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Chris Johnson: Just give me the damn ball


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Oh wait, that was Keyshawn, not Chris!

 

Chris Johnson doesn't expect to be part of time share

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

 

Chris Johnson doesn't seem to be putting too much stock in offseason talk of a time share in the New York Jets' backfield this season.

In a Tuesday phone conversation with Around The League, Johnson spoke confidently about being the Jets' primary ball-carrier in 2014.

"Once the season starts and once we're playing and I'm doing my thing, I'm pretty sure if I'm making plays they're going to want to keep handing the ball off to me," Johnson said. "If they want me to continue making plays, I'm pretty sure I can't do that if I'm on the sideline."

Johnson's comments come one week after running backs coach Anthony Lynn said the Jets needed to be "strategic" in how they use Johnson, who enters his seventh season with 1,742 career carries.

Johnson, 28, indicated an openness this spring to sharing the workload with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. On Tuesday, the former Titans back sounded like a player who sincerely believed he'll remain a bell-cow back if the Jets give him the opportunity to prove himself.

"I want to do the best thing to help the team," said Johnson, who was doing promotional work with Mr. Clean during the World Cup match between the United States and Belgium. "That's coming out here and making big plays week after week after week. As for the time share and all that, it won't be an issue I'm pretty sure.

"That's with any position on the field, if we have a receiver that's continuing to make play after play I'm pretty sure they're going to keep getting the ball," Johnson continued. "(Offensive coordinator) Marty (Mornhinweg) is a smart guy, he knows how to put his players in the right position to make plays, so at the end of the day, if I continue to play like I've been playing, they're going to keep handing the ball off to me."

Johnson said he was "pretty much cleared" by Dr. James Andrews during a recent visit to the orthopedist's Pensacola, Florida, office. Johnson -- who's coming off knee surgery -- was limited during the Jets' offseason program and said he was unsure if the team planned to take precautions with him during training camp. We asked Johnson if he was 100 percent healthy.

"I wouldn't label myself at 100 percent, but very close," he said. "In the 90s."

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I feel this is a non story. Of course he wants the ball. He's dying to prove everyone wrong about his perceived decline.  This is good news for the Jets. 

 

Best case scenario would be Johnosn playing so well that he becomes the obvious number one back and Ivory plays mop up while pounding the D in the 4th quarter. If that happens the Jets will a lot of games this season IMO. 

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I feel this is a non story. Of course he wants the ball. He's dying to prove everyone wrong about his perceived decline.  This is good news for the Jets. 

 

Best case scenario would be Johnosn playing so well that he becomes the obvious number one back and Ivory plays mop up while pounding the D in the 4th quarter. If that happens the Jets will a lot of games this season IMO. 

A non story...., what? This is the offseason my friend. Every story is blown out of proportion during this time. How dare you! 

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"Once the season starts and once we're playing and I'm doing my thing, I'm pretty sure if I'm making plays they're going to want to keep handing the ball off to me," Johnson said. "If they want me to continue making plays, I'm pretty sure I can't do that if I'm on the sideline."

Really, he's just parroting back what the coaches have said publicly: that they play the hot hand. If Chris Johnson is making plays, he'll be that hot hand and tough to take off the field, especially with his ability to catch the football. Ivory doesn't have that luxury. He could be grounding and pounding, but still taken out of the game on a passing down. If Johnson goes back in and makes a play, then he stays in.

If Johnson isn't the Jets' primary back this year, it'll be because he's being significantly outplayed by Ivory and/or Powell.

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Wasnt a huge fan of the signing....not a huge fan of these comments.

 

he ain't perfect--i remember him sulking when titans brought shonn greene on board (haha intimidated by shonn effin greene!)--but he is going to add a dimension to the offense we haven't had in a long time. maybe since leon washington, and he was no world beater.

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he ain't perfect--i remember him sulking when titans brought shonn greene on board (haha intimidated by shonn effin greene!)--but he is going to add a dimension to the offense we haven't had in a long time. maybe since leon washington, and he was no world beater.

 

He could add that dimension....he looked slow last year though. Hopefully it was just because of the injury. I hope we didnt sign a guy who's lost the burst but doesnt know it yet....or wont admit to it. You could tell LT was rejuvenated when he came here, while he last year in SD he looked done. LT was a good locker room guy though....CJ, we'll see.

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He could add that dimension....he looked slow last year though. Hopefully it was just because of the injury. I hope we didnt sign a guy who's lost the burst but doesnt know it yet....or wont admit to it. You could tell LT was rejuvenated when he came here, while he last year in SD he looked done. LT was a good locker room guy though....CJ, we'll see.

