he had a couple long gainers.

I thought especially after Troy Polamalu went out they would use CJ in a better way... Troy is basically the only guy on the steelers who has the speed and ability to tackle him in the open field. maybe their logic was that without Troy, the steelers couldn't stop the passing attack... and that was mostly true. but with Collins having success in the air, there had the be MORE room to run for CJ.

what i'm talking about is the WAY he was utilized. mostly run up the middle into a pile of bodies. the 30 yard run he had was essentially a broken play where he reversed field and got around the corner. i haven't re-watched the game, but i don't think he had any pitch or toss runs, or even a stretch play. IMO he should be run between the tackles and outside about equally, to keep the defense honest.

also only 1 reception on the night. his number of carries - 15 - was perfectly adequate for a RB with his skill set, but he should be catching 3-5+ balls in every game. including dump offs in the flat and screens. there were rumors of him lining up in the slot and outside this year... but i didn't see any of that. why not get him in motion before the snap and send him on a wheel route up the side line?

some pre-season talk about him focused on him being 'eased into' the offense last year. supposedly the offense was going to open up for him this year. in the PLAYOFFS against the ravens, he was utilized in such a manner... in particular i remember the short pass to him in the flat where he schooled bart scott in the open field. 3WR set, CJ to the weakside... 1 on 1 matchup with a LB with the safeties 20 yards away. i was really hoping to see more of that.

I'm looking for opinions... specifically from F&L and Waldman, two people who i know are very high on him. it's evident that CJ is one of the top 5 or so most talented pure runners in the game, along with Peterson and DWill. it's just frustrating not to see him deployed in a way to take advantage of his talent.

Disclosure- i own CJ in my dynasty league, but don't have him in any re-drafts.

I agree about the flats and screens-instead of dumping the ball in the middle to slow lumbering TEs why not get into Johnsons hands. keep your bigger bodied TEs in to block the Blitz. I was unimpressed with the Titans offensive game plan.e

 

[jobarules]

They used him to pass block on almost every play. Thought that was strange

 

[Ripleys]

Yep, that was the issue, he had to stay in and block instead of being used in the passing game. But the 1 catch he had, boy it looked natural didn't it? I was definitely disappointed in the low point production, but I'm betting this is his lowest output for the season.

 

[moleculo]

They used him to pass block on almost every play. Thought that was strange

it looked to me like he was in to pass-block and then was to release for a quick dump-off. The problem was the Steeler D-line was in to Collins before CJohnson could make a clean break. Anyone else notice this, or was this wishful thinking on my part?

 

[HoTnickZ]

Lendale was out there wasting touches.. and I'm a Lendale owner.

 

[karmarooster]

They used him to pass block on almost every play. Thought that was strange

it looked to me like he was in to pass-block and then was to release for a quick dump-off. The problem was the Steeler D-line was in to Collins before CJohnson could make a clean break. Anyone else notice this, or was this wishful thinking on my part?

i saw several plays where he was throwing himself into Farrior and Harrison... and doing a decent job of it... as good as a 200lb RB could do i guess. it looked to me that he was simply blocking, and not chipping with the intent to release.

 

[Banger]

It was pretty much what I was expecting, I was actually happy to see him break some nice runs...the best defense in the league, defending super bowl champs, first night of the season and then throw the absolutely terrible field position on top. They started 3 drives inside the 5, one at the 10 and one at the 11, so 5 of their 12 possessions for the game were inside their 12 yard line. When you are in a tight game with against a defense like that on your side of the field the playcalling is going to be close to the vest to minimize turnovers and play field position.

CJ was held in quite a bit to protect against blitzes and the tough Steeler pass rush. Fortunately he doesn't have to play them every game. He did fine and it'll probably be one of his worst games of the year. He had a fine year last year and almost identical stats when he played the Steelers at home in week 16, 18 touches 71 yards 1 td and last night he had 16 touches for 68 yards. No big deal.

