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Andre Johnson this season (old thread alert)

A

Andre_Johnson88

Practice Squad
Just wanted everyone's thoughts on how improved yall think Andre will be this season at WR?Personally,hopefully he has been working on his hands, but knowing him he has most likely been working hard in all aspects........
 
Im sure we will get an update wen training camp starts. Andre has a great work ethic. He should make a great leap in his abilities.
 
He had a great rookie season, 65 receptions or thereabouts. I think he'll improve on that number. His main problem IMO last season was dropping some of the easier grabs. I also remember in the colts game where he forgot to drag his feet in the end zone, leading to an out of bounds call. I have a good feeling that he's going to eliminate alot of those "rookie" mistakes from his game and have a strong showing this season. Probably not anything groundbreaking, but he's going to be solid.
 
I hope he works on his technique of catching and putting his feet inbounds. Remember his down side was dropping passes out of college :-( I remember that post he ran in preseason game last yr perfect route for a TD and he dropped the ball my heart just dropped! Hope he won`t be 1 of the speed burners who can`t catch in the NFL. To be honest he gave the Patriots a gift last yr. With a drop down by the 20 and fumble of a end around!
 
I think this is last year to be an OK Receiver if even that. Last year he was a Good Rookie, this year a Good Pro, Next year a PRO BOWLER I hope I am wrong and he skips Good Pro but it will be difficult he has alot of improving to do but is right on track. I think this will be an AWESOME Year for Mr. Johnson
 
15.0 ypc it's a steep mountain to climb but looking at AJ I think he has the "Potential" to do it but the question is does he want it bad enough to work VERY VERY VERY hard 4 it?
 
I look for improvement and then a little cooling off from AJ this coming season. It seems to me that a lot of times recievers come into their rookie season with a case of nerves. AJ did drop a lot of balls last year that were apparently easy grabs and every year it seems like we see this from rookie recievers (and Corey Bradford). Going into 2004 I look for him to have settled down some and to start making more catches. Gaffney seemed to get a lot more reliable at the start of 2003 if you remember. At one point I was really getting pumped over how much better his hands seemed to be.

Then after he starts to get going something will happen. Maybe he'll get a little sure of himself or maybe he'll drop one for no apparent reason and his confidence will take a little hit. Maybe he'll start getting more attention from the defensive backs and things will get tougher all of a sudden. For whatever reason I expect him to cool off after about 6-7 weeks and then if he's as good as we all think he is (me too) he'll get his second wind and finish the season strong.

This of course leads into his third year where he's finally completely comfortable with what's going on and he starts banging cornerbacks like a drum on his way to the Pro Bowl.

That's how I think this is going to play out. I also think Gaffney's going to have a heck of a season this year. I'm counting on it.
 
i think in two seasons him and chris johnson are going to be the top two recievers in the AFC...harrison might be going to another team soon...and there really isn't another reciever in the AFC that has their ability...the only thing better about Andre over chris is that he doesn't want to get into trouble with the front office
 
keyfro said:
i think in two seasons him and chris johnson are going to be the top two recievers in the AFC...harrison might be going to another team soon...and there really isn't another reciever in the AFC that has their ability...the only thing better about Andre over chris is that he doesn't want to get into trouble with the front office
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Chris Johnson is Chad Johnson of the Bengals, right? Chad Johnson has one of the best work ethics in the league, believe it or not.
 
STEEL BLUE TEXANS said:
80 catches and 1200 yards
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That sounds about right

all I hope for is that Carr can stay healthy so they can continue to devolp a Manning-Harrison type chemistry.
 
I think one of our other WR are gonna have to step up to take the double-teams off AJ, then were looking at 75-90 catches, 1200 yards or so, maybe 6-8 TD's
 
I forgot about that. I didnt like that rule change. DBs have the hardest job on the field and now they are making it even harder for them. First they cant hit a defenseless WR, then they cant bumb into them, and now it seems that they cant even touch them.
 
Hopefully AJ will continue to progress in the offense and will be an even bigger asset to the team this year. I think if he could hold on to a few more passes he can be an elite WR in the NFL.
 
