TJ...get the phone

[Duckjake]

It cant be proven but I would be willing to bet that you wouldnt find many RB's that would have fared much better here in AZ during the time he was here considering the personnel at the time. Maybe Barry Sanders.

How about Marcel Shipp? In 2002, after Pittman left, Marcel rushed for 834 yards with a 4.4 ypc average and scored 6 TD's.

 

[Shane]

How about Marcel Shipp? In 2002, after Pittman left, Marcel rushed for 834 yards with a 4.4 ypc average and scored 6 TD's.

True. But if people remember TJ started out that year really well. He had 58 carries in the first 3 games for 300 yards and was leading the NFL in rushing and had 5.1 yard average. He had that awesome game against Seattle rushing for around 168 yards and had that awesome long TD run. He was playing very well. Then in week 4 he was hurt in the 1st quarter against the Giants(badly sprained knee) and was never the same again. He tried to tough it out that game but was terrible and pulled himself. He tried to play again the next week when he shouldnt have and ended up missing the game after that and was never the same again the rest of the year. Not to mention Shipp was playing lights out too. Cant prove it but had he stayed healthy I truly believe he would have matched or bettered Shipps production.

 

[Duckjake]

Of course that was also the year Leonard Davis was playing Right Tackle.

 

[Denny Green Fan]

I guess I'm just not one to hold grudges... especially against people that I have ZERO relation with. I'm thinking some Cardinal fans take this football thing WAYYYYYYYYY too seriously. Hell, there was a thread a couple weeks ago about people being depressed ON WEDNESDAY about a Cardinal loss. That makes me chuckle. Seriously - who take something they have no control over to heart THAT much as to let it effect them that many days later. there's so mcuh crap in the world to legitimately hate, why bother with hating something that's supposed to be entertaining?

I once took this football thing way to seriously. I even got into a few cussing matches with some guys at work. Now I only get pissed off for about 6 hours on Sundays. I just enjoy getting to watch the games with my brothers. By Sunday night I am over it and ready to take my next beating the following Sunday

 

[Rivercard]

He was never truly OUTPLAYED by Pittman whom he was benched in favor of. The guy could flat out get in the endzone

What??? Now that is some revisionist history.

 

[vinnymac]

all i ever remeber people saying was let pittman run the ball. basically everyone was saying it. as far as not getting a fair shot, you can't be serious. jones had his fair shot. when you are the number 7 or 8th pick in the draft you get a more than fair shot to win the starting position. he was a bust for the cardinals. plain and simple. if he wasn't, then the cardinals would not have been playing running back by committee all these years. you forgot his stop in tampa bay. that is where the bears saw jones and signed him to a contract. if you remeber right jones was traded to the bucs.

 

[john h]

This article is revisionist history.

Jones was a heartless player when he was here. The first to give up, and he always made sure he had a tough-to-prove diagnosis on his health at the beginning of each year, that way if he didn't perform well, he had an excuse. Then he had to lie about an injury.

He's a loser, and no matter how much money he makes or how well he does for the bears or anyone else, he'll always be a loser.

He is the leading rusher on a 5-0 team and that hardly qualifies as a loser. This place is the graveyard for running backs. Ask our current one. Something is wrong here and we need to find out what. It is not because T. Jones or James are slackers. They are pro bowl quality running backs. We have some outstanding players all around the league who made it big when they left Arizona. This is no accident. It is not fate. It is not bad Karma. There is something basically wrong with the way the organization is run. Sports Center had it right once again this week when they said the Cardinals are the worst franchise in any sport. I hear that year after year and we live up to that statement year after year. The only constant has been ownership. That at least is a clue. Maybe they never have been able to pick the right GM. Actually they really never have had a real GM. They cannot retain their best player. We go through coaches like a cup of coffee. We do not spend our cap money. Maybe we are in the midst of a real turnaround and we cannot yet see it. Maybe next year it will all come together and we will win 10 games. Something has to change and I do not know what. We all peck around the edges of this problem by complaining about the OL, salary cap, RB, DB, Coaches, etc. There is a deeper more underlying problem that allows this franchise to wallow in what is worse than mediocrity.

 

[john h]

You're right about the 200 yard thing. I looked it up. He had back to back games with 165 yards, 4.7 YPC, and 141 yards, 4.9 YPC, behind that line.

Still pretty damn good.

TJ never had close to that. TJ faked injuries. You still haven't answered my question. Why do you defend TJ? He's a pud!

Because he is the leading rusher on the current best team in the NFL. His team mates know him better than any of us and have nothing but high praise for his work ethic. He also has played hurt and still ran well with the Bears. Watching the Bears and Jones run it is clear this guy runs with authority. Let us see how this slacker does Monday night?

 

[john h]

why not defend him? The guy struggled earlier in his career, took his lumps on an awful team, went to the Bucs, became a team player, showcased his skills and now is a leader and a very good running back for one of the best teams in the league. That ain't the norm with a lot of NFL football players. I'd much rather see an NFL player do that than just keep taking paychecks and start shooting people or running people off the road or beatign their wives. It's a success story and this guy seemed to put in the work after missteps earleri in his career when he was faced with playing with a loser - and loser who apparently didn't even want him. I don't care WHERE THEY PLAY - be it with us or anywhere else - that's a good story and a rare one int he NFL.

For what ever reason some posters seem to become offended with a players who leaves the Cards only to become a success. It is usually not that they were slackers while here but just playing with a lousy team. That is not there fault. Our better players tend to want out of here as soon as possible for good reason. This is one of our continuing problems. Big will be the next to go and you can write it down. He will be a success where ever he goes and probably at guard and we will see the usual post about how lazy he was while he was here. Simeon Rice has been crucified on this board at times even though he led the NFL in sacks and was an all-pro. I wish we had back some of the OL who are now starting on other teams. They were not good enough for us but somehow managed to go from lousy to starter after leaving here. The problem is not with the players it is with the way this organization is managed.

 

[john h]

I once took this football thing way to seriously. I even got into a few cussing matches with some guys at work. Now I only get pissed off for about 6 hours on Sundays. I just enjoy getting to watch the games with my brothers. By Sunday night I am over it and ready to take my next beating the following Sunday

Fan: you probably have it right.

 

[CardLogic]

From his own mouth:

"It was never a good match for me there. They had problems with the way I played, the way I spoke, the way I dressed. All I wanted to do was work hard and win games. "

:roll:



http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9723841