 

[karmarooster]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

this isn't the answer to this question.

Lendale was out there wasting touches.. and I'm a Lendale owner.

i actually though lendale's role was fine... it will keep CJ's legs fresh. however, both RBs disappeared for the most part in the 2nd half.

 

[basher]

They used him to pass block on almost every play. Thought that was strange

because when he wasn't pass blocking the steelers closed the pocket. I am surprised they didn't have lendale in the back field more and get more creative in how they used CJ. Also, they inexplicably tried to extend the field too much (every pass was 10 yards down field) and really suffered from not going short at all.Tough game though against the best D in the league. It doesn't help that bironas missed the two field goals that would have let them run more in the second half.

 

[Banger]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

this isn't the answer to this question.

the score, the defense/team you're playing against and field position are going to impact the playcalling. It's one game, it's no big deal.

 

[The Comedian]

I also cannot believe that Fisher doesn't care about my fantasy team.

 

[fruity pebbles]

thought he looked pretty good. Saw a lot of talk that during the preseason he didnt look as quick. That can be put to rest after seeing him fake Woodley out of his pants and getting to the outside on the reverse field early in the game. Schedule gets a lot easier from here on out. Think he only plays one top 10 defense (based on last year) the rest of the way. If he can get 70 yards total against the Steelers, he should have no prob getting 100 a game when there are actualy holes to run through.

 

[karmarooster]

I also cannot believe that Fisher doesn't care about my fantasy team.

that hilarious... you should be a.... you know........this isn't about fantasy as separate from real life football. CJ in space = more scoring opportunities for the Titans.

 

[dundeeslugger]

Seemed like they needed him to block more then catch passes. Unfortunately, he's not that great of a blocker.

They should have a fullback that can block so he can release and get into open space easier.

 

[karmarooster]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

this isn't the answer to this question.

the score, the defense/team you're playing against and field position are going to impact the playcalling. It's one game, it's no big deal.

the titan's O-line + 4.24 > any defense in the league, including pittsburgh and baltimore. last year vs. Pittsburgh - 4.3ypclast year vs. Baltimore - 6.5ypclast night vs. Pittsburgh - 3.8ypc .... this could have been better if they had used him more creatively.

 

[Banger]

thought he looked pretty good. Saw a lot of talk that during the preseason he didnt look as quick. That can be put to rest after seeing him fake Woodley out of his pants and getting to the outside on the reverse field early in the game. Schedule gets a lot easier from here on out. Think he only plays one top 10 defense (based on last year) the rest of the way. If he can get 70 yards total against the Steelers, he should have no prob getting 100 a game when there are actualy holes to run through.

I laughed when I saw people posting about his lack of quickness...the guy is what 22 and the fastest guy in the league. that's a good point on Woodley...his big run was a broken play where there was nothing there, and on the Woodley play you mentioned he tackles the RB for a loss 9 times out of 10. That's about 45 yards on individual effort.

 

[LittlePhatty]

You're overreacting.

CJ looked good against the Steelers. Polamalu had his number on a couple of plays, but he is one of the best.

The Titans just started going for deeper passes, and Collins was hitting them.

They were doing what they needed to in order to win the game, and it was working.

I really think it came down to the coin toss at the end. Either team would have scored (provided that Bironas actually hit his when it came time).

If the Titans had gotten the ball back in overtime, CJ may have seen one play. That's all. You just don't get downfield against the Steelers that way. You throw deeper balls to Gage and Britt.

I thought it was a great game, managed well by both teams. The only disappointment was Bironas.

 

[Banger]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

this isn't the answer to this question.

the score, the defense/team you're playing against and field position are going to impact the playcalling. It's one game, it's no big deal.

the titan's O-line + 4.24 > any defense in the league, including pittsburgh and baltimore. last year vs. Pittsburgh - 4.3ypclast year vs. Baltimore - 6.5ypclast night vs. Pittsburgh - 3.8ypc .... this could have been better if they had used him more creatively.