For a little perspective here, two facts: (1) before the last season most posters expected 500-800 yds from AJ due to normal (high-end) rookie performance and (2) AJ almost broke 1000 yds last year and had either the 6th or 7th best rookie performane (sorry can't remember, aj did the homework on the old board) in NFL history. Keep in mind that from a WR's point of view, last year was a nightmare due to Carr going down/playing hurt, Banks going down and then the 3rd string left handed QB playing.

As for drops, I will try to dig up the research again, but Bradford and Gaffney had 1, that's right, 1 drop each last year and AJ had 10. Now ten might sound like a big number until you see that "never drops a ball" Moss had 9, etc. As I said, will try to dig up the comparison and post shortly but statistically, AJ's hands are not bad.
 
Dre went from Ken Dorsey balls floating at him to David Carr bullets zooming past him. It takes time to get used to that. The QB switching due to injuries didn't help. But I think he'll do well this year. A better line will mean more receivers out in patterns, which means less double teams, more time for Carr... all this equals 85-95 catches and 1200-1300 yards for Dre.
 
I think the key to Gaffney "stepping up" will be Carr throwing more to his other receivers. Gaff didn't see many balls going his way for a guy that is said to be our best route runner and seems to have the best hands as well. With more protection and experience I expect Carr to spread the ball around a little more, which should free up AJ from as many double teams.
 
infantrycak said:
As I said, will try to dig up the comparison and post shortly but statistically, AJ's hands are not bad.
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Well, they say there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. AJ had a good start to his career, especially for an underclassman WR, but there were plays to be made that he didn't make. Not just drops but in coming up with the ball in coverage. Still, I thought I saw the light come on for AJ in the Titan game at Reliant. He seemed to realize his size advantage and became much more physical with the DB's. I look for that to continue this season and for AJ to make that leap into the top 7-8 Wr's in the game.

Any team attempting press coverage against AJ should be punished for it. There's not a corner in this league or on this planet that AJ shouldn't be able to toss aside like a rag doll and beat deep. If Carr comes to the line and sees press coverage, he should automatic to AJ everytime.
 
Lucky said:
Any team attempting press coverage against AJ should be punished for it. There's not a corner in this league or on this planet that AJ shouldn't be able to toss aside like a rag doll and beat deep. If Carr comes to the line and sees press coverage, he should automatic to AJ everytime.
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It was against the Patriots when Banks did that. He saw Poole right up on AJ, gave him the signal for the deep route in the endzone, and touchdown Texans. Got to love it.
 
I dont think Andre Johnson gets enough credit for how good of a rookie season he had. Heres how his rookie season compares with the rookie seasons of some of the NFL's best...

Andre Johnson 66 catches 976 yards
Torry Holt 52 catches 788 yards
Terrell Owens 35 catches 520 yards
Marvin Harrison 64 catches 836 yards
Chad Johnson 28 catches 329 yards
Hines Ward 15 catches 246 yards
Jerry Rice 49 catches 927 yards
Plaxico Burress 27 catches 273 yards
Derrick Mason 14 catches 186 yards
Amani Toomer 1 catch 12 yards


You should get my point, Andre Johnson had a great rookie season and his future looks very bright, especially considering he was an underclassmen so next year should be his real rookie season.
 
bballer3215 said:
I dont think Andre Johnson gets enough credit for how good of a rookie season he had.
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The reason is hasnt got enough credit nationally is because of Aquain Boldin.
 
I definitely see AJ as a top 5-10 receiver this year and will be even better for years to come. I think, along with most others, that Gaff and/or someone else (Bradford, Armstrong, a rookie) needs to step up and become a solid threat as well to relieve the pressure and double teams from AJ. However, defenses must respect our running game too, with DD emerging as a star back in this league, people will have to play against the run as well. All I see this season is that the sky is the limit, Carr is in his 3rd year and should step up and produce some solid numbers; the sky is the limit and we could even make the playoffs if the defense stays intact.
 
All of yall's responses about Andre I totally agree with and they make me even more pumped for this season to get rolling.In addition to Andre,another receiver to look out for is Sloan Thomas to make a huge impact due to him getting overshadowed by Roy.........
 
