Julius not the gamebreaker of last year?

[THEHEREAFTER]

JJ is fine-- I like the responses I've seen so far. JJ could have run for 100 the last two weeks had game circumstances been tweaked a little. Don't forget his best run of the night MN was called back due to holding. Peyton needs to get the draw working again. This is JJ's best play. I don't think the sweeps fit his strengths although it works sometimes.

 

[burmafrd]

The DRAW killed people last year. We need to use it more untill they are so worried about it that we can fake the draw and nail them deep. Wait untill about game 6 before you start worrying about JJ. I think Payton is trying to be too cute about some things- find out what works and keep doing it untill the other side stops it, then do something else. That has worked since Red Grange- why try and change it?

 

[Sarge]

Give him some time - he's gone against 2 very good run defenses.

He'll come around, just as Domanick Davis and Curtis Martin will.

It's early!

 

[dbair1967]

I read a thread on another board, some guy saying Julius is laboring when he runs, is stiff, not as quick, shifty or elusive as he was last year, and blames it on weight gain and musculature. But I don't see that, at all. I sawe Juilius running hard against two of the best run defenses in the league. I think we'll see Julius gashing lesser defenses in the future, starting next week.

Does anyone else share this guy's opinion?

uh, no...I dont

David

 

[dbair1967]

Against the Chargers he played good.


Against the skins he didnt have same succes but that could be because we didnt use a FB.We all know TE dont open holes like a FB does.

the vast majority of his running success last yr came in a 1 back set, so it has nothing to do with a FB...

he's played against two very good run defenses in the first two weeks...some of his best runs (in fact 2 of them for sure) were eliminated by questionable holding calls...he'd have been well over 120 yds vs SD and probably around 100 against Washington had it not been for runs eliminated by holding calls

David

 

[VACowboy]

Did you all realize that Julius came up six yards short of 1000 over his first ten games, something only done by five other RBs in the history of the NFL?

 

[dguinta1]

JJ has' played a full season yet, give the guy a break and a chance. jeez!

 

[VACowboy]

JJ has' played a full season yet, give the guy a break and a chance. jeez!

I think everyone here is.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Julius is on pace to run for 1,392 yards at 3.7 yards a pop with 8 TD’s.

Sounds awful to some, but not so fast.

Last year the Chargers and Skins allowed opponents a combined 3.35 yards per carry.

The Skins defense is in their second year under Williams’ system. The Chargers have carried over the same players on defense and are under their second year of Wade Phillips’ system.

Julius is actually doing a good job so far and is playing above average and once he stops facing such stout defenses, he’ll probably explode with some big runs and big games.

Rich……..

 

[DBoys]

We have faced 2 tough defenses this is the game Julius goes wild.

 

[burmafrd]

He raised the bar so high last year that we expected him to be popping 150 yd games right and left. The only decent D that he victimized last year was the Bears; and that was questionable. Seattle's D stank, and the Giants late last season was not so good either. SD and Wash had two of the very best run D's in the game- and he still did well. Did better then last year against the Skins. Add to his totals the yds called back due to penalties and he goes 120 vs Sd and over 100 vs Was- how is that not good?
ANd of course the fact that he was pulled out of the Wash game after the INt- where a draw might have scored- and then we did not run late when we were trying to get close (dumb). He could have broken one there as well. He will, sooner or later. Swe have a real pass offense this season, and the O line is better- it just has to cut down on the mistakes and get its act together.

 

[Alexander]

He raised the bar so high last year that we expected him to be popping 150 yd games right and left. The only decent D that he victimized last year was the Bears; and that was questionable. Seattle's D stank, and the Giants late last season was not so good either. SD and Wash had two of the very best run D's in the game- and he still did well. Did better then last year against the Skins. Add to his totals the yds called back due to penalties and he goes 120 vs Sd and over 100 vs Was- how is that not good?
ANd of course the fact that he was pulled out of the Wash game after the INt- where a draw might have scored- and then we did not run late when we were trying to get close (dumb). He could have broken one there as well. He will, sooner or later. Swe have a real pass offense this season, and the O line is better- it just has to cut down on the mistakes and get its act together.

Good post.

Jones will get his yards. It is just he spoiled many fans with what he did last season. I don't think any criticism of Julius is warranted at this point. We have had two defenses geared to stop him and he still is at the 80 yards a game point. That equates to around 1300 yards, which is pretty good in anyone's book.

Sadly, there was this 1800 yard talk that looks like some have embraced as an expectation. We fans are a fickle lot, that's for sure.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Good post.

Jones will get his yards. It is just he spoiled many fans with what he did last season. I don't think any criticism of Julius is warranted at this point. We have had two defenses geared to stop him and he still is at the 80 yards a game point. That equates to around 1300 yards, which is pretty good in anyone's book.

Sadly, there was this 1800 yard talk that looks like some have embraced as an expectation. We fans are a fickle lot, that's for sure.

Exactly. "Our" expectations for this season have approached the ridiculous in many instances.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Also remember this. The Skins allowed 3.11 yards per carry last year and shut down the Chicago running game which torched the Lions defense last week (and the Lions defense only allowed 3.79 yards per carry last season)

With that, Julius had 81 yards at 3.7 yards a pop against the Skins.

HOWEVER, he had a 14 yard run taken back because of a horrible holding penalty call on Flozell where Flozell had a textbook pancake block on the DE. John Madden usually doesn’t talk about bad calls, but he was about as livid as I’ve ever seen him after that b.s. call.

If that play wasn’t taken back, Julius has 95 yards rushing on 4.1 yards a pop.

Needless to say, he ran the ball far better than the other tailbacks have ran the ball against the Skins in the last 17 games.


Rich………..

 

[Compacity]

We'll see what he'll do to the 49ers...

 

[Alexander]

We'll see what he'll do to the 49ers...

And if he "only" gets 98 yards, there will be "What's wrong with Julius" posts sprouting up like toadstools after a rain storm.

 

[Hollywood Henderson]

My biggest concern is something I have noticed these last 2 games...

No one helps him up after he is tackled...

I wonder if our Pittdawg might expound on the chemistry between the Oline & JJ?

 

[Givincer]

You guys are ridiculous ragging on Julius like this. Good backs don't tear up good defenses. Good backs have their big games against bad defenses. Average backs don't have excellent games against bad defenses, avg. backs don't throw up 150+yd games against bad defenses. Julius has done very well against the chargers and the Commanders considering how good their defense is. And compound that with the fact he's had some of his largest runs called back due to holding- and not all these long runs were because of the actual holding.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

Coming from a guy who said Julius was going to be a bust, I can tell you he is the same RB. He is a real asset to this team and is going to be special. If Parcells doesn't work out for this team, I will always be grateful to him for drafting Julius Jones. He is the real deal and I was really wrong about him.

later

 

[corinthian_bob]

The DRAW killed people last year.

Very true. Most of his big runs last year came on traditional passing downs on draw plays (see Seattle game for examples). His best run against the Skins was on the 3rd down play in the first quarter.