DJ not “special” anymore?

[Chopper0080]

I think this thread is crazy.

With even a mediocre line we would have beaten KC.

The 2016 O-line
Veldheer
Iupati
Shipley
Watford
Humphries

Veldheer and Iupati were very expensive mediocre
Shipley - never anything but mediocre - ever
Watford and Humphries - mediocre

Veldheer, Iupati and Humphries occasionally played better than mediocre

And look back on what DJ did with that. The line now looks up on 'steady' mediocre as a lofty goal just beyond it's reach. This is all on Keim. And please spare me the injury excuse. There was no depth behind a starting front that struggled to approach mediocrity. That is on Keim and no one else and he really needs to go.

I don't like to engage in too many what ifs...but even with a good line, we were not beating the Chiefs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

David Johnson had 7 touches during the 4th quarter:

• 23 yard reception for a 1st down
• 8 yard run
• 4 yard run for a 1st down
• 10 yard run for a 1st down
• 7 yard reception
• 9 yard run
• 10 yard reception for a 1st down

Are people implying that DJ dogged it late in the game?

the people that wonder if he's still special aren't saying DJ is dogging it. It's the people who think he is still special are making that argument for why he hasn't looked special this year.

 

[PJ1]

Nope.

I will never forget how good David Johnson, John Brown, Daryl Washington and Tyrann Mathieu were for the brief times they were some of the top players in the league at their positions.

The loss of John Brown (who still is not the same as he was), and Tyrann Mathieu from what they were is so sad to think about. Those two were electric, and extremely entertaining.

I understand injuries are part of the NFL, and that there is blame to go around about the current state of the Cardinals.

But DAMN, you cannot honestly say that the Cardinals didn't get some of the worse injuries at the worst time to players that could currently be stars for this team.

Getting back to David Johnson ? I think he is too heavy, too much muscle, and that has taken away that speed he has. His speed has always been from his stride, and if he is too strong that will reduce that stride and take away that quickness. At least that is what I think is going on with Johnson.

I thought this also until I heard he had taken off weight in the offseason.

 

[pmacLean]

This thread remains absolutely stupid.

I have nothing but continuous memories of DJ headed straight up the middle into a solid wall.... solid... no one was getting any yards there.

By contrast, on many plays you watch the opposing offense and they blow a hole big enough I could run for 10 yards through it...

This has nothing to do with DJ and everything to do with
A. McCoy for constantly calling straight up the middle (that is changing and the numbers have been posted elsewhere here, even with our sad sack line, his numbers look good because HE IS NOT BEING SENT STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE every single time ...
B. If we had the offensive line of ANY OTHER TEAM and Leftwich calling plays, DJ would have 100 plus yards every single game.. that is how BAD our O-line is .... thanks Keim, you useless drunk

This thread is pathetic...

 

[moklerman]

I'm certainly not an expert on DJ so I can't really comment on how he "looks". But I think it's encouraging, if not surprising, that his efficiency and production numbers under Leftwich are at or better than under Arians.

Once defenses start respecting the running game, the passing game will open up and Rosen will look better too.

 

[forever red]

No one wants to admit it but there is a very good chance DJ was a flash in the pan superstar running back . While he is still a dangerous receiver coming out of the backfield it does not appear to me he has the physical or mental tools to be a 1000 yard rusher. If I were the FO I would seriously consider trying to trade DJ to a team that still believes his mediocre rushing stats are more a reflection of a horrible OC and a below average O line than a decline in his abilities. If we could dump his salary and parlay the trade into either a NO 1 WR , a top notch O lineman or a first round draft pick I would do it in a heartbeat. If we keep DJ and he doesn't return to the 2016 DJ we will set our offense back for years with a hefty salary cap hit and an unproductive player which is a lethal combination.

 

[TRW]

Agree, if this was the case with Walter Peyton he never would have made it to the HOF. If he dogged it because the season was lost he would have been dogging it almost his entire career. He was on a lot of bad Bears teams. It was only lat ein his career that the Bears got better and went to the SB. I am still pissed Ditka didn't make sure the ball was given to Peyton and let the Fridge carry it in for a TD instead.

Ditka ispissed at himself for that too. A couple of years ago I heard him call it a stupid call.

