In a game most viewers ignored in favor of Brett Favre at Lambeau Field, two running backs put on a sensational performance in Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.
Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew had a ridiculous eight carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns -- ridiculous both because you have to be a great player to average 22 yards a carry for a game, and because a running back who's averaging 22 yards a carry for a game should get more than eight carries.
But Jones-Drew wasn't the game's leading rusher. He wasn't even within 50 yards of the game's leading rusher: Titans running back Chris Johnson finished with 24 carries for 228 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans beat the Jaguars 30-13.
Jones-Drew had touchdown runs of 80 and 79 yards, while Johnson had touchdown runs of 52 and 89 yards. According to Dan Patrick on Football Night in America, it was the first game in NFL history with four rushing touchdowns of more than 50 yards.
And so while no one would suggest that Jaguars-Titans was a better game than Vikings-Packers (except some idiot on Twitter who spoke too soon in the first half), it was a game with some highly entertaining highlights, thanks to a couple of high-quality running backs putting on a show.
Johnson, Jones-Drew put on a show
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 1, 2009 7:54 PM ET
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Latest stories in: Jacksonville Jaguars, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Tennessee Titans, Top Stories
Latest stories in: Jacksonville Jaguars, Latest News and Rumors, NFL Mobile Exclusives - Rumors, Tennessee Titans, Top Stories
another time filler, awaiting the vikings packers article.
Del-Retard should be FIRED!!!
With a guy like MJD in the backfield tearring it up he only gets 8 carries??!!!
Garrard should only be allowed to play at home...on the road he's another version of Jake Delhome......in other words he SUCKS!!!!
Dirk Koetter has a top 5 weapon in the league and his game plan for the Titans opens w/ 9 straight plays before MJD's first rush attempt. He went 80 on the 10th play. Besides Garrard, Taylor and MJD having great years in 2007 and a playoff win in PIT, the Koetter tenure as O-Coordinator has been extremely repulsive. As for the head coach, Florio or David Smith ought to do a little research into the opposing QBs' rating of the Jaguars since V. Young went out of the game in the 2008 season opener. Start with Collins when he went in that game. I guarantee the average is higher than any team's opponent's QB rating in the league in the same time frame. Tom Coughlin was forced out after his eigth season in Jacksonville even though he went to two AFC title games and 4 playoff appearances as an expansion team. This is year 7 of the Del Rio era and he has a 12 and 11 win season, no division titles, with one playoff victory. Does he deserve an 8th year if Coughlin did not deserve a 9th? Please ask yourself that Mr Weaver. I am sure more than 45,000 people in your city would love to hear your answer. Maybe even about 65,000.
Hahah Michael David Smith is a goooooof
Jones-Drew was a beast out there, knew they didn't run him nearly enough but didn't realize he only had 8 attempts. 2/8 go 79 & 80 yards, doesn't matter what the other 6 go for, keep hammering him away and he'll break lose again.
What about Frank Gore. He had a run of 71 yards for a touchdown. Was there ever 5 runs of 50 or more yards for a TD?
This was a much better, more exciting game than the Packers-Vikings game.
best running game since barry vs. bo
I love MJD and as with Steven Jackson, he needs to get the heck out of that system. I mean how can you give that guy 8 carries... he can really do it all.
Chris Johnson, now he doesn't impress me nearly as much. As you can see he disappears in a lot of games, especially when his team is down and out. His lack of versatility is quite obvious in several games this year. Not to take away the break away speed and vision he has, but if you take away the 5 big plays he has had this year, he has been quite the pedestrian back.
I have just never been a huge fan of the HR hitting players, who really seem to fall off the radar for large portions of time.
I was pulling my hair wondering why the hell Jones-Drew didn't get his first carry until halfway through the second quarter. It was a dumb move. It makes absolutely zero sense. I wonder what Del Rio's explanation will be.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: MJD 8 carries and didn't touch the ball until the Jags 3rd series. UNEXCEPTABLE. Del Rio old school way of thinking is done. Dirk Koetter horrible play calling is done. When is this team going to start looking like an NFL team? hat is so hard about beating the teams you are suppose to beat? I don't understand it.
