An article I wrote last year...
Has Bill Parcells KILLED Julius Jones???
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By PoetTree
DCC Staff Writer
Okay, Gang...
As you may or may not remember from my previous diatribes on this board, I consider myself a running back connoisseur. I love them, study them, appreciate them and imagine that I have more than a layman's understanding of how to spot the "good" ones. Last season, well, at least
half of last season, I was treated to a spectacular view of a new NFL running back. His name was Julius Jones.
Beyond just the measurables Jones produced last year (outings of 150, 198 and 164 yards), I witnessed the young back do things that are simply unavailable to even great runners in this league. The kid had feet, moves, acceleration and lateral agility that is exceedingly rare. It became a joke of sorts around this particular Cowboys community, and perhaps elsewhere, but the startling likeness to Barry Sanders-esque ability could not be missed. Even various game announcers mentioned it in hushed tones, before then quickly dousing the comparison for fear of handing out premature praise of such epic proportions. No matter. One thing was certain, whatever icon he might best be sidled to, Julius Jones was gonna be a special, special player in the NFL.
Now, while I'm not pulling the plug on this idea as of yet, am I the only one who has noticed a distinct difference between our #21 of this year & that of the last? And yes, yes, I know he faced two very good defenses in the first and second weeks. I know that they and San Francisco were all keying their defenses to stop him, as will likely the rest of the teams on our remaining schedule. But in truth, no different could be said about the squads he torched last season. And yet, torch them nonetheless he did!
No, something is different this year. I noticed it even in pre-season. He looks, somehow...
slower. He appears less explosive, sudden, unpredictable. And those knee-snapping cuts that quickly became his hallmark last season, I've not seen even one. Dare I say, he has looked even awkward at times when trying to make someone miss. And for the life of me, I cannot figure out why! I mean, sure, our run blocking has not been the best. Julius is often met by a defender in the backfield before the play even gets started. But the thing is, he was subject last season to that very phenomenon, as well.
The Giants game in particular, last year's final contest, serves as a prime example of this. Watch any video highlight from this most previous season to see precisely what I mean. There were defenders breaking through the line of scrimmage all game long, some of them even getting a hand on Julius. But he would simply break out this ridiculously angled cut and be by them at full speed before they even knew what was going on. I mean, honestly, as a running back fanatic, he was simply breathtaking! I could not wait for this season, as I knew he'd only be better when it arrived. But, strangely, this does not seem to be the case.
I have logically wondered the reason behind this. It's true that he put on muscle, the added weight of which can sometimes slow a player down. But in a closer analysis it's revealed that Julius actually
lost mass from his playing weight of last season. Remember, he sat out most of the year with an injury and by all reports came back "out-of-shape". Everything I read of the off-season suggested that he had lost weight while putting on lean muscle. He played last year at 215, and has reported this season at 207 -- and much more toned in every way. By all accounts, he should be even swifter and
more explosive right now. But inexplicably, to my naked (but rather trained) eye, he seems just the opposite.
One explanation I tried clinging to early on was the idea of coaching. Bill Parcells mentioned during training camp that he was seeing Julius do things that he'd never see him do last year at all. Before watching the production on the field, I presumed these were all good. But now, three games into the season, I have to wonder if Julius has been coached to run in a way that takes away from his natural gifts. Perhaps where Jones would look to cut outside last season and break off one of those jaw-dropping runs, he has now been persuaded by Bill Parcells to instead stick his head into the pile and take the 2 or 3 yards being given at the line. Is it possible that the coaching staff has inadvertently made Julius tentative and hesitant by instructing him to fight his on-field instincts and take what's given, when in fact he is a
brilliant improvisationalist at heart?!
I don't know. I see signs. Not dead people. That's our former kicker, Haley Joel. I see "signs". Such as against the Seahawks in pre-season. There was a run where Julius broke hard off left tackle, impossibly made two closing defenders miss in the most modicum of space, cut left and approached Keyshawn Johnson (a notoriously good blocker) who had his man sealed to the inside. One more outward cut, which was clearly within Jones' ability to make, and he would've left the entire Seattle defense trailing behind as he raced down the sideline for a 70+ yard touchdown. I had the game TiVo'd, and I watched it again & again. It was there, each and every time. No doubt, he could've made that run.
But then a strange thing happened. At the last second he cut inside and went upfield. One more outward cut and he would've been gone. One little slice to the outside and he makes a brilliant highlight-reel run. But he doesn't do it. No. He cuts it up into the arms of the cornerback Keyshawn was blocking, picks up about three more yards and is tackled to the turf. It was an impressive run, nonetheless. But after studying it so scrutinously, I lamented that it wasn't so much more.
Now, I know it's usually good (and safe) when a runner moves north & south. That's what made Emmitt great for all those years, after all. He was always moving forward, picking up yardage. But even Mr. Smith knew when to take it back against the grain and tote the rock east to west, or vice versa, and even back again inside the same run. I wouldn't want a runner who was
always looking to take it outside. But damn it, when it's there and you have a back who can get it there, you have
GOT to take the chance from time to time. And watching Julius' peculiar production this year, I wonder: has Bill Parcells coached him out of the very thing that made him great? Does Julius look slower because he's fighting his instincts?? Or is there some other bizarre anomaly going on???
I don't know. Go back, watch last year's highlights & decide for yourself. In them you'll find Jones beating run blitzes by himself, defenders widely misjudging pursuit angles due to his speed, stopping/starting & outrunning everyone to the corner, and an ability to cut unlike any other runner I've seen in today's league. Watch it, and speak what you think.
Me? I'll be over here praying for the return of the back I fell in love with last year. May he rise from the dead with a furious vengeance against those insipidly outlandish Raiders! Otherwise, he may only continue to resemble the ghost of what could be...
a nostalgic,
PoetTree
