Should Chris Johnson be benched? (1 Viewer)

[SaintsInDome2006]

He's going to have a great game (or a very good one) when many have benched him, then owners will rush back to start him again, then he will return to his usual 25-50 yard game.

I thought it would be interesting to look at CBS's most deactivated/benched list:

Player / Last week start% / This week start % / Change

Spiller, C.J. RB BUF 98 45 -53 -- Injured

Bush, Reggie RB MIA 91 64 -27 -- Injured

Smith, Kevin RB DET 50 23 -27 -- Benched, now 2nd-3rd string

Brown, Donald RB IND 46 23 -23 -- Playing/starting (yikes, I own him)

McGahee, Willis RB DEN 61 44 -17 -- Injured

Redman, Isaac RB PIT 28 15 -13 -- Playing/starting

Johnson, Chris RB TEN 72 60 -12 -- ??????????

Johnson is No. 1 on the CBS most traded list.

 

[scrumptrulescent]

What were the chances McFadden was going to break out against Pittsburgh? Slim to none.

 

[Bri]

I could be wrong about this, but I remember hearing/reading recently that CJ did most of his damage when in a Heimerdinger scheme, and since then, it has been more of a one-cut scheme which does not fit his style. Now, I don't think that is the only reason, and this could have snowballed so much that it would be nearly impossible to get him back on track in TN (he does look like he is frustrated which compounds the problems). I just don't see how a guy who ran for 2000 yards, at a young age, without injury since, can fall off the face of the Earth like this. Even Larry Johnson was older and more beat up when he descended. LJ had his two massive years when he was 26 and 27. CJ is just 27 now. I will say this though, while neither had a huge amount of touches in college, CJ definitely had more. The thing is, I just don't see it as a health issue...I have never seen a RB "lose" his vision, but either CJ did (by trying to compensate), or the scheme and possibly the line are killing him.

Heimerdinger was a genius (very much like BB does in NE or Peyton did before snaps with shifts he'd call ) at forcing matchup problems. He about knew before the week's practice started and they were practicing how they'd get this guy blocking that guy and CJ in that hole, or this WR covered by the far slower DB etc. He could make this work because their mishmash at FB, QB switch, dual TEs, WRs playing/not playing...it was like a challenge or logic puzzle to him. His base offense and concept of anything else was not all that impressive, but he always found a way to get anyone open. You can probably name 5-7 TEs the Titans had under him that were OK for FF and surely admit he made you raise an eyebrow at a slew of their WRs after a single good game. He was old school like Fish and....Munchak. Fisher irritated fans not letting Cook play (or play as much) because of his terrible blocking and about forced Cook to work on it. That slacker started every year bad at blocking and was cool by the end of the year and playing more. I don't know what is going on but to steal someone else's quote-this is definitely not Munchak-like. This team really isn't like him at all. Maybe he blows his top and fires people, rides players....maybe he gets canned. I wanna see (on the field) him trying and I'll know by the all out effort and benchings and tenacity. They don't all have to be him or anything, but there's no way anyone thought this is what a munchak team would be like; especially the fans and organization that adore the guy.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

He's going to have a great game (or a very good one) when many have benched him, then owners will rush back to start him again, then he will return to his usual 25-50 yard game.

I thought it would be interesting to look at CBS's most deactivated/benched list:

Player / Last week start% / This week start % / Change

Spiller, C.J. RB BUF 98 45 -53 -- Injured

Bush, Reggie RB MIA 91 64 -27 -- Injured

Smith, Kevin RB DET 50 23 -27 -- Benched, now 2nd-3rd string

Brown, Donald RB IND 46 23 -23 -- Playing/starting (yikes, I own him)

McGahee, Willis RB DEN 61 44 -17 -- Injured

Redman, Isaac RB PIT 28 15 -13 -- Playing/starting

Johnson, Chris RB TEN 72 60 -12 -- ??????????

Johnson is No. 1 on the CBS most traded list.

that's actually a pretty big surprise.

 

[jwp]

I consider him untradeable because people just want to give lowball offers due to 3 bad games. I got offered Hankerson and F. Jones for him today. It didn't take long for me to reject that. I drafted him pretty high for a reason and 3 games doesn't mean the whole season will be like that. We all saw what the guy is capable of 2 years ago. I owned him that year, and it was a fun, fun ride.

 

[Bri]

and they play Houston this week, what are the chances CJ breaks out and has a big game this week? slim to nonethen at Vikings, against Steelers .... 3 more weeks or horrible production ahead? or does CJ really take all the criticism to heart and man it up and start playing with fire again?huge risk buying now, I'm not sure the reward/upside is worth it anymore on who was once a dynamic talent.THIS is why teams are so hesitant to pay RB's before their contracts are up.

