Link: Tomlinson as Goal Liner?
Although it’s an ESPN Insider article, I think that Bill Barnwell’s very interesting article on LaDainian Tomlinson and Thomas Jones as goal line backs is interesting. To avoid prosecution since it’s an Insider article, I’ll send you the crux of Barnwell’s piece.
Despite his 12 rushing touchdowns a year ago — nine of which came from inside the opposition’s 5-yard line — Tomlinson was actually a below-average back inside the 5 in 2009.
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In 2007, Thomas Jones was a full 5.0 touchdowns worse than his expected performance; since then, while he’s produced 15 touchdowns inside the 5, he’s been 2.36 touchdowns below average, and that’s been behind a remarkably effective — and healthy — offensive line.
I think I kind of knew that Thomas Jones was terrible inside the five, but I’m glad to see someone do some real analysis on this to validate my gut feeling … remember that home game in 2008 versus the Patriots? BREW-TAL.
While Tomlinson wasn’t great in 2009 inside the five, he’s better than what the Jets would have had with TJ, so LT might see something of a bump from the line he’ll now be paired with. It will be interesting to see exactly how the Jets use LT, but goal-line situations might not be a bad niche.
38 Responses to Link: Tomlinson as Goal Liner?
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BigBadBob says:
This has nothing to do with this post other than LT. — I guess I’m going to have to get used to the news constantly comparing TJ and LT, or the Jets with LT and the Jets wih TJ, because its probably voing to be brought up every game and during post game coverage, and throughout the Jets playoff run (knock on wood). But, I’m already tired of it, the FO chose LT over TJ and I stand by it. I’m not running out and buying a Tomlinson Jersey, but when he’s in the backfield I will excited. I was rarely ever excited about TJ last year, at least towards the end. I love greene, and if continues to put up, I can definitly see his jersey hanging in my closet. GO JETS!
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AKA Jack says:
Ladies and gentlemen, the San Diego Chargers 2009 short yardage blocking scheme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrnDLXxVoFE
That was fourth and two to end the game. Forget the hit in the backfield, did anyone see any push on the line at all?
Continuing to compare LT and TJ without considering the blocking in front of them is useless.
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Lance Mehl says:
Interesting take on LT’s value .. and no – its silly comparing TJ with LT .. does anyone remember (outside of Jet fans) that Shonn Greene is our #1 back now?
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Brad says:
Also LT got a high ankle sprain in the first game of the season, missed a couple games afterwards, but I am sure he wasnt the same because of the injury for the rest of the season- lack of explosion, lack of hard cutting. He even stated that as one of the reasons for his subpar performance in one article i was reading.
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Le' Sean Roberts says:
That’s crazy…you have Shonn Greene, plus the jury is still out whether Greene can be a 3 down back, constantly getting banged up throughout the season….Goal line and short yardage maybe Greene’s greatest value…….what will become of Leon? SERIOUSLY.
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David "The Hulk" Harris says:
ALRIGHT ” REALITY JET FAN” YOU USED THAT LOGIN NAME, NOW PEOPLE ARE ABBREV YOU “RJF”………. Dude be more ” ORIGINAL” PLEASE. YOUR LIKE A VANTRILIQUIST.
Now, since i’m the only one on this blog w/ ” The Hulk” name, ( should’ve flipped you for it) I must admit to what most have said SNY does suck @$$! Those lames are the worst, supposed to be the home of the Jets, but all you see is those sorry @$$ Mets!
The Same Mets who cant even hire an appropriate Medical staff that knows what the hell their doing.
The Same Mets that almost always have a worst record than the Nationals every year, but SNY is consistent about one thing………. They show these LOSERS every season, off season, Port St. Lucie, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, everywhere. If Carlos Beltran is getting a checkup their there, or Reyes is getting the hair on his b@!!$ shaved, their there. Our offseason and they dont show s#it.
So in closing, when they do get on Hardknocks, they can tell Ron Darling, Chris Carlin, and Keith “€ddy Munster” Hernandez to go and blow something.