It was a tight game that they lost due to some missed FGs. Don't lose sight of the fact that Fisher doesn't care about how many yards CJ gets, he wants to do what he needs to do to win the game and they nearly did that on the road against the SB champs. Last year vs. Pitt was at home and they won the game 31-14 and his stat line was nearly identical. It's completely different than last nights circumstances. Again, creativity is going to be dictacted by the game, how the defense is playing him/the Titans, the score, the field position, etc. These guys have snapshots of every down, how do you know they didn't have two guys shadowing every CJ snap. On second thought I think you should trade Johnson while you still can....

 

[FUBAR]

its one game against probably the best run defense in the league.

In this game, it wasn't so much that they shut down the run as the Titans needed or chose to have CJ block more. Which is somewhat disconcerting as a Titans fan as I believe the Titans have better blockers they could have utilized. But at the same time it excites me knowing that he's developing into a decent blocker and a complete player. He keeps this up he could just be one of the best backs in the league for the next decade.

 

[Chase Stuart]

A good point Wood made to me last night: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/6QYiY

Among the 27 RBs with 30 or more receptions last year, 4.24 had the second lowest YPR of the group.

 

[fruity pebbles]

He looked better than Parker or Mendenhal lol

Was as surprised as most that they kept him blocking as much as they did and he was in on every 3rd down. Think he did an adequate job. He tries hard which is half the battle. Gotta remember a lot of those blitzers outweighed him by 60-70 pounds running full bore. He kept Collins from getting kiled a couple times that i saw. Wiffed one in particular that i saw

 

[Banger]

He looked better than Parker or Mendenhal lolWas as surprised as most that they kept him blocking as much as they did and he was in on every 3rd down. Think he did an adequate job. He tries hard which is half the battle. Gotta remember a lot of those blitzers outweighed him by 60-70 pounds running full bore. He kept Collins from getting kiled a couple times that i saw. Wiffed one in particular that i saw

noticed the whiff too but I saw a nice chip in the end zone, obviously the one they replayed mid field to give Collins some time as well as a couple others. All in all not a game to make you do cartwheels but lets not forget that this same back last year had stat lines of 18-44, 14-8, 10-46, 13-65, 16-69 and 17-64 while last night his stat line was 15-57. No biggie, it's just game 1 and everything is magnified.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

IIRC a couple of screens were torn apart by Pitt and Johnson never got the ball on those plays. Screens are not effective against the Steelers IMO.

We knew Johnson was going to have a rough go of it tonight...why are owners so surprised or angry. Remember and this is going to be my theme all year...a handful of plays decide games and a handful of players really make the difference on a week to week basis.

They have to get Johnson in space.

 

[karmarooster]

A good point Wood made to me last night: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/6QYiY

Among the 27 RBs with 30 or more receptions last year, 4.24 had the second lowest YPR of the group.

yes i've heard this stat before, but it's not necessarily an indication of CJ's run after the catch ability. it could be a by-product of sending him on vanilla routes, safeties being close to the line, or multiple defenders shadowing CJ on every route. this goes hand in hand with the "training wheels" argument- that last year they just scratched the surface of how to utilize him, while this year they are supposed to get creative and use him more effectively in the passing game. i would expect his YPR to increase this year.

 

[karmarooster]

IIRC a couple of screens were torn apart by Pitt and Johnson never got the ball on those plays. Screens are not effective against the Steelers IMO. We knew Johnson was going to have a rough go of it tonight...why are owners so surprised or angry. Remember and this is going to be my theme all year...a handful of plays decide games and a handful of players really make the difference on a week to week basis. They have to get Johnson in space.

he had 2 targets on the night... not sure if either one was a screen. 1 reception for 11 yards.i'm not surprised or angry really, i'm just disappointed with the creativity of the OC.