 

not for nothing but he did catch 42 balls last year, for his 2nd highest avg yds per catch and most receiving tds of his career. the big question mark is his rushing. jets need ball control, grind it out and get tough 3rd and 4 pickups. his boom or bust running style doesn't fit with rex's normal gameplan of ball control and win with the defense

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not for nothing but he did catch 42 balls last year, for his 2nd highest avg yds per catch and most receiving tds of his career. the big question mark is his rushing. jets need ball control, grind it out and get tough 3rd and 4 pickups. his boom or bust running style doesn't fit with rex's normal gameplan of ball control and win with the defense

 

That's true, which I think only speaks further to the idea that this is MM's offense, not Rex's.  As you mentioned, he brings a dimension to the offense that they have not had in some time, and one that Mornhinweg has a history of being quite a big fan.  Just consider that last year Powell was tied for second on the team in receptions and that should tell you plenty.  While CJ may not be your typical ball-control/grinder type of RB, he adds an element to the passing game, as well as a big play threat to the mix, which is something the entire team has been sorely lacking.  Meanwhile, on those particular plays when everyone in the stadium knows the Jets are going to run, don't think they'll hesitate for a second to bring Ivory out there to do what he does best.

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That's true, which I think only speaks further to the idea that this is MM's offense, not Rex's.  As you mentioned, he brings a dimension to the offense that they have not had in some time, and one that Mornhinweg has a history of being quite a big fan.  Just consider that last year Powell was tied for second on the team in receptions and that should tell you plenty.  While CJ may not be your typical ball-control/grinder type of RB, he adds an element to the passing game, as well as a big play threat to the mix, which is something the entire team has been sorely lacking.  Meanwhile, on those particular plays when everyone in the stadium knows the Jets are going to run, don't think they'll hesitate for a second to bring Ivory out there to do what he does best.

 

Both MM and vick have shown a propensity to make the most out of pass catchers out of the backfield:

 

 

With Vick the Jets can be a 10-win team. Just for fun, I looked at McCoy's stats with Vick as the starter (2013 excluded):

 

He averaged:

  • 966 YDs and 7 TDs
  • 55 Rec for 400 YDs and 2 TDs

That includes his rookie year when Westbrook was still poaching some touches. Granted, while Vick didn't play the full season ever for the Eagles, he played in at least 10 games each year there (except 2013, which I excluded anyway). These numbers are actually lower than CJ1K's average reception numbers with garbage QBs. The point is Vick does know how to utilize a pass catching RB. CJ1K is no longer the running threat he was briefly considered to be but the dude has put up 1000 yards on the ground each year and averaged 45 catches per season in his career. I'm telling you Vick + CJ1K could actually give this offense some life. Add Vick's average running numbers to that (average about 45 yards a game and 3 TDs a season) and we could really open up some passing opportunities. My pessimism/fatalism is based on the reality that Geno will probably get the nod, but Vick is, in my uneducated opinion, a vastly superior option this season.

 

do i think vick will start game one? probably not. although i think he should. i do hope you're right that MM has full control over the offense. would be nice to see a jets defense protect a significant lead rather than the clock for a change.

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I am not so sure that a HR threat goes against what Rex has tried to do.  A guy like Johnson can take it to the house from distance and that is the kind of wild card I think they like.  Rex wants to keep the game close and win the field position battle, but always I think a guy that can bust some 80 yard rusn would be a huge help.  It's not likely that he will add to more three and outs. 

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I am not so sure that a HR threat goes against what Rex has tried to do.  A guy like Johnson can take it to the house from distance and that is the kind of wild card I think they like.  Rex wants to keep the game close and win the field position battle, but always I think a guy that can bust some 80 yard rusn would be a huge help.  It's not likely that he will add to more three and outs. 

 

i just mean CJ had the most negative plays for a RB with over 100 touches last year in the league or something like that. for a field position game approach that is a very bad thing.

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Both MM and vick have shown a propensity to make the most out of pass catchers out of the backfield:

 

 

 

do i think vick will start game one? probably not. although i think he should. i do hope you're right that MM has full control over the offense. would be nice to see a jets defense protect a significant lead rather than the clock for a change.

 

True, and even if they go with Geno, there's plenty of evidence to show how much help a quality pass catcher out of the backfield can be, particularly for a young QB, so it really makes sense no matter what they opt to do.