And yes, I’M A YANKEE FAN, and No, its not like I hate the Mets, its just you can watch old Mets games from the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s on SNY all the freaking time…….. or Mets games from last night, monday, or any other day of the week……. But these SOB’s wont barely even show a rerun of a Jet game from a current season!
Let alone ” The Mud Bowl” against the Dolphins or for that matter any of the Epic games against the Fins.
So yeah, I cant wait to see them on HBO!
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BigKatt wants a ring says:
If we are 10 yards out from a TD, i’m now not that worried. Think about when we were in the red zone last year? I know i wasn’t always that confident that we would score. TJ was a great back, but he didn’t have that great of a nose for the endzone. So Tanny went out and got a guy who is third all time in total TD’s. In the history of the NFL. LaDainian Tomlinson. LT. Running behind our line, with paydirt in sight, LT is going to be a monster. Shonny will do all the serious damage, but i’d bet that LT is gonna score more touchdowns.
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junior says:
Listen i liked Thomas Jones but he left too many yards on the field and if you watch any footage from last season he just didnt have it. LT will be good for this team and i think he will probably will have about 600 rush yards and like in the 300′s receiving department. I’d like to hear from anyone whats going on with Leon Washington i mean i think getting him back is crucial unless there looking in the draft.
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david i says:
AKA Jack
You are 100% correct.
Any comparative analysis between the two is a complete waste of time. Until you compare LT2 next year to a TJ running behind a comparable poor KC offensive line like LT2 has in SD. It is a feudal attempt.
Hands down, I bet the Jets O line makes LT2 look like he’s 25 again.
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And David *the Hulk* Harris, what are you talking about man. Your just saying a bunch of nothing, and you think you’re right about everything. That’s really strange. Oh wait, you’re a Yankee fan! That explains it. I’m sure you think Michael Kay is a great announcer, that Derek Jeter is the best SS in the bigs, and that Melky was a good baseball player too. Yea i thought so.
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LWsquad says:
Jets hosting a Turkeyday Game!!! To qoute a GREAT fan sign from last year: “Whowoulddathunkit?”
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dakar says:
i think all 3 of our backs will get there chances to shine…we will go with the hot hand as we did last year…are running game IS better not worse…and yes this is an assumption…an assumption that was made because i feel LT is a much better back then TJ…actually its motre then an assumption but i guess i can say more of a feeling…if i made any sence…just my thoughtrs…
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more
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WW85 says:
Cimini has great comments today on why the Jets went for LT. I don’t agree with the decision but at least I can understand it now.:
“(The Jets) were alarmed by Jones’ dramatic decline at the end of last season, when he averaged only 2.7 ypc over the final four games. They believe Tomlinson is a better pass catcher and Jones, and they feel Tomlinson will handle a complementary role better than Jones. Although the numbers don’t back it up, the Jets quite simply felt Tomlinson has more in his tank than Jones. Plus, they’re saving a few bucks.”
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Rudibager says:
The Hulk:
I’m having a really hard time not lashing out at you with a bunch of insults.
Lemme take a deep breath.
Okay.
SNY is owned by the Mets (or at least the compan ythat owns the Mets), NO DUH there’s gonna be a lot of Mets stuff on there. Also, it’s the start of BASEBALL season.
Also, the fact that you said the Mets almost have the same record as the Nationals every year… Wow. So you’re a Yankees fan, but do you actually watch baseball?
Your rant against the Mets is uncalled for, and totally oblivious.
Back on topic. LT is gonna be electric again this year.
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Boo whoo, T.J is gone! and im stuck with L.T, what ever will i do? how can i get T.J back :’(
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atrain says:
DOES ANYONE LIKE PORTER? WE CAN GET HIM CHEAP!!!! GREAT MOTOR….
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AJ says:
I hear the Jets are hosting the Thanksgiving night game. I like this.
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I love Porter atrain. I think Tanny and Rex want to wait till the Pats cut AT. That probably won’t be till camp starts though.