Andre Johnson is the most physically gifted receiver in the league bar none. If Carr had been healthy all season, AJ would have had better numbers than Boldin and won rookie of the year.
 
yeah...every rookie reciever has his growing pains during his rookie campaign...i'm not worried at all...their second season is normally way better...but it's their third season which is their breakout season...heck just look at chad johnson this past season...went to the pro bowl...the first bengal to go to the pro bowl in who knows when...and he's becoming a house hold name...mainly due to his endzone exploits...which i don't think andre will do...he enjoys leaping into the bull pen too much...just wait this season you'll see him wanting to be the go to guy and more of an redzone force!!!
 
keyfro said:
just wait this season you'll see him wanting to be the go to guy and more of an redzone force!!!
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I pray our redzone offense is better, and it probably will be for a couple of reasons
1) Carr in his 3rd year
2) Japporu (dont know if you can say coming back, saying he was really never there)
3) Gaffney (has made some unbelieveable catches, like the one against KC when he came back to the ball that was thrown low and behind, and Buffalo where he made the one handed catch going away from the ball)
4) DD being able to catch and run out of the backfield
5) Billy Miller of course and maybe Tony Hollings
6) AJ demanding more attention
7) and hopefully a more aggresive approach
 
I expect the tandem of Carr/Johnson to be an explosive one this season. I don't feel that Johnson can afford a sophomore slump this this year. As long as Davis is running like he did last year and Carr gets the proper protection there should be no reason for Johnson not to join the 1,000 yd. receiving club this year. Hopefully, we'll open this offense up a bit more, but that will depend on how the running game and protection is going though!
 
As the team improves as a unit, Andre Johnson will improve as a receiver. One thing that impressed me immensely last season was AJ's blocking ability; he is very active when he does not have the ball.

I wager we will see marked improvement in the chemistry with Carr and Johnson this season.
 
I was watching some games today that I had recorded and AJ is just amazing to watch once he's got the ball and turning upfield. He hits defensive backs, they don't hit him. He just mows people over.

Also Fiddy you should add that our blocking should be much improved in 2004. With Wade coming in and Brown coming back I expect the Texans to be stuffed inside the ten a lot less often than they were last year. Not that they were getting manhandled or anything but our blocking is going to get better and add that to another years experience for DD and I see some more "DOMANICK DAVIS AT THE 5! AT THE 1! TOUCHDOWN TEXANS!"
 
Lucky said:
Well, they say there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. AJ had a good start to his career, especially for an underclassman WR, but there were plays to be made that he didn't make.
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Sure there are stats that lie. Deion Sanders has cruddy statistics for tackles, passes defended, even INT's because he was so good people didn't throw his way much. Stats certainly don't tell how good he was. But in those instances there is another explanation for why the stats don't tell the story. IMO dropped balls is a stat that it is very easy and accurate to compare across the league. To that end, here are some of the top WR's from last year to compare to AJ's 10 drops:

Torry Holt 5
Randy Moss 9
Anquon Boldin 10
Marvin Harrison 7
Laveranues Coles 11
Terrell Owens 11
Isaac Bruce 5
David Boston 9
Jerry Rice 6
Koren Robinson 10
Peerless Price 8

Does AJ drop the ball--sure. Do all WR's drop the ball--yup even the magic handed Randy Moss with 9 or ROY Boldin with 10 or $35 mil Coles with 11 or $42 mil Price with 8. So does AJ not have a problem, or do they all have bad hands?

IMO this is all internet legend/hype whatever. Last year the hype was Rogers had better hands, but AJ was bigger and more physical but had dropping problems. Now every time AJ drops the ball it is ahah they were right he drops the ball this is what I was worried about when we drafted him instead of Rogers.

For the record, with 40% as many balls thrown his direction Rogers had 5 drops. You do the math.

AJ doesn't have bad hands, he has bad hype.
 
How many dropped passes has to be factored by how many reception attempts inorder for the figure to be meaningful. I bet Harrison had a heck of a lot more passes thrown his way than AJ. I think the figures are misleading unless they are factored by the receiving attempts.
 
