Your opinions please....RE: JJ and the Broncos

[Cajuncowboy]

I got to talking on the plane the other day to a guy from Denver. We naturally started talking about Football. We were talking about how no matter who is toting the rock for Denver they seem to have a great season. I understand it is a system thing and the way they design the zone blocking scheme and all.

So this was brought up. What would some of todays top backs do in that system. Like Tomlinson and those types. Then I really started thinking about the kind of year JJ had when he came back from injury.

So here is my question, if JJ was in Denver's offense, could he put up those monster numbers that elite backs are measured by?

I know there had been all kinds of talk about if Barry Sanders was in the Cowboys offense how great he would be but wondered what JJ would be like in that zone blocking scheme.

 

[dargonking999]

Look how good he played behind a decent OL at best, i think he would have close to 2000 yards rushing cause in Denver they always ride you till you cant give no more, (i.e quentin what was that 2003 or 4)

 

[Banned_n_austin]

Why not?

He fits the running scheme in Denver perfectly ... this is a rhetorical question.

 

[5 Super Bowls]

I have always wondered if working out in the altitude helped their backs. Elite athletes train in the mountains due to the low oxygen content. It teaches their body to use less oxygen while doing more. Strange thought. But I can hardly run a half mile in Snowmass.

BTW Emmitt and Barry were 2 completely different styles. Barry hardly ever hit a hole, he was more elusive in space. Outside the tackles. Emmitt was elusive in the hole. Taking on glancing blows while still picking up good yardage. Both were great but the line that Emmitt had may or may not have helped Barry.

 

[zagnut]

I understand it's the opinion of other teams' fans and sports writers (and mine, I guess) that Denver's RBs are products of a system and are interchangeable, but was that the opinion of the Broncos fan as well? The Denver staff clearly looks for RBs with specific qualities and not all RBs are what they're looking for. Also, in a league of copycats, the fact no one else copies Denver leads me to think maybe we make too much of "the system."

I'd think JJ would do about the same as Portis. JJ is a very patient runner who follows his blocks well. He's a much stronger runner than Portis, but maybe not the slasher Portis is and maybe not as quick through the gaps. 1400 to 1600. I feel JJ will do about the same here this year as he would do in Denver.

 

[Ken]

I have often commented on how stupid Denver was to pass on a prototypical back for their offense in JJ.

Bell just is too skinny. Maybe he will fill out but JJ is taylor made for that O.

 

[Eddie]

I don't think Jerry Jones would do too well in any system right now. :laugh2:

 

[LaTunaNostra]

I have always wondered if working out in the altitude helped their backs.

There's been a lot of mention over the years of how opponents fare when playing in Mile High City, but I've never seen any analysis of the advantage the Broncos have when they come down from the mountain.

You'd think it would be a factor.

 

[CanadaBoys]

I'd say his lower limit would be Clinton Portis like.... and his upper limit would be Terrell Davis, as far as mubers go.

TD was a very good back and wold have been in any system, though probably more of a 1600 yard guy outside Denver. Portis is a good back too, who is better than he shows in Washington. In Washington he's a 1200 yard back. In Denver he's a 17-1800. On Dallas i think he'd go for 1400-1500.


In Denver I think Julius would go for 1800-2000.

Julius

 

[Duane]

Anyone can gain 1000 yards behind those cut blocks so I'll say yes Cajun.

 

[Crown Royal]

The key in that offense is the cutback. You don't immediately commit to a hole, rather you 'cut back' to the artificial hole once the defense commits to your original direction. I actually think Bell (who I wanted during that draft) is perfect for that - he is fast enought to make the defense over commit, then make a cut and run lightning fast to the opening a few gaps over.

Julius, on the other hand, excels on draw plays and designed hole assignments. On a draw play, instead of immediately searching for assignment a and cutback a, he sits for a moment, commits to where he thinks the hole will be, and gets there fast. On the dives and whams that Parcells likes to run, he is told to get to a certain gap and get there fast, something common in a power blocking scheme. When you hear Parcells talking about 'Julius needs to learn how to take what he can get' and not to get to 'cute,' he is often referring to this type of play. He is meant to be somewhere and be there quick - Tuna doesn't want to see a lot of Barry Sanders like freelancing.

I think, were I in Denver's situation, I too would have taken Bell (bias aside - I already said that as a Cowboy's fan I wanted him). I think Julius could have been effective there as well, but with the scouting available, I think Bell was their best choice in their scheme.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Bell was the back I most wanted in that draft as well. You're right tho that he is better suited to the Denver oline and O.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

If Denver's running system is so good and unique....how come in this copy cat league there are no other teams copying that scheme?

 

[junk]

There's been a lot of mention over the years of how opponents fare when playing in Mile High City, but I've never seen any analysis of the advantage the Broncos have when they come down from the mountain.

You'd think it would be a factor.

Well, I think quite a few Olympic speed skaters and such train at those high altitudes. I can tell you from experience that it is much harder to catch your breath and perform at a high level at that altitude. However, I don't know how much it helps going from high altitude to low altitude, but it is an adjustment going from low to high.

 

[Zaxor]

I am not sure about Jones and Denver but what I am begining to wonder about is if Terrell Davis would have been as good anywhere else and how all the success of other RB's in Denver effects his HOF status

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I understand it's the opinion of other teams' fans and sports writers (and mine, I guess) that Denver's RBs are products of a system and are interchangeable, but was that the opinion of the Broncos fan as well? The Denver staff clearly looks for RBs with specific qualities and not all RBs are what they're looking for. Also, in a league of copycats, the fact no one else copies Denver leads me to think maybe we make too much of "the system."

I'd think JJ would do about the same as Portis. JJ is a very patient runner who follows his blocks well. He's a much stronger runner than Portis, but maybe not the slasher Portis is and maybe not as quick through the gaps. 1400 to 1600. I feel JJ will do about the same here this year as he would do in Denver.

He pretty much figured that it was a system thing. He said he doesn't think that Portis will be as good anywhere else because of that system. He really thinks it is Shanny for the most part. But he did say that getting someone who was a proven good RB could be great in Denvers O.

 

[dargonking999]

If Denver's running system is so good and unique....how come in this copy cat league there are no other teams copying that scheme?

Because there type of system is

1 hard to understand and teach

2 filled with a coupleof dirty techniques you teach your players not to do

 

[MapleLeaf]

If Denver's running system is so good and unique....how come in this copy cat league there are no other teams copying that scheme?

...small mobile lineman who can get to the gap quickly and draw D-linemen to the initial flow.

Their weaknesses are easily shown in pass protection so a mobile QB is a must. I don't watch many Denver games, but I can see that it would make sense that both Elway and Plummer have alot of bootlegs and moving pockets in their pass protection schemes.