Andre Johnson: Declining, Evolving, Or Victim of Dominance?

[417Texan]

http://www.battleredblog.com/2012/10...m-of-dominance

I used to want to be Jerry Rice when I was younger. I used to fly around my background pretending I was The G.O.A.T. in my cherry red and white 80 jersey. Despite not being the biggest, fastest, or strongest, Rice was the greatest due to his own hard work and determination, and that was the draw for a young Texas boy, who grew up a San Francisco fan, just starting to play in recreational leagues. Jerry was just great on a level no one else could even reach, and then August 31st, 1997 happened.

Slimy piece of crap Warren Sapp twisted Rice down by the facemask. On that play, Rice tore his ACL and MCL. He would rush back from injury later that very season and cracked the patella in his left kneecap. Rice would come back and have a few more decent years, but he was no longer the baddest receiver on the planet. Injury let age catch up with Rice and never let him get back to the uncoverable, hill-running machine he once was.

I remember that sad sort of feeling seeing Rice slow down and, at times, feel it creeping in watching this generation's dominating 80, Houston Texans All-Galaxy wide receiver Andre Johnson, as he bounces back from lower leg injuries. The eye test does not see him kicking it into extra gear with those deep routes or running with his trademark crispness. It is fair to question if that is in Johnson's skill set anymore, right?

[2slik4u]

Too long...losing interest...uh oh...interest lost...

[Hardcore Texan]

That's a nice read. I think he looks better now than the beginning of the season. Maybe it took him awhile to bounce back from those injuries and get going, not sure. But he has improved.

I also think they are saving him as much as possible for the post season. We are going to need a healthy Dre for our Superbowl run.

[417Texan]

Originally Posted by Hardcore Texan

That's a nice read. I think he looks better now than the beginning of the season. Maybe it took him awhile to bounce back from those injuries and get going, not sure. But he has improved.

I also think they are saving him as much as possible for the post season. We are going to need a healthy Dre for our Superbowl run.

Agree. Houston has so many options he does not have to have monster games every week.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by 2slik4u

Too long...losing interest...uh oh...interest lost...

That's called a short attention span. Nothing he can do to help you with that.

[417Texan]

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

That's called a short attention span. Nothing he can do to help you with that.

[Luv_ya_blue]

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

That's called a short attention span. Nothing he can do to help you with that.

I literally LOLed at this.
That's funny stuff Herv.
MSR.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by Luv_ya_blue

I literally LOLed at this.
That's funny stuff Herv.
MSR.

It's a growing trend around here. had comments and negative rep from people who couldn't wrap their heads around what I wrote or who felt like more than three sentences was an English assignment.

One clown's comment was "You write too much". I thought "Yeah, well you don't read enough!"

[Goldensilence]

I don't think anything is wrong as much as the offensive make up of this team is different.

Andre doesn't have to go off and have 100 yd plus and a score or two for this offense to go. This offense goes through Arian Foster now. Defenses definitely still respect him. When Schaub and the offense feeds him the ball in the passing game he can carry the load. He just doesn't have to and that makes this offense considerably more dangerous.

I think he's more than capable of having a big game and will whe nthe teams calls on him for it. Until then..sleeping giant.

[Perki-Perk]

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

It's a growing trend around here. had comments and negative rep from people who couldn't wrap their heads around what I wrote or who felt like more than three sentences was an English assignment.

One clown's comment was "You write too much". I thought "Yeah, well you don't read enough!"

Yeah, that clutchfans type foolishness needs to stay at clutchfans. This is grown folks territory around here.

Good Read OP.

[Vinny]

I cut the original post back to a smaller quote. Don't post full reprints of original work please....let's tease and link it.

[barrett]

The answer to the question that Daniel has asked is - All of the above. Much like Jerry Rice, Johnson should continue to have highly productive seasons in this offense for years to come. If his body holds up, he should be less talked about, but very, very good as one of the better football players at his position until he decides he doesn't want to play any more.

After that, I'll have to wait 5 short years to finally make my first trip to Canton.

[Luv_ya_blue]

Personally, I'd like to see Dre run slants on every single play (not being literal). He's unstoppable. He doesn't have the wheels to run fly patterns or torch DBs these days.

In the words of Costner...

He has the heart, just not the legs

[TheMatrix31]

He's fine.

[TimeKiller]

What 31 year old runs as fast as they did at 21?

The answer? None!

He's still too big, too strong and too quick for most guys to hold him down. Whatever step he's lost he can still make up for with his work ethic and experience. In other words, he ain't done yet.

[speedfreek]

I remember reading somewhere that the surgery he had when he last injured his hamstring was done to get him back on the field quickly -- and not to address the issue permanantly. I actually recall seeing something that said because of the way it was done that he might lose some of his "explosiveness" until he has another proceedure to address it.

Don't remember where i saw that, but I do remember seeing it..

Anyone else recall that?

TJ

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by TimeKiller

What 31 year old runs as fast as they did at 21?

The answer? None!

He's still too big, too strong and too quick for most guys to hold him down. Whatever step he's lost he can still make up for with his work ethic and experience. In other words, he ain't done yet.

This.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

That's called a short attention span. Nothing he can do to help you with that.

He didn't get past the word "short".

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by 2slik4u

Too long...losing interest...uh oh...interest lost...

This ain't Twitter. Folks communicate using complete sentences around here.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by speedfreek

I remember reading somewhere that the surgery he had when he last injured his hamstring was done to get him back on the field quickly -- and not to address the issue permanantly. I actually recall seeing something that said because of the way it was done that he might lose some of his "explosiveness" until he has another proceedure to address it.

Don't remember where i saw that, but I do remember seeing it..

Anyone else recall that?

TJ

Yes. That was from CnDs take on the surgery, iirc.