Julius' First Step

[Doomsday101]

Only concern I have with Jones is his ability to stay healthy. I don't think Parcells has done anything that has hurt Jones ability to run the ball I do think poor blocking upfront did hurt Jones this past season and once again getting injured

 

[PoetTree]

Got it in one Poet. I tivo'd the Giants game last year and was humbled by the things JJ did. The video of him I still have. After watching and TIVO'ing a couple of games this last year- it looks exactly like you said.; Its like someone did a total transplant of the running style. No juking, no wiggle, just put your head down and go. DO NOT LOOK FOR A HOLE IF IT IS NOT WHERE ITS SUPPOSED TO BE.
The only good thing is that I saw in the Carolina game that he seemed to be getting back to the 2004 JJ. Hopefully BP WILL LEAVE HIM ALONE NOW.

I'm with you, obviously. But the good news is, at least as far as I could see, the Julius of 2004 did make a brief cameo in 2005 -- during the Carolina Panthers game. He looked phenomenal in that outing! And that game alleviated my concerns that the extra muscle he had put on in the off-season somehow robbed him of the incredible quickness & fluidity he showed the year before. Clearly, he could still run that way. Why he didn't before then is still somewhat of a mystery.

I think it's a combination of coaching (looking for the safe play), the injured ankle (even though he wasn't running that way before the sprain), and-last-but-not-least, "confidence". For whatever reason, I think Julius came into the season doubting himself a bit. He seemed like a sensitive kid at Notre Dame, and I think he just didn't trust himself completely for much of the season. Don't know why, particularly after that rookie campaign. But it's the one thing Bill kept talking about as the year went on: he just needs to get his confidence back.

To his credit, despite what I said in that article, I really like how Bill stuck with him throughout the year. Barber was clearly outplaying him at one point, but Parcells made sure Julius remained the starter. And I believe that was because 'The Tuna' knows that Julius is a special back. He just needed to help him ride out the storm... and... it paid off.


Now, we just need to see it in year three. And I believe we will.



Julius is gonna be the man in this league!

Just watch:















Peace and Love

- PoetTree -

 

[Raneiron#31]

You know I have said this before and I will say it again, JJ is a very similar to a RB on another NFC east team. Give up trying to figure it out? Well here we go its Tiki Barber. The similarities between the 2 are there just look. Both came into the league deemed a little to small to withstand the rigors of a 16 week schedule. Both have the cut ability to be that game breaker and both have the great initial quickness, not the top end speed but great burst to get past the initial defenders. Also both were banged up their first couple of seasons. I mean the Giants did not draft Dayne b/c they thought Barber was going to be an every down back, they drafted him because they were concerned with health issues. Hell the giants were just about ready to give up on Barber when he suddenly broke loose. Now he is considered an elite back in the league. I say with Julius were going to see the same thing for his fist couple of years till he bulks up, just like Barber did, and gets used to being punded on.

 

[CowboyMike]

You know I have said this before and I will say it again, JJ is a very similar to a RB on another NFC east team. Give up trying to figure it out? Well here we go its Tiki Barber. The similarities between the 2 are there just look. Both came into the league deemed a little to small to withstand the rigors of a 16 week schedule. Both have the cut ability to be that game breaker and both have the great initial quickness, not the top end speed but great burst to get past the initial defenders. Also both were banged up their first couple of seasons. I mean the Giants did not draft Dayne b/c they thought Barber was going to be an every down back, they drafted him because they were concerned with health issues. Hell the giants were just about ready to give up on Barber when he suddenly broke loose. Now he is considered an elite back in the league. I say with Julius were going to see the same thing for his fist couple of years till he bulks up, just like Barber did, and gets used to being punded on.

However from what we say in the 2004 campaign, Julius is much more shiftier than Tiki and he DOES have that topend speed. He is VERY fast, both in the initial burst and that "second gear" that I've mentioned.

I remember sometime during the season Parcells was asked what the difference between Julius and Marion was and he said "Speed."

 

[skinsscalper]

Also if you remember, Parcell's was asked after the Carolina game what the differnce in Julius was that day than any other day and if he had finally gotten over the injury hump. Parcells said that Julius has been capable of doing that for weeks. For some reason he just showed up that day. I think alot of this has to to do with Julius himself. I know that Parcells was quoted earlier in the year as saying that the good backs create their own holes. I think the philosophy was a little misconstrued in Julius' eyes. The Carolina D was in the backfield as much (and in some cases more than) as any other team we faced last year. The difference was Julius being quick in his decision making and making that first cut to get a little wiggle room. We all will be watching with great interest to see which JJ shows up this year, and we arte all hoping for the guy we saw in Carolina (or Seattle the previous year). One poster was a little ashamed to say that Julius' success this year might be attributed to TO. There's no shame in that at all. It's why TO was brought here. He wasn't brought in just to catch TDs and dance on the star, he was also brought in to take the focus off the only other two gamebreakers on the team: Jones and Glenn (I'm not going to minimize Jason Witten's role, but as far as game breaker he's just not that guy. Chain mover: you bet. Game breaker: not so much.)

SS

 

[BruceWayne]

Hey guys what's up I'm new to the board and this is the best thing since sliced bread. Anyway I think the same thing that happend to Newman in his 2nd year also bit #21. To me it looked like he struggled with his confidence a little bit. Teams game planned for him last year he saw 8 and 9 man fronts all season until the Carolina game they don't have to do that because their front seven is so good and our line decided to play that day but he should't have to worry about that this year and we all know why

 

[CowboyMike]

 

[MiStar]

Hopefully JJ will return to 2004 form. If he doesn't, it could very well become Barber's show.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

Hey guys what's up I'm new to the board and this is the best thing since sliced bread. Anyway I think the same thing that happend to Newman in his 2nd year also bit #21. To me it looked like he struggled with his confidence a little bit. Teams game planned for him last year he saw 8 and 9 man fronts all season until the Carolina game they don't have to do that because their front seven is so good and our line decided to play that day but he should't have to worry about that this year and we all know why

This is probably the best/most realistic issue of why Julius struggled so much. TO will put that S into coverage. Julius starting had the decent games against Philly/Carolina because both teams were defending the pass moreso the run. Add to the fact the Oline got injured/Julius' injury it seems Julius is primed for a huge bounceback season.