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Here is the one thing I dont like about articles like this. It paints Tomlinson as a bad player around the goal this past year because he had a certain number of attempts, Im assuming, from inside 3 yards, where he did not score. TJ is presented as a good goaline back. But when you break down the “inside the 10 category” (and really TDs in general) the two players are comparable. Here are the stats:
1st and goal: Jones scored 31.25% of the time. Tomlinson 30%.
2nd and goal: Jones 16.67%; LT 33.3%
3rd and goal: Jones 50%; LT 33.3%
4th and goal: Jones 100%; LT 0% (both only had one carry)
Overall inside the 10: Jones 33.3%; LT 30.6%
Overall TDs: Jones 4.2%; LT 5.4%
So I dont really understand the case for LT being worse. To me its comparable. Maybe Jones was able to score more from close in, but by the same account Tomlinson must be more of a weapon outside the 3 yard line because his scores per carry is basically equivalent to Jones.
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Zartan-I love it! Unfortunately, I am deservedly one of the butts of the joke, but I still love it.
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BigKatFan says:
Nathan Vasher was cut by the bears. make an offer.
Richie Incognito went from Buffalo to Miami. He’s their nightmare now…
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Isn’t Nathan Vasher a Tampa 2 corner……..then he can’t man up. How much playing time will he get behind Cromartie and Toddler Lockdown (from Baby Lockdown)? He wants to be a starter, don’t think so………unless the market sucks and teams feel the corner depth in the draft sucks…not. Ok, a faint possibility.
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Big Katt, dude i’m more than sure I can run rings around you when it comes down to sports history. Anything. We can meet up anywhere and get it in. Starbucks, D&D’s, 7-eleven if you want coffee. Grey Goose, Henny, Jack Daniels…. if you prefer alcohol. What ever you need to put your thinking cap on, i’m w/ it.
Personally, Mike Kay is the biggest ballwasher since Mike Fatchessa denying he’s a Giants fan. Its not so much a knock on the Mets, in which, I know most Jets fans are Mets fans and that go all the way back to the 60′s-70′s when they played their games in Shea…….. Its just that I know the Jets arent piggy-backing them on SNY, why not some classic Jets games from time to time.
Rudibagger, just look @ the stats dude! They dont lie people do. And if you dont think that your a 1/2 step better than the Wash. Nats then you my friend dont watch baseball!
First get rid of the ” Crock of S#!t GM you have in Minaya.. and your Skipper, also place Reyes in lead-off and dictate to him that its ok? to hit homeruns every once in a while, but his bread n butter is his speed.
Oh yeah, Big Katt……….. one more thing, Compare Jeter not by homeruns or triples or even stolen bases
Compare him to BIG MOMENTS, OCTOBER, AND WORLD SERIES RINGS! ALSO BY HOW MANY MODELS HE’S DONE KNOCKED DOWN
Oh yeah, Porter would be great, posted this earlier. He’s on his way to Washington to drive up his value… But his value would be no greater than here!
Sign him to a 2yr 14Mil deal and being that its uncapped, give him 10Mil this yr.
Imagine Porter, Pace, and draft Jerry Hughes @ 29.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS FIREEEEEEEEEEEE
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patpat says:
cant we all just get along?
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Dude i don’t even care for baseball recently. I’ll be the first to admit that right now my Mets are a hot pile of garbage, but there is know need to bash them on a Jets website. And wow man, i’m sure you can “run rings around me” when it comes to “sports history”. I’m 19. Actually i doubt you’ll run rings around me, i know more then the average person, but whatever. I come from a Yankee family, and quite frankly i’m just sick of you @$$holes always having to comment about my Mets. Just go back to your crappy little wiffle ball stadium and SHUT UP. Ugghhhhh go on a baseball blog to talk baseball. God Damn.
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“Big Katt, dude i’m more than sure I can run rings around you when it comes down to sports history. Anything. We can meet up anywhere and get it in.”
Okay, let’s try the Mets past 4 years. Never were the Nats ever even close to the Mets. Even last season, when the Mets were decimated with Injuries.
