What happened to this guy?

[Qwickdraw]

You can't coach someone out of their instincts for that long if it fails them.
At some point, while on the field, he would resort back to his old ways and ran his own carefree way if the previous method was not productive.
There's something more to it than coaching.
He has had many opportunities to burst through holes (including the 9ers game the other night).
But he does not have the "heat" that he had the first season.
Obviously, when he gets a wide open hole, he's going to hit it with all he's got regardless of what BP has said.
Nowadays, when he hits it, he does not get the burst that he once had. He does not have that headfake cutback quickness that he displayed the first season.

It's something physical for sure. Either too much added bulk or gunshyness about injuries or lasting effects from recent injury.
Maybe a combination of all 3.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

It's something physical for sure. Either too much added bulk or gunshyness about injuries or lasting effects from recent injury.
Maybe a combination of all 3.

ive also wondered if his added bulk had something to do with it..

 

[Qwickdraw]

ive also wondered if his added bulk had something to do with it..

You know he dreaded the shoulder injury he suffered early on in his second season. (I believe it was the 2nd)

And you know, the trainers and BP as well told him he could avoid those types of injuries by adding some upperbody bulk. He probably went straight to it and has been overworking his upperbody too much ever since.

Some guys just can't run well if they're even slightly over their ideal body weight.
I've noticed that in myself. If I gain just 5-10 pounds, it greatly affects my speed in athletics. And I am a very fast runner. That's why I'm not such a proponent of the weight training that everyone else seems so optimistic about in the pros.
It's great for the guys in the trenches. But RBs, WRs, and DBs who rely on speed to be successful need to do more conditioning and toning with high reps than adding bulk and strength.

I'm sure these trainers in the NFL know what their doing alot more than I do. But there seems to be this theory that bigger is better in the NFL, especially in Parcells' camp and I don't necessarily agree.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I guess the reason why I wonder in this instance is this: Recall Parcells' constant preaching on preventing negative carries? I'm afraid that in Julius' rare case, it's made him think to much with every run.

I said he seems hesitant. Perhaps that's not the best word. It just seems like to me he now gets the ball and runs in a straight line until he runs into a defender or, ocassionally, his own lineman. Granted, this is an overexaggeration. Just a few nights ago he made several cuts.

It just seems he cuts back less than he did when he looked so explosive that rookie season.

When Bill gets negative carries, he usually blames it on his linemen. I have a very good example.

In 1998, Bill's Jets went to the AFC Championship. Curtis Martin had a very good year, but when Bill looked at the stats, he saw too many negative runs and it pissed him off.

He fired both starting guards. Matt O'Dwyer (sic) and Ken Berger. Called them into his office and flat out said Martin's negative runs are on YOU two.

Good bye. Then he drafted Randy Thomas at guard and Ryan Young at tackle and started both as rookies. Of course, you heard an uproar by fans and media..look what this egomaniac is doing to a team that fell one game short of the SB!

I use this as an example of how far Bill will go to get good running, and a primo situation for his runners.

Bill may have said something to JJ about negative runs, and there may be some negative runs on him.. but I really doubt that what looks to us like diminished cutting ability can be laid at the door of Bill Parcells.

I also imagine if the 'preaching' did result in hesitance, Bill would have gone back to JJ and used much the same words as he did to Greg Ellis last week, when he feard GE was thinking too much.

Bill just hasn't had runners who don't hit the holes because they are working out in their heads what to do next. If the automaticity isn't there, he won't play them.

It will be interesting to see tho, what JJ does behind this 'new' line.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

hey, I'm a huge Julius supporter and fan and that's probably why I am so worried that he has been overcoached or is overweight or overwhatever to where it is affecting his running.. I am believing we will see that rookie season Julius again this year, and guys if we do, WOW this offense is gonna be good.. Julius has been the forgotten man with all the talk of TO, Glenn, Witten, two TE sets, Bledsoe, and the O-Line.. Julius could end up having a monster year.. I am hoping so and believing so..

 

[1fisher]

dang...... I hope he does that this year..(for the FULL year!):starspin

 

[Rack]

The hypocrisy (sp?) by fans can be laughable at times.


Or is it just ignorance? Either way, it's funny.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I think the change in JJ's running style isn't so much his tentativness, BPs hammering him about losing the football.

He seems very bunched up protecting the ball and that may be slowing him down.

Now I'm certainly not one to say he should be holding the ball like a loaf of bread as Randall Cunningham used to to do (or Crayton for that matter). But I do think his fear of a fumble could be hurting his intial burst.

Erik, Tiki Barber was able, in one summer, to reverse his lifelong style of ball carrying. It took an entire camp and preseason, but he said by the end of it, Coughlin's coaching preference had become automatic to him.

I can't believe that Bill, who mentored Coughlin, knows less about the way to coach running backs, knows less how to deal with physical issues like getting the ball stripped, or fumbling propensity, OR knows less about how to handle any psychological issues that 'may' be affecting his runners.

I think that some of us are worried pre-injury JJ may not be the same as post-injury JJ and are looking for someone to blame. Well, Parcells is a devotee of the running game, always was, always will be, and I cannot fathom that JJ is not getting the benefit of his long years of turning out quality backs.

All this 'preaching' and 'hammering' Tuna has done, imo, is actually just 'coaching', and my guess is also that if fear of fumbling at any time was affecting JJ's initial burst, that was noticed, assessed, and dealt with by the cs.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

again, i hope im wrong.. but i remember last year hearing over and over how Parcells was harping on him to hold onto that ball and to not make any mistakes.. and it just seems he is holding onto that ball with both hands now and running "tighter" if that makes sense.. he doesnt seem so footloose and fancy free.. i agree that Parcells is a great RB coach, BUT, all his great RBs (Martin, Anderson, etc) were very straight forward, between the tackles, smart, pound it out guys with very little "flash", or "juice" as Bill likes to call it.. i just hope he didnt scare the juice out of Julius..

again, i hope and actually think you are right.. i was expressing a fear or worry of mine, not necessarily what i think is the truth or a fact..

Bill never 'scared' the juice out of Megget or Leon Johnson!

Bill has had talented cut back specialists, guys with instinct who can cut them outside, as well as power run up the middle, and I never knew one to be 'harped" out of his moves. LOL

JJ is a BIG BOY...he can take coaching..he;'s a tough, smart kid too, that year he sat out at ND and how he used it to get stronger is a good example of his resolve.

He had some bad luck injury wise, and he hasn't had the world's most attuned run blocking. The guy who was best suited to lead him out was the shifty Richie Anderson, imo, and another fb in his mode would serve JJ well. (ducks TH )

JJ will be fine....I think he is going to have a great year.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

LaTuna, nice new sig.. I kinda liked the one with the wings on his back though..

 

[LaTunaNostra]

LaTuna, nice new sig.. I kinda liked the one with the wings on his back though..

I'll be bringin it back soon....next TG TD and I will be asking for wings photoshopped to his heels.

 

[Iago33]

I've figured out why he isn't running like that. It only works if he takes the handoff from Testaverde or Henson. Both are gone.

So, the solution is to either bring back Vinnie or have a sulking Julius!

 

[gbrittain]

The hypocrisy (sp?) by fans can be laughable at times.


Or is it just ignorance? Either way, it's funny.

Not sure I follow?

 

[EMMITTnROY]

Not sure I follow?

I wondered the same exact thing when i read his post..

and LaTuna- the wings on his heels thing would be sahweet..