 

[RBM]

CJ4.24

WTF

 

[Ministry of Pain]

IIRC a couple of screens were torn apart by Pitt and Johnson never got the ball on those plays. Screens are not effective against the Steelers IMO. We knew Johnson was going to have a rough go of it tonight...why are owners so surprised or angry. Remember and this is going to be my theme all year...a handful of plays decide games and a handful of players really make the difference on a week to week basis. They have to get Johnson in space.

he had 2 targets on the night... not sure if either one was a screen. 1 reception for 11 yards.i'm not surprised or angry really, i'm just disappointed with the creativity of the OC.

I thought there were a couple plays where the Steelers batted the ball down on screen like plays. When TP left the game, I think the green light went on to attack with the WRs, also don't discredit Scaife having to leave the game as well.

 

[Native]

Not a CJ owner, but theres no reason why hes isnt getting more involved in the passing game. He needs to be out in space. Where were all the screen passes?

 

[karmarooster]

CJ4.24

WTF

this is the name i've always called him, i think it's better than CJ3

 

[dickey moe]

CJ4.24

WTF

His initials, followed by his 40-yd dash time. I know, it's lame.

 

[basher]

Not a CJ owner, but theres no reason why hes isnt getting more involved in the passing game. He needs to be out in space. Where were all the screen passes?

screen passes aren't very affective against a disciplined D with as much team speed as they have. if you shoot your lineman out those LBs and Safeties will sniff that out before the play even gets going. Also, you can't naked screen because you will get your RB murdered.

 

[Christo]

I also cannot believe that Fisher doesn't care about my fantasy team.

that hilarious... you should be a.... you know........this isn't about fantasy as separate from real life football. CJ in space = more scoring opportunities for the Titans.

Your thread title:

Disappointed Chris Johnson Owners

 

[baconisgood]

I think a lack of screens had to do with CJ's inability to pick up the blitz at all. On one attempt to get him a screen he missed the guy he was supposed to chip on the way out and that guy batted the ball down. Its imperative that the RB sell the pass protection to A. Slow the guy down and give his QB time and B. Sell it to the rest of the defense. Missing blocks there will kill screen plays. He missed at least one other blitz pick up where Collins was sacked when he couldn't decide between two blitzers and got neither of them. Being able to usefully chip players is necessary to being used on screens.

 

[Banger]

A good point Wood made to me last night: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/tiny/6QYiY

Among the 27 RBs with 30 or more receptions last year, 4.24 had the second lowest YPR of the group.

yes i've heard this stat before, but it's not necessarily an indication of CJ's run after the catch ability. it could be a by-product of sending him on vanilla routes, safeties being close to the line, or multiple defenders shadowing CJ on every route. this goes hand in hand with the "training wheels" argument- that last year they just scratched the surface of how to utilize him, while this year they are supposed to get creative and use him more effectively in the passing game. i would expect his YPR to increase this year.

this is absolutely correct. You can't those stats in a vaccuum without watching the games, the playcalls and the situations. CJ last year was their best player and had 8-9 in the box every game. The 3rd down dumpoffs to him last year were a joke...everyone in the stands, on the sidelines, watching at home knows they going to dump it to him and he's got a spy on him and usually makes that 1st guy miss but gets gang tackled soon after. Look at his one catch last night, 9 out of 10 RBs are blown up in the backfield on that play but he made an all-pro miss and took it for 11 yards. They need to be more creative in the way they get him the ball (lining him up in different places), they need to get him the ball in less obvious down and distance situations, they also rarely, if ever, get him the ball beyond the LOS..almost all are dumpoffs and most importantly they need teams to start respecting some kind of a passing game to make them drop a guy or two out of the box.

Compare the receiving stats for CJ (in his rookie year) vs. Westbrook, who's the gold standard in receiving backs, last year ...