How will you ever compete in this division when you LOSE to Seattle, go into OVERTIME with the at the time 0-6 Rams, LOSE horribly to the 0-7 Titans, and NO DOUBT will lose to the Chiefs next week. RIDICULOUS!!! No wonder you can't sell tickets. Pathetic excuse of a team.
This entire coaching staff need a makeover. The talent is there. The offense weapons re there. We got a window that needs to be opened and with this staff it will ALWAYS remained shut. This staff has no CREATIVITY offensively. Has no direction defensivly. MJD had 8 carries in an entire game. Why does he not have 25-30 touches a game like all the other top RB in the league. The is no way Garrad should no have top 10 QB numbers with the recievers that are finally with this organization. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Wayne Weaver, man up, become a REAL owner and do the fans of this team a favor and gut this coaching staff inside out. Bring in a HOLGREN, COHWER, SHANNAHAN, but particularly JON GRUDEN who have an offensive vision of what an NFL team is suppose to look like. If not, you might as well move to LA, London or BFE Egypt for all I care. PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How bad is Del Rio's Defense? Let me first provide some context, Phillip Rivers led the NFL in 2008 with a 105 QB rating. Through 7 games in 2009, Del Rio's Defense has given up an average rating of 104 each week. P. Manning, Warner, K. Collins, M Schaub, Hassleback, Bulger and V. Young. Coughlin only got 8 years in Jacksonville, does Del Rio deserve the same amount of time? Come on Wayne, you are not about settling for mediocrity. It will hurt much more to when the Jaguars leave Jacksonville than it will be to buyout JDR's contract.
SEERYER:
"Tom Coughlin was forced out after his eigth season in Jacksonville even though he went to two AFC title games and 4 playoff appearances as an expansion team. This is year 7 of the Del Rio era and he has a 12 and 11 win season, no division titles, with one playoff victory."
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Great points my man. Del Rio lilttle shipped has sailed and this league has moved has his way of thinking. He's a dinosaur and he's extinct. I see that you and I are the only one's who are outraged. This team has no identity. With this schedule this year there is not excuse to finish the year 11-5, at least 10-6. Now we've lost to Seattle and the Titans with VY starting at QB. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? If 10,000 fans show up against KC on Sunday, I'll be surprised. Rebuilding my ass. Play like you're an NFL team or get the hell out of dodge. The Jags deserve to be the laughing stock of the league. WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!!!
J4L:
I am not sure I agree with you about what the Jags' record should be this year but I can say that laying 3 eggs in 7 games is a serious red flag regarding the leadership and preperation of this football team. Losing by 17 points to a winless team and having one player score 13 of your points on just two offensive plays makes me question how prepared the other 52 guys were to be succesful. Roster turnover and youth leads to inconsistency but poor coaching and poor preparation leads to 3 eggs being laid (ARZ, SEA, TEN) in 7 games. Also, when was the last time a Jaguars team won on the road? Del Rio is a decent man but I am afraid of losing an NFL franchise in my city. Unless leaving Jacksonville is the ultimate goal, MR Weaver has to make a move. If he cares about the city like he says he does then he will make the move at the end of this year. Drafting Tebow is not the answer, hiring a new head coach that is a proven winner is the answer.
Hehe, yeah wouldn't want to give Jones-Drew too many carries or else the Jags may have won. Can't have that. This helped me in fantasy football as MJD was on my opponent's team. I thought I was toast during the 1st half after MJD's two huge TD runs. I turned off my computer. I come back to find out they stopped giving him the ball. Not only that my opponent had started Slaton who should have killed me as well but after a fumble he was yanked from the game against the Bills bad run D. Moats comes in for 3 TDs.