I don't think Jan Johnson played poorly

[NealPaige]

I did leave after the 3rd quarter and listened to the game for the 4th on the way home. So I'm not sure what or how he did in the 4th. Had to get home and thought Potter's Mills might get me home too late.

But the comparisons to Benfatti/Williams at mlb, are ridiculous, from what I saw.

He crushed a running back 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage that you could hear 40 rows up. Made a shoe string tackle on their very good running back that would have gone for a long gain, as the whole sideline had been cleared out. Hope Ellis pans out and am rooting for him and all our players...but what did Ellis do in his limited time?

I'm not worried about Johnson, and am comfortable with him as our starting mlb...until I see Luketa.

I think we can win with him manning the middle. But obviously, many of you disagree.

 

[LionGrad2001]

Been here a long time, but rarely comment.

I must vehemently disagree with you on Jan Johnson. I saw nothing that lead me to think he belongs on this team or on a D1 roster. His reaction time is slow, he did not shoot gaps or even select the right gap most of the time. His pursuit angles were poor and he looked lost. I saw Gino Capone out there again.

If it were me, I'd take my lumps with Parsons and Luketa and let them learn. Their athleticism will cover for mistakes. They have a huge upside unlike Johnson. I'm sure Jan is giving his all, but we don't need a pile jumper or someone who can't make basic gap reads. (I'll leave the coverage drops alone...)

Happy we got the win and looking forward to the adjustments. Like Joe always said, "the biggest changes are seen between weeks 1 and 2." We are...

 

[Ian]

Love Jan and his journey but there was a reason he was primarily recruited by MAC teams. He is a nice backup. After what I saw in Q4 yesterday, play the young pups at LB. Parsons, Brooks, and Luketa will only get better. Farmer, Johnson, and Brown will not.

 

[uPBRmeASAP]

Johnson was NOT the biggest problem with our defense.

He did okay in run support. Had 11 tackles on the day. He struggled in the pass but we knew that would happen.

You want to find a group to knock, look no further than defensive tackle. It was atrocious. The ENTIRE unit accounted for 1 solo tackle, 5 assisted tackles, and no QB hurries. There was zero pressure up the middle all day, giving their QB a chance to step into the pocket and get the ball downfield.

People want to pick on the walk-on who led the team in tackles. How about the scholarship DT, who has been in the program 4 years, claiming he was gonna be All Big Ten in another posted article here yesterday.

Where was he all day?

If Givens doesn’t give us a huge upgrade to that unit’s performance when he returns, then we are royally screwed. And people will still just blame the walk-on LB who is absorbing the blows because of the crappy DTs in front of him.

 

[Thus Spoke Mainer]

I did leave after the 3rd quarter and listened to the game for the 4th on the way home. So I'm not sure what or how he did in the 4th. Had to get home and thought Potter's Mills might get me home too late.

But the comparisons to Benfatti/Williams at mlb, are ridiculous, from what I saw.

He crushed a running back 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage that you could hear 40 rows up. Made a shoe string tackle on their very good running back that would have gone for a long gain, as the whole sideline had been cleared out. Hope Ellis pans out and am rooting for him and all our players...but what did Ellis do in his limited time?

I'm not worried about Johnson, and am comfortable with him as our starting mlb...until I see Luketa.

I think we can win with him manning the middle. But obviously, many of you disagree.

Is your real name Stevie Wonder?

 

[psualt]

Johnson was NOT the biggest problem with our defense.

He did okay in run support. Had 11 tackles on the day. He struggled in the pass but we knew that would happen.

You want to find a group to knock, look no further than defensive tackle. It was atrocious. The ENTIRE unit accounted for 1 solo tackle, 5 assisted tackles, and no QB hurries. There was zero pressure up the middle all day, giving their QB a chance to step into the pocket and get the ball downfield.

People want to pick on the walk-on who led the team in tackles. How about the scholarship DT, who has been in the program 4 years, claiming he was gonna be All Big Ten in another posted article here yesterday.

Where was he all day?

If Givens doesn’t give us a huge upgrade to that unit’s performance when he returns, then we are royally screwed. And people will still just blame the walk-on LB who is absorbing the blows because of the crappy DTs in front of him.

Well said. If he was a highly rated scholarship player then people would understand it was his first start. Much more glaring holes. Much more disappointed in Farmer and Brown.

 

[artsandletters]

Johnson was NOT the biggest problem with our defense.

He did okay in run support. Had 11 tackles on the day. He struggled in the pass but we knew that would happen.

You want to find a group to knock, look no further than defensive tackle. It was atrocious. The ENTIRE unit accounted for 1 solo tackle, 5 assisted tackles, and no QB hurries. There was zero pressure up the middle all day, giving their QB a chance to step into the pocket and get the ball downfield.

People want to pick on the walk-on who led the team in tackles. How about the scholarship DT, who has been in the program 4 years, claiming he was gonna be All Big Ten in another posted article here yesterday.

Where was he all day?

If Givens doesn’t give us a huge upgrade to that unit’s performance when he returns, then we are royally screwed. And people will still just blame the walk-on LB who is absorbing the blows because of the crappy DTs in front of him.

Givens is the disrupter-in-chief on the DL and has been for the past two years. His absence was crucial to the play of the entire DL.

 

[kevina001]

Jan Johnson and Nick Scott were the only two guys that jumped out at me as playing well on defense yesterday. Johnson is a player.

 

[psuno1]

Brown is not bad when he lines up in the right spot, No 9 was the only LB that made a play but was only in a couple of plays.

 

[royboy]

Jan Johnson and Nick Scott were the only two guys that jumped out at me as playing well on defense yesterday. Johnson is a player.