1st down CJ 15-103 (6.87)/Westy 19-119 (6.26)

2nd down CJ 14-91 (6.5)/17-148 (8.71)

3rd down CJ 14-63 (4.5)/18-135 (7.50)

Looking at the stats, CJ's best down was 1st down because teams aren't expecting the pass whereas he was horrible on 3rd down when everyone in the stadium knows he's getting the ball. Lets not forget the small sample size here too and if he breaks one for a 60 yarder (which anyone who watches him at all knows he can and will do) all the sudden he's got a 7.44 ypc which is equal to Westbrook.

 

[karmarooster]

man, the negativity in here is killer.

for a nickname, would you prefer, as i heard on the audible, Light Blue Jesus?

and Christo, did you read the OP? i didn't once mention points or my fantasy score... success in real life football can sometimes be related to success in fantasy.

if CJ had a 20 point game last night, i'd say the chances are more likely that the Titans would've won the game.

Furthermore, "Disappointed Chris Johnson Owners" was a call to discussion for the ways to better utilize his talent.

 

[Wu-banger]

biggest concern if I was a Titans fan is that he is your only playmaker ... in a close game... he should have been getting more oppurtunities to make a game changing play.

The coaching staffs lack of creativity in getting him the ball is troubling.

 

[Banger]

biggest concern if I was a Titans fan is that he is your only playmaker ... in a close game... he should have been getting more oppurtunities to make a game changing play.The coaching staffs lack of creativity in getting him the ball is troubling.

that's no different than last year when they went 13-3. Actually I thought Gage and Britt looked decent and if the buzz on Cook is true they may have the start of something.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

Guys, it's not like the Titans PLANNED to have Johnson in blocking all the time. In a lot of situations, he was blocking because the read dictated that the RB block to save Collins' ###. Only other options are to NOT have CJ in there (which I doubt you would have been any more happy about), or get your ancient QB killed.

The Steelers D looked very good, and Johnson did pretty well, considering.

I will note though, that he had a 17 yarder and a 32 yarder, and then 13 OTHER carries for a total of 8 yards. It's not like he was carving up the defense. I'm not one to discount the big plays or take them out of the average or anything because they are very important, but he was getting absolutely crushed on most of his attempts.

Chris Johnson is a very good, very dangerous back. But he's not unstoppable as some seem to think.

 

[Catbird]

It was the Steelers, but mostly the Steelers without TP, and I know you can't eliminate a play and get a completely accurate picture, and its just one game ... but other than the busted cutback run (where he was a foot away from being dropped for a loss), Johnson averaged less than 2 ypc over his 14 runs, mostly into (and virtually never through) the DL. By contrast, Lendale averaged 3.5 (3 if you take away his best). I guess we just hope the lesser D's aren't nearly as effective at containing CJ3.

 

[Banger]

I will note though, that he had a 17 yarder and a 32 yarder, and then 13 OTHER carries for a total of 8 yards. It's not like he was carving up the defense. I'm not one to discount the big plays or take them out of the average or anything because they are very important, but he was getting absolutely crushed on most of his attempts.Chris Johnson is a very good, very dangerous back. But he's not unstoppable as some seem to think.

I thought the same thing about A. Peterson last year watching him in the Eagle game, he had 20 carries for 83 yards but one was a 40 yard TD run and if you take that away he only had 43 yard on his other 19 carries. /sarcasmThose runs are the reasons guys like that are special otherwise you end up with Willie Parker stat lines (13-19) without the big run.

 

[Aardvarks]

I'm definitely ticked that Heimerdinger chose to max-protect and used CJ to gap-fill vs. blitzes so many times. 4-5 screen passes his way would have changed the game. They also got away from the counter runs that sprung him so many times last yr. I expected better production last night.

However, these "Disappointed ____ _____ Owners" threads are comical every year in week 1.

If you own CJ, relax. It's not like he threw up a goose egg, and it was the best defense in the NFL at home.