 

[WisconsinCard]

David Johnson had 7 touches during the 4th quarter:

• 23 yard reception for a 1st down
• 8 yard run
• 4 yard run for a 1st down
• 10 yard run for a 1st down
• 7 yard reception
• 9 yard run
• 10 yard reception for a 1st down

Are people implying that DJ dogged it late in the game?

No I speaking to those that were implying that DJ was taking easy to protect himself from injury.

 

[Broseph]

No one wants to admit it but there is a very good chance DJ was a flash in the pan superstar running back . While he is still a dangerous receiver coming out of the backfield it does not appear to me he has the physical or mental tools to be a 1000 yard rusher. If I were the FO I would seriously consider trying to trade DJ to a team that still believes his mediocre rushing stats are more a reflection of a horrible OC and a below average O line than a decline in his abilities. If we could dump his salary and parlay the trade into either a NO 1 WR , a top notch O lineman or a first round draft pick I would do it in a heartbeat. If we keep DJ and he doesn't return to the 2016 DJ we will set our offense back for years with a hefty salary cap hit and an unproductive player which is a lethal combination.

Yup, I brought this up a few times a while ago and people thought I was crazy and were criticizing me for even thinking that. I always felt like he has not yet proved anything, he had a few good seasons and since then has been injured and non-productive. When you watch him run, he doesn't make guys miss anymore, runs with his head down . I started noticing this and people thought I was crazy but I've started a few threads on this and you can see other posters reactions. I also agree that we should trade him while many teams probably believe he's still elite and we can get some compensation. He just isn't the same anymore and RB's have a short half life. The good news is that you can always pick up an elite rusher in the later rounds in the draft and RB's are easily replaceable, look at L. Bell, Steelers are still elite even without him and he no longer has any leverage.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

To me DJ looks slimmer this season. First season DJ was a musclebound wrecking machine straight-arming people into oblivion. His legs still are powerful but his upper body is def smaller.

 

[Russ Smith]

No one wants to admit it but there is a very good chance DJ was a flash in the pan superstar running back . While he is still a dangerous receiver coming out of the backfield it does not appear to me he has the physical or mental tools to be a 1000 yard rusher. If I were the FO I would seriously consider trying to trade DJ to a team that still believes his mediocre rushing stats are more a reflection of a horrible OC and a below average O line than a decline in his abilities. If we could dump his salary and parlay the trade into either a NO 1 WR , a top notch O lineman or a first round draft pick I would do it in a heartbeat. If we keep DJ and he doesn't return to the 2016 DJ we will set our offense back for years with a hefty salary cap hit and an unproductive player which is a lethal combination.

I don't think it's THAT bad but I do think Arians might have made him look better than he really is, and McCoy made him look MUCH worse.

I just don't see the wow factor this year from him, in his first preseason game he had 2 carries where he was one step short of going to the house and I thought great he's back. In hindsight maybe that was a sign, that he couldn't take it to the house>?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Isn't that the definition of "dogging it"? To fail to put forth the effort necessary to achieve or accomplish something.

The quote was something like dogging it late in the game. Very specific. I didn’t seen anyone attaching it specifically to his effort late in the game.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

This thread remains absolutely stupid.

I have nothing but continuous memories of DJ headed straight up the middle into a solid wall.... solid... no one was getting any yards there.

By contrast, on many plays you watch the opposing offense and they blow a hole big enough I could run for 10 yards through it...

This has nothing to do with DJ and everything to do with
A. McCoy for constantly calling straight up the middle (that is changing and the numbers have been posted elsewhere here, even with our sad sack line, his numbers look good because HE IS NOT BEING SENT STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE every single time ...
B. If we had the offensive line of ANY OTHER TEAM and Leftwich calling plays, DJ would have 100 plus yards every single game.. that is how BAD our O-line is .... thanks Keim, you useless drunk

This thread is pathetic...

Holy crap you still don’t understand the thread. Incredible.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I don't think it's THAT bad but I do think Arians might have made him look better than he really is, and McCoy made him look MUCH worse.

I just don't see the wow factor this year from him

This.

 

[Buckybird]

No one wants to admit it but there is a very good chance DJ was a flash in the pan superstar running back . While he is still a dangerous receiver coming out of the backfield it does not appear to me he has the physical or mental tools to be a 1000 yard rusher. If I were the FO I would seriously consider trying to trade DJ to a team that still believes his mediocre rushing stats are more a reflection of a horrible OC and a below average O line than a decline in his abilities. If we could dump his salary and parlay the trade into either a NO 1 WR , a top notch O lineman or a first round draft pick I would do it in a heartbeat. If we keep DJ and he doesn't return to the 2016 DJ we will set our offense back for years with a hefty salary cap hit and an unproductive player which is a lethal combination.