Ibar_Harry said:
How many dropped passes has to be factored by how many reception attempts inorder for the figure to be meaningful. I bet Harrison had a heck of a lot more passes thrown his way than AJ. I think the figures are misleading unless they are factored by the receiving attempts.
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It would be more accurate to divide the drops by the intended passes and get a drop percentage but it would be a pain and so to compensate, I included people with both more passes their way such as Harrison and less such as Robinson. The examination you are pointing out is made though for Rogers. The player that no one questions as having better hands than AJ dropped a higher percentage of the balls intended for him yet I have not heard anyone question his hands.
 
Don't get me wrong, I think AJ is a heck of a player, but I believe his hands are limiting his greatness. He does so many other things that will assist the team that you can't obviously down play. He will always be a big contributor. As many have said, once he has the ball, he is a tough cookie to bring down and he has a nose for the end zone.
 
And don't get me wrong Ibar--there was a special on one of the Rams WR's and how he caught 200 balls a day to work on his hands. I would hope that AJ will show that kind of work ethic to improve--by all reports that is the kind of work ethic he does have. I think it is also premature to decide how this will limit his career since he was (a) a rookie and (b) adapting to the transition from Dorsey to Carr--big transition. Nonetheless, would love to hear a report that he has been working on this in the off-season.

I still find it funny that Rogers' hands have never been called into question although he was dropping balls at a faster rate than AJ. IMO unless AJ doesn't drop a single ball this is going to be a reputation albatross around his neck--one that Rogers will probably never bear just because his reputation is for great hands.
 
infantrycak said:
(b) adapting to the transition from Dorsey to Carr--big
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Well, I'd make that part "adapting to the transition from Dorsey to Carr to Banks to Ragone to Carr"
 
With the Texans having a running threat, Johnson will breakout of his shell and show everyone why we chose him third. 90 receptions and 1,400 yards at least. Big play threat with homerun potential on every time he touches the ball. This guy is fast, quick, strong, and there are not too many CB's that are going to match up. Put carr in the mix, and this is a cocktail for a bomb!
 
Let's give AJ credit for something he is great at - yards after the catch. Andre lead NFL WR's in yards after catch average (minimum 40 receptions) at 6.7 YAC. Steve Smith of Carolina was 2nd at 6.3. Bradford's average is 9.9 YAC, but he had only 24 receptions.
 
Lucky said:
Let's give AJ credit for something he is great at - yards after the catch. Andre lead NFL WR's in yards after catch average (minimum 40 receptions) at 6.7 YAC. Steve Smith of Carolina was 2nd at 6.3. Bradford's average is 9.9 YAC, but he had only 24 receptions.
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Thats something to take into consideration about his drops. I think he is more worried about getting extra yards after the catch before he even catches it, and with your concentration off the ball you are more likely to drop it.
 
Personally, I think Andre will do fantastic! Double team or not...Andre will be feared entering the '05 season. I say he goes pro bowl this season! :spot:
 
If Domanick Davis and the offensive line get off to a fast start you may see Andre's numbers drop but overall his year will be very productive towards us winning on a weekly basis. I would like to see his TDs increase though.
 
I think AJ will have a great year. One reason is because DD and the line should have a great year, so teams will have to respect the running game, thus creating passing opportunities. My guess is about 15 more recptions, at least a 1000 yds, and 4 more TDs. :coolb:
 
If you think about it, DD was hurt early in the season and Andre got off to a fast start. Then once DD came back into the lineup, the entire offense changed back to the grind it out style that Dom likes to bore us with! Don't get me wrong, a win is a win and DD was productive, but with a weapon like Johnson on the field, no less than 100 receptions and 1,400 yards!! :hmmm:
 
i mean honestly i think a running game is better for the whole team, and when ever johnnsons numbers dropped is when carr was getting less and less protection !
 
Texan281 said:
Chris Johnson is Chad Johnson of the Bengals, right? Chad Johnson has one of the best work ethics in the league, believe it or not.
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they are working out at the U together so hopefully it will rub off on AJ
 
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