Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans: Know Thy Enemy Edition
by Pyromnc on Nov 26, 2009 11:00 AM MST
in News
7 comments
After a season in which the Tennessee Titans started 10-0, they weren't able to duplicate that start for the 2009 season. They started this season off by going 0-6 and have not played well in any of those contests. Since that awful start, they made a change at quarterback by starting Vince Young instead of Kerry Collins. Ever since that move they have won four straight to make their record 4-6. Even though Young has played pretty decent since becoming the starter, he has not been the player that has carried this team, as that player would be running back Chris Johnson.
Johnson was a first round draft pick last season and was brought in to compete with LenDale White for the starting job. These two backs would not only compete with each other but become quite possibly the best running back duo in the NFL last season. Both runningbacks would combine for a total of 2277 yards and 25 touchdowns. Those are big numbers for a pair of runningbacks but this season has been different. Johnson has had an amazing season leading the league in rushing yards with 1242 over 10 games (124.2 yards per game) and 262 receiving yards. He has also has eight rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. White has seen his playing time dwindle to almost nothing compared to last season getting just 63 touches that have gone for 220 total yards and two touchdowns. Johnson is clearly the back to worry about in this game.
For Johnson, he has never faced the Arizona Cardinals but that does not mean he will not play well against them. All he has to do is look at a similar running back in DeAngello Williams, who has had some solid games against the Cardinals. In Williams career he has played four games against the Cardinals. In those four games he has had 445 rushing yards on 62 carries (7.2 yards per carry average) and two touchdowns. Johnson will want to study some of those games to see how Williams ran all over the Cards and try to duplicate or better those numbers.
As for the Cardinals, their defense will have to play some of the best run defense they have had to play. They will be counting on safety Adrian Wilson, inside-linebacker Gerald Hayes, and inside-linebacker Karlos Dansby to stop Johnson. They will not have to necessarily stop him from getting over 100 yards rushing but they will need to make sure he does not break a long run, which he has done a lot of this season, or get any touchdowns. If they can do that than the Cards should have a good chance at winning this game. Can the Cardinals stop Chris Johnson from running all over them?
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I'm not here to talk trash or anything.
But stopping CJ is a lot easier said than done. We have heard from coaches every week that their goal is to stop Chris Johnson, and then every week he goes and runs for 120+ yards. The intimidating thing about him is that once he gets into the secondary, say goodbye. Against the 49ers it was predicted he would get no more than 80 yards against the #2 run D in the league, and then he went for 130. Against the Texans last week it was predicted he would have a hard time getting yards against a much improved defense, and then he went for 150. He is virtually unstoppable especially with Vince Young in there too. That provides many matchup problems. As CJ said, you can’t cover both Chris and Vince, and the one you don’t cover is going to have a monster day.
"We really feel like we can go 10-0 in these last ten games...we’re trying to do something nobody has ever done." Chris Johnson
"This is the only building in the NHL that the fans get up and cheer for no apparent reason just to support us." - Dan Ellis
Official Graphic Designer/Researcher/Grammar Police of MCM.
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by Aditya T (smashville) on Nov 26, 2009 12:00 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
Chris Johnson
He is the most dynamically exploisive and fastest player with the football in his hands since Deion Sanders was in his prime in the late 90’s. His playing speed is phenomenal and very rare. Coming out of East Carolina I thought Johnson would be a track man playing football as opposed to the other way around. He has taken to coaching and improved upon last years impressive rookie season. His toughness and willingness to run between the tackles is impressive because he is not a very big man. This forces defenses to play him honestly as the inside run has to be honored.
The most impressive aspect of Johnson’s game is his ability to ’’press’’ the hole with patience. He sets up blocks beautifully thus maximizing his yards per carry. Once he gets a crease to the second level or to the edge it is over (his 4.2 speed takes over.) Johnson’s an instinctive and intuitive runner and maybe the hardest worker on the Titans. When you watch him play ……you can just tell he wants to be great.
He really is a pleasure to watch every Sunday (Sunday Ticket) and I had not felt that way since watching Barry Sanders slice up defenses. Johnson will probably be able to play at this level for quite some time as he does not take clean shots from defensive players tackling him.
Simply put——- Johnson is the kind of player that keeps DC’s up at night scheming and game planning to stop him. All have tried—- none have been successful. Good luck Billy Davis.
by Cardsfan81 on Nov 26, 2009 1:14 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
Johnson/Young
I’m just winging it here, since I haven’t seen much of the Titans this year, but it would seem the weak spot in the offense is Young’s accuracy, especially on long passes. The Cardinals might consider single coverage on the wideouts and bring Wilson from deep secondary coverage into almost a linebacker role of looking for Johnson or Young, whichever tries to run the football. It seems that what really keeps drives going for them are the fifteen yard runs Young comes up with after dropping back and not finding anybody open. The single coverage on the wideouts might tempt Young to go long and there is risk here, but our corners and Rolle are good at coming up with interceptions. Just a thought. I would guess Bill Davis is way ahead of me on this.
by BPaul on Nov 27, 2009 12:08 PM MST reply actions 0 recs
No.
Vince’s completion % since he has been starting is 67.25%, good for 6th in the league.
"We really feel like we can go 10-0 in these last ten games...we’re trying to do something nobody has ever done." Chris Johnson
"This is the only building in the NHL that the fans get up and cheer for no apparent reason just to support us." - Dan Ellis
Official Graphic Designer/Researcher/Grammar Police of MCM.
Official Graphic Goon of OTF.
by Aditya T (smashville) on Nov 27, 2009 12:49 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Completion % doesn't always mean he has good accuracy, especially in different passing situations like the deep ball.
What? I didn't break it, I was just testing its durability, and then I placed it in the woods becuase it's made out of wood and I just thought he should be with his family.
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by Andrew602 on Nov 27, 2009 2:18 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, in this case Young hasn't been throwing alot of passes and most of them have been short, safe passes
I wonder about his accuracy on long passes.
by BPaul on Nov 27, 2009 4:05 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
Vince Young
Vince Young 2.0 I like very much. It is really ashame that Young didn’t see the field sooner rather than later given how the team has responded to Young under center since his re-insertion into the line-up. If I were a Titans I would be livid (with Fisher) given the way the team has responded with Young under center but I digress.
Young has displayed a calm and poise that he had not shown earlier in his career. A recent example would be the Monday Night game against the Texans. At the 1:28 mark in the first quater the Titans were in a 2 by 1 WR look with Nate Washingtion in the slot. Washington ran a deep seam route and got behind the coverage. Young got pressure in the A-gap and move to his left. While rolling left Young threw a beautiful pass that landed in Nate Washington’s hands and he dropped it. Young showed the touch, timing, accuracy and anticipation one would expect from a QB drafted high in a draft. A veteran WR ( which Washington is) has to make that catch and help out his young QB.
Young has the physical tools to be a …..very good to Franchise QB. The first measuring stick for me is that the QB not loose the games. Second is does he posses the necessary arm strength so that they are no passing limitation to the offense. Third, is can he make a “play” when the initial and secondary reads are not there. Fourth, does he posses enough mobility to allow his WR’s to “uncover” putting added on the secondary to cover longer. The fifth is can he strap the team on his back and win a game or two during the season.
I don’t know if he will continue to procees the information he’s seeing the last the last 4 games becuase I’m not there or a part of the coaching staff. Will he continue to develope and display the kind of progress that he has shown over the 4 weeks? On film he looks like a player that wants to reach his full potential. This is a good developement for the Titans and ultimately the NFL. After all, this is a QB driven league.
by Cardsfan81 on Nov 27, 2009 5:23 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs
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