I think we can all agree the Titans took their line for granted for the first time in 20-30 years. They have always been good along OL...see their coach... and IIRC have put four or five OL in the HOF in the last 20-25 years. They messed up and maybe it's not taking them for granted, maybe it's poor planning and bad moves. Call it what ya want, it's new to them. Having Bruce and Mike to fix it should be the cure.The grrrr thing with CJ is one good block and he's gone. He has had plenty of games like ol Barry where he was 18-30 yards then ...seeya 19-100. If you owned CJ in FF, ya know that and it's driving you nuts I'm sure. I don't see how this has anything to do with $. Maybe Vince ate some, maybe Hass is overpaid now. I was very much OK with big contracts for the bookends and CJ and glad they locked em' up. I don't see that they made a money error here. Face value, I get what you're saying, but who didn't love Cj2K?

 

[sammy8887]

In watching the Lions-Titans game on NFL Replay there was definitely some half-hearted running going on out there from CJ. Those runs in OT where he gave back half of the yards he had gained throughout the game were ridiculous. I don't think this is going to end well for CJ owners...

 

[Bri]

In watching the Lions-Titans game on NFL Replay there was definitely some half-hearted running going on out there from CJ. Those runs in OT where he gave back half of the yards he had gained throughout the game were ridiculous. I don't think this is going to end well for CJ owners...

Can you humor me and answer a Q-Do you feel like you see a Munchak coached team?

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I consider him untradeable because people just want to give lowball offers due to 3 bad games. I got offered Hankerson and F. Jones for him today. It didn't take long for me to reject that. I drafted him pretty high for a reason and 3 games doesn't mean the whole season will be like that. We all saw what the guy is capable of 2 years ago. I owned him that year, and it was a fun, fun ride.

you should've drafted a time machine in round 2.

 

[jwp]

Well all I know is that 3 games is not a season. No one knows the future. Locker is definitely getting better and I'm not giving up on Chris Johnson. There's also no chance I'm trading him for practically nothing. If he is so bad, why do these guys want him cheap??

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

don't ask me -- I can't figure out why anybody wants him at all.

 

[Boomer1]

Traded FOR him this week - He's going straight to the bench until he strings together a couple tolerable games.

 

[Tybeeman]

I traded him straight up for Ryan Williams on Tuesday...Beanie lands on IR Wed. Hopefully Williams will continue to gain confidence in his knee. On this particular squad Johnson was my only true "RB1", so he was killing me. I had to make a move, and not many were buying. Happy to land Williams

 

[Shutout]

Well all I know is that 3 games is not a season. No one knows the future. Locker is definitely getting better and I'm not giving up on Chris Johnson. There's also no chance I'm trading him for practically nothing. If he is so bad, why do these guys want him cheap??

Why does a guy with a beautiful GF look at other women? Why do coaches take chances on players that have failed in multiple other places, thinking they will be the one to get him on track? It's ego and ignorance (not necessarily in that order). As long as time has been recorded, one man's trash has been another man's treasure.

 

[zandbak]

I traded him straight up for Ryan Williams on Tuesday...Beanie lands on IR Wed. Hopefully Williams will continue to gain confidence in his knee. On this particular squad Johnson was my only true "RB1", so he was killing me. I had to make a move, and not many were buying. Happy to land Williams

Tell us more!

 

[Tybeeman]

I traded him straight up for Ryan Williams on Tuesday...Beanie lands on IR Wed. Hopefully Williams will continue to gain confidence in his knee. On this particular squad Johnson was my only true "RB1", so he was killing me. I had to make a move, and not many were buying. Happy to land Williams

Tell us more!

What would you like to hear?

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

i would say if your a CJ owner you better get Ringer to hedge yourself. if Ringer proves capable then CJ really doesn't have a role. he can't block and this year he's dropped a few passes and some seemed to be the disinterested or dropped so he doesn't take a hit. when Ringer hasn't replaced him on 3rd downs when both healthy it's only b/c of CJ's gamebreaking ability with the ball in his hands outweighed his horrible blocking.......now that is not there.

Once again, Ringer is no worldbeater but he does get whats there and 3yards is better than no yards. its as simple as 3rd and 5 is manageable with ringer where 3rd and 12 with CJ is not

 

[Banger]

i would say if your a CJ owner you better get Ringer to hedge yourself. if Ringer proves capable then CJ really doesn't have a role. he can't block and this year he's dropped a few passes and some seemed to be the disinterested or dropped so he doesn't take a hit. when Ringer hasn't replaced him on 3rd downs when both healthy it's only b/c of CJ's gamebreaking ability with the ball in his hands outweighed his horrible blocking.......now that is not there.Once again, Ringer is no worldbeater but he does get whats there and 3yards is better than no yards

If CJ can't run behind that line Ringer won't be able to do anything. He's nothing talent wise, Tenn will be playing from behind, their line is bad, there's just no upside there IMO. I would much rather use a roster spot on a potential home run pick sitting behind a starter like a Rashard Jennings, B. Brown on Eagles, etc..