Chad Johnson says Stevie Johnson the best route runner ever seen

[Alphadawg7]

35 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

"Stevie Johnson had notable success against Darrelle Revis, a top cornerback, during their NFL matchups. While Revis is widely regarded as one of the best cornerbacks ever, Johnson was one of the few receivers who consistently posed a challenge for him. In their five games against each other, Johnson recorded 15 receptions on 26 targets for 185 yards and two touchdowns, with Revis intercepting one pass intended for Johnson. This level of success against Revis was unusual, leading to discussions about Johnson's unique ability to exploit Revis's coverage. "

 

So he averaged 37 yards a game lol.  As I said, his success against Revis is nothing more than lore.  

[FireChans]

21 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

He had some key catches on 3rd down/TDs that made Revis look really really bad...specifically remember a short slant for a TD that Revis was running the other direction on

He had some good moments.

 

Just for fun, can you ask your AI what Sammy Watkins did to Revis?

[Big Turk]

11 minutes ago, FireChans said:

He had some good moments.

 

Just for fun, can you ask your AI what Sammy Watkins did to Revis?

 

Watkins had a good game or two against Revis but that was clearly after his prime and during a season that Revis had nagging injuries most of the year that limited his effectiveness.

 

As for Johnson, why not ask Revis himself what he thought of him? 

 

Revis himself once said of Johnson:

“He’s probably the most underrated receiver in the league … he’s tough to cover.”

27 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

So he averaged 37 yards a game lol.  As I said, his success against Revis is nothing more than lore.  

 

Revis himself once said of Johnson:

“He’s probably the most underrated receiver in the league … he’s tough to cover.”

[Alphadawg7]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

Revis himself once said of Johnson:

“He’s probably the most underrated receiver in the league … he’s tough to cover.”

 

And thats great he said that - but its still nothing more than lore that Stevie did much against him which was the point from the get go.  

[FireChans]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

 

Watkins had a good game or two against Revis but that was clearly after his prime and during a season that Revis had nagging injuries most of the year that limited his effectiveness.

 

As for Johnson, why not ask Revis himself what he thought of him? 

 

Revis himself once said of Johnson:

“He’s probably the most underrated receiver in the league … he’s tough to cover.”

Yes, Stevie was underrated and tough to cover.

 

His 37 yards didn't routinely make Revis look like trash lol. Stevie was averaging ~60 YPG back in those days. 

 

Don't let your AI bot do your thinking for you. 

[Cash]

1 hour ago, 2003Contenders said:

I've always likened that 2008 draft in which Stevie was drafted out of Kentucky as an almost after-thought in the 7th round -- but became a much more significant part of the team than the higher profile (and unfortunately late) James Hardy, who was drafted early in the 2nd round -- to what happened in 2022 when the Bills whiffed on Elam late in the 1st but made up for it by landing Benford in the 6th.

 

Regardless of how you view him after all these years, one thing is for certain: Stevie certainly way out-played his draft position.

 

You can throw John McCargo and Kyle Williams into the same bucket.

 

1 hour ago, FireChans said:

5 games for 15 catches and 185 yards is 3 catches for 37 yards average per game.

 

Thats making a CB look like trash?

 

Who said he made Revis look like trash?  That's massive hyperbole.  It's more accurate to say that Revis didn't shut Stevie down the way Revis did most #1 WR options at that time.  I.e., Stevie had some success against Revis, whereas plenty of better overall WRs had NO success against Revis.

[FireChans]

5 minutes ago, Cash said:

 

You can throw John McCargo and Kyle Williams into the same bucket.

 

 

Who said he made Revis look like trash?  That's massive hyperbole.  It's more accurate to say that Revis didn't shut Stevie down the way Revis did most #1 WR options at that time.  I.e., Stevie had some success against Revis, whereas plenty of better overall WRs had NO success against Revis.

 

19 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Stevie used to make Darrelle Revis look like trash. He was by far the hardest WR for Revis to cover in the NFL, and some of his worst games of his career were against Johnson.

 

[blitzboy54]

19 hours ago, Another Fan said:

The Gailey years from an offensive standpoint were fun to watch.  

 

Stevie really benefited from a coach in Gailey that let him do his thing and Fitz who was smart enough to know his routes so to speak.  

 

I would take Chan back all day with this group. He has a creative offensive mind, would love to see what he would come up with for Josh. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, blitzboy54 said:

 

I would take Chan back all day with this group. He has a creative offensive mind, would love to see what he would come up with for Josh. 

 

He's 73 and hasn't coached since 2020 with Miami.  I feel like the game might have passed him by at this point.  

[Big Turk]

1 hour ago, blitzboy54 said:

 

I would take Chan back all day with this group. He has a creative offensive mind, would love to see what he would come up with for Josh. 

 

Best screen game I have ever seen and he had a wide variety of them and they all were designed and worked exceptionally well...