 

I also think you could already see a pretty significant shift in the way things were handled on offense last year, which speaks to MM's level of control, and I think the acquisition of guys like Amaro and CJ would seem to support that as well.  Not to mention, even with a rookie QB and absolute crap weapons, the Jets still weren't quite as run-heavy last year as some made them out to be.  They were certainly nowhere close to what we saw out of the Jets offense back in Sanchez's rookie year.

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True, and even if they go with Geno, there's plenty of evidence to show how much help a quality pass catcher out of the backfield can be, particularly for a young QB, so it really makes sense no matter what they opt to do.

 

I also think you could already see a pretty significant shift in the way things were handled on offense last year, which speaks to MM's level of control, and I think the acquisition of guys like Amaro and CJ would seem to support that as well.  Not to mention, even with a rookie QB and absolute crap weapons, the Jets still weren't quite as run-heavy last year as some made them out to be.  They were certainly nowhere close to what we saw out of the Jets offense back in Sanchez's rookie year.

 

i agree, CJ will be a good add no matter who is back there. it will be interesting to see what the team does when vick outplays geno in camp and pre-season, i wonder how they will spin giving geno the nod.

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i just mean CJ had the most negative plays for a RB with over 100 touches last year in the league or something like that. for a field position game approach that is a very bad thing.

that's how I remember him. Mostly tackled for no gain or a loss, but always a threat to break one, and you're just waiting for the time he does. An all or nothing guy, kind of the antithesis of a fall foward guy like Powell.

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i just mean CJ had the most negative plays for a RB with over 100 touches last year in the league or something like that. for a field position game approach that is a very bad thing.

 

I know what you mean, but I don't think it is a "very bad thing" or even a bad thing. I think the quick strike score with less risk (turnover) fits in well with the good D even with the occaisional negative play.  It is also much more successful against teams that crowd the box because when Johnson gets past they are not catching him.  Thomas Jones had a bunch of long TDs in 2009 because of teams stacking the box, though the line was better then.

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I am not so sure that a HR threat goes against what Rex has tried to do.  A guy like Johnson can take it to the house from distance and that is the kind of wild card I think they like.  Rex wants to keep the game close and win the field position battle, but always I think a guy that can bust some 80 yard rusn would be a huge help.  It's not likely that he will add to more three and outs. 

 

 

you guys are wrong with this. rex does not want to keep the game close. he doesnt want to turn the ball over. but what coach does. he wants his defense to be great because that who he is. but if you think fo rone minute that rex doesnt want to blow teams out of the water you are fooling yourself. rex will be ecstatic if we are scoring tons of points. i am pretty sure rex will love to see chris johnson hit home runs from our own 20.

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Oh wait, that was Keyshawn, not Chris!

 

Chris Johnson doesn't expect to be part of time share

By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

 

Chris Johnson doesn't seem to be putting too much stock in offseason talk of a time share in the New York Jets' backfield this season.

In a Tuesday phone conversation with Around The League, Johnson spoke confidently about being the Jets' primary ball-carrier in 2014.

"Once the season starts and once we're playing and I'm doing my thing, I'm pretty sure if I'm making plays they're going to want to keep handing the ball off to me," Johnson said. "If they want me to continue making plays, I'm pretty sure I can't do that if I'm on the sideline."

Johnson's comments come one week after running backs coach Anthony Lynn said the Jets needed to be "strategic" in how they use Johnson, who enters his seventh season with 1,742 career carries.

Johnson, 28, indicated an openness this spring to sharing the workload with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell. On Tuesday, the former Titans back sounded like a player who sincerely believed he'll remain a bell-cow back if the Jets give him the opportunity to prove himself.

"I want to do the best thing to help the team," said Johnson, who was doing promotional work with Mr. Clean during the World Cup match between the United States and Belgium. "That's coming out here and making big plays week after week after week. As for the time share and all that, it won't be an issue I'm pretty sure.

"That's with any position on the field, if we have a receiver that's continuing to make play after play I'm pretty sure they're going to keep getting the ball," Johnson continued. "(Offensive coordinator) Marty (Mornhinweg) is a smart guy, he knows how to put his players in the right position to make plays, so at the end of the day, if I continue to play like I've been playing, they're going to keep handing the ball off to me."

Johnson said he was "pretty much cleared" by Dr. James Andrews during a recent visit to the orthopedist's Pensacola, Florida, office. Johnson -- who's coming off knee surgery -- was limited during the Jets' offseason program and said he was unsure if the team planned to take precautions with him during training camp. We asked Johnson if he was 100 percent healthy.

"I wouldn't label myself at 100 percent, but very close," he said. "In the 90s."

oh my God. Delusions of former grandeur.

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