DMN Blog: Gameplan vs. Titans: Shut down RB Chris Johnson

[WoodysGirl]

Posted at 10:16 PM on Tue., Oct. 5, 2010 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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Tennessee running back Chris Johnson's No. 28 might as well be a glowing red bull's eye -- at least to defenses.

The Dallas Cowboys (1-2) get their turn next on Sunday, and linebacker Keith Brooking says Johnson is the man they must stop for a simple reason: The running back can score anytime he touches the ball.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher said defenses aren't necessarily scheming up any new approaches to stop Johnson.

"We're getting a little more edges. We played two odd fronts, 3-4 fronts. You know with the big linebackers up there it's hard to get the ball bounced outside. It will come, I have confidence in our offensive players and our backs and our staff that we'll get it turned around. We still ran for 122 yards," Fisher said.

Brooking noticed six or seven Broncos around the ball at all times last week, and pride is involved.

"Us 11 guys, we're not going to let this guy get out of the gate and off to the races, to beat us on one play."

Dallas coach Wade Phillips also is reminding his Cowboys about making sure to take the right angle if Johnson breaks loose.

"He can change direction really well too for a guy that runs that's fast," Phillips said. "Normally really fast guys run like a track guy where it's one foot in front of the other rather than being able to move from side to side. He runs with his feet a little wider than a normal real fast guy and that enables him to cut faster."

Read more: http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***/archives/2010/10/gameplan-vs-titans-shut-down-r.html

 

[SupermanXx]

It's gonna be fun to watch

 

[Doomsday101]

when I see a guy like Johnson I'm not thinking in terms of shutting him down but keeping him contained. Our defense must maintain their gaps and not over run the plays that could allow Johnson to have big cut back lanes.

 

[SDCowboy]

The Broncos completely took him out of the game. We should be able to do the same.

 

[AdamJT13]

The key, as always, is shutting down the pass and passing well ourselves.

In the Titans' games this year and last year, the team that averaged more yards per rush is 7-13. The team that averaged more yards per pass is 16-4.

 

[jimmy40]

"He can change direction really well too for a guy that runs that's fast," Phillips said.

this can't be.

 

[Kangaroo]

The key, as always, is shutting down the pass and passing well ourselves.

In the Titans' games this year and last year, the team that averaged more yards per rush is 7-13. The team that averaged more yards per pass is 16-4.

The Titans need the running game to get their pathetic passing game going they are a very bad passing team and need to run the ball well to use the play action passes and by time for VY. So i still say shutting down CJ is the most important job of the front 7

 

[DCBoysfan]

We must maintain gap discipline, CJ loves to cut back.

 

[Doomsday101]

The Titans need the running game to get their pathetic passing game going they are a very bad passing team and need to run the ball well to use the play action passes and by time for VY. So i still say shutting down CJ is the most important job of the front 7

I agree. Vince does not throw the ball often thus far in games he has attempted throws of 17, 10,16 and 28 so their bread and butter is the running game. I think for Dallas we must control their run and force Vince to beat us with the pass. One other thing is you have to beware of Vince taking off on the run so guys have to be disciplined in maintaining their gaps. We can't have backside over pursuing they need to stay at home.

 

[Doomsday101]

We must maintain gap discipline, CJ loves to cut back.

Exactly. Vs Houston I saw too many situations where the LB were over pursing on Foster and it allowed him to gash us with some cut back runs. Foster is a good back but not nearly as dangerous as Johnson is in the open field.

 

[stilltheguru]

I wonder if they are focused on stopping Felix.

 

[Doomsday101]

I wonder if they are focused on stopping Felix.

Given the weapons we have I'm sure they are trying to focus on alot of things from Austin, Dez and RW to Witten and yes the Cowboys RB

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

The key, as always, is shutting down the pass and passing well ourselves.

In the Titans' games this year and last year, the team that averaged more yards per rush is 7-13. The team that averaged more yards per pass is 16-4.

I don't think you can generalize that to any team or to the Titans' opponents, because those stats say more about the lack of passing game that the Tiitans have than anything else about any other team.

 

[Dodger]

The key, as always, is shutting down the pass and passing well ourselves.

In the Titans' games this year and last year, the team that averaged more yards per rush is 7-13. The team that averaged more yards per pass is 16-4.

I agree with this for most teams, but not the Titans. Young is averaging 128 yards passing per game this year.

I say shut down CJ and dare them to throw the ball.

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with this for most teams, but not the Titans. Young is averaging 128 yards passing per game this year.

I say shut down CJ and dare them to throw the ball.

True Tenn has thrown only 96 passes in 4 game but they have ran the ball 124 times. Looking at their WR's I think Newman and Jenkins should be able to man up on them.

 

[AdamJT13]

The Titans need the running game to get their pathetic passing game going they are a very bad passing team and need to run the ball well to use the play action passes and by time for VY. So i still say shutting down CJ is the most important job of the front 7

The Titans don't need to run well to get their passing game going, because so many defenses are stupid enough to focus so much on stopping Johnson that they get beat in the passing game. And if you get beat in the passing game and don't throw well against the Titans' defense (which is pretty good), you'll almost certainly lose. Look at the Titans' first game against Oakland.

The passing game is almost always what decides who wins, not the running game. Hence, the win-loss records I posted.

 

[AdamJT13]

I don't think you can generalize that to any team or to the Titans' opponents, because those stats say more about the lack of passing game that the Tiitans have than anything else about any other team.

No, it says that passing, not running, almost always decides who wins. Even for run-heavy teams like the Titans.

When Young passes well and their opponents do not, they almost always win, no matter what Johnson does. And when Young does not pass well and their opponent does, they almost always lose, no matter what Johnson does.

If we shut down Johnson but Young has a better game than Romo does, we'll almost certainly lose. If we can't shut down Johnson but Romo has a better game than Young, we'll almost certainly win. It's that simple.

 

[Jay]

The Titans don't need to run well to get their passing game going, because so many defenses are stupid enough to focus so much on stopping Johnson that they get beat in the passing game. And if you get beat in the passing game and don't throw well against the Titans' defense (which is pretty good), you'll almost certainly lose. Look at the Titans' first game against Oakland.

The passing game is almost always what decides who wins, not the running game. Hence, the win-loss records I posted.

Have you not seen Vince Young's numbers this season? We aren't getting beat by the passing game, that shouldn't be and won't be our main concern. If we stop CJ, we win this game.

Yes, I'm sure the Titans win when they pass well, but do they ever pass well when they're having a hard time running the ball? Seems any time they've had difficulties running, they're lucky to get 100 yards from Vince.

 

[Kangaroo]

No, it says that passing, not running, almost always decides who wins. Even for run-heavy teams like the Titans.

When Young passes well and their opponents do not, they almost always win, no matter what Johnson does. And when Young does not pass well and their opponent does, they almost always lose, no matter what Johnson does.

If we shut down Johnson but Young has a better game than Romo does, we'll almost certainly lose. If we can't shut down Johnson but Romo has a better game than Young, we'll almost certainly win. It's that simple.

Which is why I said the front 7 needs to stop the run that makes their play action harder to execute if we do not add a safety in the box to stop the run then we force VY is passing into more coverage a weakness by him.

 

[Fletch]

I just don't want to see the Cowboys over play the run, leaving cut back lanes for Johnson. We have to control the LOS.