 

I remember the one year when Spiller was electric, he became a huge weapon catching screens...almost once a game during that year he was turning screens into huge gains.

 

I would also like to have seen CJ Spiller in this offense...he could have been a 1500 yard back...I forgot how electric he was and what a great reciving back he was...watching his highlights was like "Whoa!"  He was also an electric kick and punt returner as well.

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Big Turk

[Chicken Boo]

That's high praise coming from Chad, who had the best feet I've ever seen a the WR position.  

 

The "And1" label is a perfect one and likely why he gave Revis so much trouble.  Stevie wasn't predictable.

[Chicken Boo]

12 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

Johnson had 3 solid years in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable career.  Fell off a very steep cliff after 2012.  Even in those 3 years his catch % was only 56.  

 

Definitely TBD myth making here...

 

Not really.  For example, Nick Van Exel averaged 14-3-6 for his career, but everybody knows he was a hooper, an innovator and extremely difficult to guard.

 

It's kind of like that.  

[blitzboy54]

3 hours ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

He's 73 and hasn't coached since 2020 with Miami.  I feel like the game might have passed him by at this point.  

 

I wasn't being literal. I meant younger Chan. Having said that I'll bet he would have been better than Ken Dorsey in real time. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 minute ago, blitzboy54 said:

 

I wasn't being literal. I meant younger Chan. Having said that I'll bet he would have been better than Ken Dorsey in real time. 

 

Dorsey seemed to lack an identity as a playcaller.  I think largely the offensive design was fine, just never knew when to call what and there wasnt enough formation variety to keep teams guessing.  And when you don't know you tend to take too long to call anything.  

[sunshynman]

3 hours ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

He's 73 and hasn't coached since 2020 with Miami.  I feel like the game might have passed him by at this point.  

Well, he can run for POTUS. He's young for that!

[TheBrownBear]

23 hours ago, billsbackto81 said:

Stevie had that LOS Allen Iverson crossover in the NFL. His slippery shakes and head fakes were maddening on CBs. 

 

3 straight 1K seasons with Fitzpatrick should tell you everything you need to know. I like Fitz, but c'mon. 

 

Imagine if he had Josh?

I like Stevie a lot, but he barely cleared 1000 yards those years as our primary receiver and it wasn't because he was held back by Fitz.  Fitz enabled guys like Brandon Marshall and Mike Evans to put up huge numbers in his stints with the Jets and Bucs, and even got Devante Parker to 1200 yards as a starter for the Fins.  

[Buffalo716]

5 hours ago, FireChans said:

Yes, Stevie was underrated and tough to cover.

 

His 37 yards didn't routinely make Revis look like trash lol. Stevie was averaging ~60 YPG back in those days. 

 

Don't let your AI bot do your thinking for you. 

 Ryan Fitzpatrick made Stevie Johnson

 

They developed their chemistry as backups together and that paid dividends for them 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Buffalo716

[K-9]

Chad Johnson should know better. Stevie was a freelancer. 

[Shaw66]

Great stuff in here about Stevie and Fitz. 

 

I found Stevie maddening.  Too inconsistent.  But that's probably unfair; as someone said, three 1000-yard seasons on those teams is a nice accomplishment. 

 

He was amazing coming off the line. One of his great moves caused one of the great disastrous plays in Bills history: The Chiefs 100-yard pick six thrown by Jeff Tuel. The play was a quick slant to the receiver flanked right. Whoever the receiver was got a good inside release and had the defender on his back. Tuel read it and threw. 

 

However, Stevie was in the slot. His route was to take a jab step right and then go left to the back of the end zone, dragging the defender with him. Stevie put this monster fake on his man, and the  defender backpedaled so hard that he fell down when Stevie cut left.  The defender got up just as Tuel released the ball and was right in the line of the throw for an easy interception.  Instead of leading 17-3 in the third quarter, the Bills were tied at 10. 

 

People blamed Tuel, but it wasn't his fault.  His read was the inside release of the intended receiver. If he saw it, he was supposed to throw. See it, throw it. That's what he did. Stevie wasn't supposed to leave his defender in the slot, but you couldn't call it Stevie's fault.  He just ran the route the way he ran all his routes, with great separation off the line. It just happened that this time the move was so good, his man fell down. Faked him out of his shoes, so to speak. 

 

Stevie was wide open in the back of the end zone by the time his man got up, but Tuel never looked at him. Tuel wasn't supposed to look at him if his primary receiver was open, which he was. 

 

Unhappy outcome all around. 

[Mr. WEO]

6 hours ago, FireChans said:

5 games for 15 catches and 185 yards is 3 catches for 37 yards average per game.

 

Thats making a CB look like trash?

 

 

Stay on script!!

 

As a team, NE regularly shut out Revis.  The Bills, as a team, he shut down more than any other in the league he played against.