If you don't own CJ I would prey on this negativity to your advantage and propose a trade FOR Chris Johnson right now. He will have some huge games this yr. The kid can ball and we all know that.

 

[Banger]

It was the Steelers, but mostly the Steelers without TP, and I know you can't eliminate a play and get a completely accurate picture, and its just one game ... but other than the busted cutback run (where he was a foot away from being dropped for a loss), Johnson averaged less than 2 ypc over his 14 runs, mostly into (and virtually never through) the DL. By contrast, Lendale averaged 3.5 (3 if you take away his best). I guess we just hope the lesser D's aren't nearly as effective at containing CJ3.

Again, you have to consider the field location. 6 of Johnson's 15 runs (40%) were inside their own 6 yard line (for a total of -1 yards) in obvious running situations vs. a very strong Steeler defense. Please don't compare him to Lendale.

 

[thehornet]

anyone else disappointed with the way the titan's utilized CJ4.24 in the game last night?

it's not that the defense was too tough for him... he was looking pretty solid in the first half, but disappeared almost completely in the 2nd half. obviously, the steelers are a very good defense so he wasn't ripping huge gains on every play, but he had a couple long gainers.

I thought especially after Troy Polamalu went out they would use CJ in a better way... Troy is basically the only guy on the steelers who has the speed and ability to tackle him in the open field. maybe their logic was that without Troy, the steelers couldn't stop the passing attack... and that was mostly true. but with Collins having success in the air, there had the be MORE room to run for CJ.

what i'm talking about is the WAY he was utilized. mostly run up the middle into a pile of bodies. the 30 yard run he had was essentially a broken play where he reversed field and got around the corner. i haven't re-watched the game, but i don't think he had any pitch or toss runs, or even a stretch play. IMO he should be run between the tackles and outside about equally, to keep the defense honest.

also only 1 reception on the night. his number of carries - 15 - was perfectly adequate for a RB with his skill set, but he should be catching 3-5+ balls in every game. including dump offs in the flat and screens. there were rumors of him lining up in the slot and outside this year... but i didn't see any of that. why not get him in motion before the snap and send him on a wheel route up the side line?

some pre-season talk about him focused on him being 'eased into' the offense last year. supposedly the offense was going to open up for him this year. in the PLAYOFFS against the ravens, he was utilized in such a manner... in particular i remember the short pass to him in the flat where he schooled bart scott in the open field. 3WR set, CJ to the weakside... 1 on 1 matchup with a LB with the safeties 20 yards away. i was really hoping to see more of that.

I'm looking for opinions... specifically from F&L and Waldman, two people who i know are very high on him. it's evident that CJ is one of the top 5 or so most talented pure runners in the game, along with Peterson and DWill. it's just frustrating not to see him deployed in a way to take advantage of his talent.

Disclosure- i own CJ in my dynasty league, but don't have him in any re-drafts.

Seriously, what did you expect? This is the best run D in the league and you have to compensate certain gameplans for more important concerns sometimes. Everyone is saying that CJ wasnt used well in space and I partly agree with this sentiment, but sometimes it isn't feasible. Dumps, screens, etc are NOT always the best way to move the chains and can make your RB susceptible to unwarranted injuries. We like them as fantasy football players but they are not game practical most of the time unless your offense is completely designed for this type of ball movement, which Tennessee's ISN'T. Aside from two nice gains, CJ looked awful.

 

[grouse]

I wasn't disappointed in Chris Johnson's performance, nor was I disappointed in the way Heimerdinger used him. However, I *was* disappointed in myself for failing to have the stones to do what my gut was telling me to do, and that's bench Chris Johnson for Julius Jones. I knew it would be a stretch to expect a big game from CJ, and wholeheartedly believe Julius Jones will go off at home against the Rams like he did last year. It's a fine line between trusting your gut, and trusting what the echo chamber is telling you to do.

 

[Manster]

im not disappointed because i benched him. tough game in pitt, and he still almost broke a couple.