Man, you really run rings around people for sure with sports history hahah. You’d think the recent history would be the easiest to remember!
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The TJ loss is such an overblown typical NYers whining bit. The guy had a decent 3 year run and was clearly the 2nd best back on the team down the stretch. LT brings a slightly different skill set that could succeed if a) the line blocks like it did last year and b) LT stays healthy. Shonn Greene’s success next year largely depends on the same two drivers…albeit with slightly more margin for error.
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Tom in Raleigh says:
Why the heck are you posting about the Mets and who cares what SNY plays…especially right now! Jeez!
I have been saying this all week…but I think the LT signing is going to work out well. Jason’s post above really maps it out. The numbers are pretty close…except when you consider the rush blocking that the two backs had. LT has the chance to be a real beast next year…even if (and I think this is something of an if) he is taking a very reduced role behind The War Machine Greene.
Go Jets. Fall can’t get here soon enough for me.
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JetSetRadio says:
I think LT will be happy as long as he’s getting td’s he wants to get the all-time record or at least past Emmitt Smith.
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jay says:
it looks like people are finally starting to calm down about the ldt/tj thing….LT must be doing cartwheels getting to play for this team. Do remember the Broncos in the late 90′s into the 2000′s? that offensive line made all types of running backs look like gold and we have an offensive line that is getting to be that good. I think just about any starting running back for the jets is going to have a good year, and we have three talented runners that all do seperate things well. Throw in some great blocking wide recievers and a tight end that is impossible to match up with (his peak is still years away barring injury) and a good, young quaterback who is going to keep getting better and better, a good draft (which I think Tanny has shown we can put a lot of stock in that) and we are in very good shape…maybe I am being a little too optimistic, but this is the first time in my 25 years of being a hardcore Jet fans, this is the first time that they are builoding the right way becuase of smart signings, good drafts, and now a coach and ownership we can have some faith in. ……..and I didn’t even mention the number one rated defense that looks like it is going to even be better this season….good time to be a jets fan
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I cant believe that they invited Tebow to the draft…. Guess they wanna pull a Brady Quinn on him huh? Personally I cant wait for this kid to get into the league. He may be one of or if not the most winningest QB’s in NCAA history, but his skill set just doesnt transition to the NFL that easily. You got people that come from Pro-style offenses that cant read NFL defenses, but the league hierachy couldnt refuse it……………. And neither will the reporters, cameras, or Kiper.
But, someone in the Top 10 of the 2nd round will offer the ranch for this guy and @ 29 we’ll slide down. Might suck b/c we might be out of position to draft Hughes
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Browning Nagle says:
Andddddddd good afternoon everybody!!! Check out this Mike and The Mad Dog Parody: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/8273c78db3/maurice-the-big-cat-radio-show-mike-the-mad-dog-parody
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john l says:
may be good for depth:
Eagles released OL Shawn Andrews.
Andrews, a first-team All Pro in 2006 and a Pro Bowler as recently as 2007, has missed all but two games over the last two seasons due to multiple back operations and depression. He’s only 27 years old and was due a modest $2 million salary, but the Eagles clearly grew tired of Andrews’ mental and physical problems. He’ll get another chance elsewhere, assuming he wants one. It’s believed Andrews may no longer be interested in football. Mar. 17 – 1:02 pm et
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jameson says:
Le’Sean,
lol– at “Toddler Lockdown”.
I’m pretty sure it was “Baby SHUTdown” not “Lockdown”
and, Revis is clearly wearing his big-boy pants now that he has recieved the attention of the league and is arguably the best CB in the NFL..I think he should be called Mr. Shutdown, if anything.
But I think “Mr. Revis” would suit him just fine.
;)
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/03/lets-talk-pool-no-not-your-off.html
For those of you who kept criticizing Rhodes all year here is some explanation about why the team tired of him. apparently he didn’t learn the defense until week 11 and never tried to pick leohnard’s brain. plus he wasn’t accountable for his mistakes