Put Gurley, Zeke, Hunt or any other of the tops RBs behind this horrific Oline & you will get the same results. That’s reality!

 

[Yuma]

I think it's a combination of OL, different offensive scheme, and finally playing coming off a serious injury, Still I see flashes. I sense if the OL, and the OC going back to plays that used his dominance, and a season removed from injury, I could see next season him being the same player we saw before.

 

[dylanbw]

If people have suspicions of DJ dogging it, you need to look at this video for a text dogging.

https://www.chiefs.com/video/patrick-mahomes-hits-tyreek-hill-down-sideline-for-38-yards

Wow. Would any of our resident DB experts explain wth PP21 was doing on this play?

 

[MadCardDisease]

Wow. Would any of our resident DB experts explain wth PP21 was doing on this play?

It appears that PP21 was in the wrong type of coverage and was expecting help. According to Wilks they were supposed to be in Man coverage on that play.

 

[KYCardFan]

He's been running very "soft" this year, the recent KC game, he seemed more into it, maybe being used as a receiver in space more inspired him.

Regardless, his jump cuts and explosion gear have disappeared, I don't think he "lost" it, I just don't think the effort and toughness has been there. Maybe having an O-Line this bad, has sapped his spirit.

 

[cardncubfan]

This could explain why he's lowering his head & not doing as many jump cuts.

''Johnson has been implored by running backs coach Kirby Wilson to run more downhill and not bounce outside as much. The goal, Johnson said, is to turn 1-yard runs into 3-yard gains. While he did it more Sunday in Kansas City, it wasn't easy. One of Johnson's favorite moves is the jump-cut. Lowering his shoulder and bulldozing a defender isn't natural for him, he added. He'd prefer to create with cuts, moves and jukes.''

http://www.espn.com/blog/arizona-ca...is-is-the-david-johnson-weve-been-waiting-for

 

[AZCB34]

I am on record saying he had a special season but there is no evidence he is what I would call a special RB.

Let's not forget that he told one of the radio shows that after the knee injury his wife asked him to retire. Perhaps that is rattling in the back of his mind as well.

 

[moklerman]

Again, since McCoy left DJ is exceeding his production under Arians. With far less talent around him. That doesn't suggest to me that he has lost anything.

 

[Cheesebeef]

This could explain why he's lowering his head & not doing as many jump cuts.

''Johnson has been implored by running backs coach Kirby Wilson to run more downhill and not bounce outside as much. The goal, Johnson said, is to turn 1-yard runs into 3-yard gains. While he did it more Sunday in Kansas City, it wasn't easy. One of Johnson's favorite moves is the jump-cut. Lowering his shoulder and bulldozing a defender isn't natural for him, he added. He'd prefer to create with cuts, moves and jukes.''

http://www.espn.com/blog/arizona-ca...is-is-the-david-johnson-weve-been-waiting-for

man... this seems really stupid. here's a guy who burst on the scene in his first year and then exploded his second year, seemingly ALWAYS making the first guy miss and get yards where they didn't really exist and now just seems to get what's there and not much else.

And I don't buy the bulldozing thing... his first couple years in the league when he got a head up team he was running through, around or over them.

This just makes me hate our coaching staff even more. He had a natural edge/bounce to his game and now he's just running into the backs of linemen getting pushed around.

 

[cardncubfan]

man... this seems really stupid. here's a guy who burst on the scene in his first year and then exploded his second year, seemingly ALWAYS making the first guy miss and get yards where they didn't really exist and now just seems to get what's there and not much else.

And I don't buy the bulldozing thing... his first couple years in the league when he got a head up team he was running through, around or over them.

This just makes me hate our coaching staff even more. He had a natural edge/bounce to his game and now he's just running into the backs of linemen getting pushed around.

I agree. It was a mistake getting rid of Stump Mitchell

 

[Milgod]

Again, since McCoy left DJ is exceeding his production under Arians. With far less talent around him. That doesn't suggest to me that he has lost anything.

Yep. Keeps getting ignored by those who have convinced themselves he's not special.