#5 Tariq Castro-Fields had two very nice pass break-ups and shows the ability to provide good man-to-man coverage.

 

[83wuzme]

Jan Johnson and Nick Scott were the only two guys that jumped out at me as playing well on defense yesterday. Johnson is a player.

The secondary was very confused for most of the second half. I’m not sure how much of this is on Scott as the most veteran safety out there, but it was bad. Some of it was Pry’s persisitent use of corner and safety blitzing, which failed 90+% of the time.
This defense doesn’t seem to have what you might call a “ master cylinder “ yet : a guy who knows who has to be where and can also make a lot of plays. Last year, that was Cabinda. The year before, it was Bell. Farmer and Brown are not this guy.

 

[scrivener]

The secondary was very confused for most of the second half. I’m not sure how much of this is on Scott as the most veteran safety out there, but it was bad. Some of it was Pry’s persisitent use of corner and safety blitzing, which failed 90+% of the time.
This defense doesn’t seem to have what you might call a “ master cylinder “ yet : a guy who knows who has to be where and can also make a lot of plays. Last year, that was Cabinda. The year before, it was Bell. Farmer and Brown are not this guy.

Agreed...Pry still overuses the blitz and sends DBs that dont get there...we needed to play tighter bump coverage...got killed with so much cushion

 

[WDLion]

I did leave after the 3rd quarter and listened to the game for the 4th on the way home. So I'm not sure what or how he did in the 4th. Had to get home and thought Potter's Mills might get me home too late.

But the comparisons to Benfatti/Williams at mlb, are ridiculous, from what I saw.

He crushed a running back 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage that you could hear 40 rows up. Made a shoe string tackle on their very good running back that would have gone for a long gain, as the whole sideline had been cleared out. Hope Ellis pans out and am rooting for him and all our players...but what did Ellis do in his limited time?

I'm not worried about Johnson, and am comfortable with him as our starting mlb...until I see Luketa.

I think we can win with him manning the middle. But obviously, many of you disagree.

Fans need a goat. Four star recruits are off limits.

 

[Navion N8865H]

Jan Johnson and Nick Scott were the only two guys that jumped out at me as playing well on defense yesterday. Johnson is a player.

Nick Scott is only playing because there is no one else. Yes, he made a few decent plays yesterday, but overall he is a fifth year self-converted running back that is afraid to tackle and will get picked on in pass coverage all year. It is what it is.

 

[BBrown]

Johnson was NOT the biggest problem with our defense.

He did okay in run support. Had 11 tackles on the day. He struggled in the pass but we knew that would happen.

You want to find a group to knock, look no further than defensive tackle. It was atrocious. The ENTIRE unit accounted for 1 solo tackle, 5 assisted tackles, and no QB hurries. There was zero pressure up the middle all day, giving their QB a chance to step into the pocket and get the ball downfield.

People want to pick on the walk-on who led the team in tackles. How about the scholarship DT, who has been in the program 4 years, claiming he was gonna be All Big Ten in another posted article here yesterday.

Where was he all day?

If Givens doesn’t give us a huge upgrade to that unit’s performance when he returns, then we are royally screwed. And people will still just blame the walk-on LB who is absorbing the blows because of the crappy DTs in front of him.

agree for most the most part but if singling out Windsor your picking wrong guy. IMO he was our best DT.

 

[psualt]

Nick Scott is only playing because there is no one else. Yes, he made a few decent plays yesterday, but overall he is a fifth year self-converted running back that is afraid to tackle and will get picked on in pass coverage all year. It is what it is.

I won’t debate everything else but nick scott is not afraid to tackle which I think is not me going out on a limb to conclude.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Agreed...Pry still overuses the blitz and sends DBs that dont get there...we needed to play tighter bump coverage...got killed with so much cushion

I like to apply pressure but you can’t bring a blitz from 10-15 yds away from the snap and expect to get there.....all you are doing is taking one or two D players completely out of the play.

 

[Navion N8865H]

I won’t debate everything else but nick scott is not afraid to tackle which I think is not me going out on a limb to conclude.

Akrum Wadley in last years Iowa game had no problem running Nick Scott over.

 

[psualt]

Akrum Wadley in last years Iowa game had no problem running Nick Scott over.

Bo Jackson ran over Bosworth too. Anyone can cherry pick one play but consistently Scott does not hesitate to tackle.

 

[HazletonLion]

Johnson ( the mac recruit) did a lot better than Lamont Wade the ****

 

[CJF_Said_The_Great_Joe_Paterno]

Been here a long time, but rarely comment.

I must vehemently disagree with you on Jan Johnson. I saw nothing that lead me to think he belongs on this team or on a D1 roster. His reaction time is slow, he did not shoot gaps or even select the right gap most of the time. His pursuit angles were poor and he looked lost. I saw Gino Capone out there again.

If it were me, I'd take my lumps with Parsons and Luketa and let them learn. Their athleticism will cover for mistakes. They have a huge upside unlike Johnson. I'm sure Jan is giving his all, but we don't need a pile jumper or someone who can't make basic gap reads. (I'll leave the coverage drops alone...)

Happy we got the win and looking forward to the adjustments. Like Joe always said, "the biggest changes are seen between weeks 1 and 2." We are...

"If it were me..."... LMFAO, you obviously had a wonderful stay at the Holiday Inn Express.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

"If it were me..."... LMFAO, you obviously had a wonderful stay at the Holiday Inn Express.

Based on his review of Johnson, I think he stayed at someplace other than a Holiday Inn Express!

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Akrum Wadley in last years Iowa game had no problem running Nick Scott over.

Was that the TD run that Scott whiffed on in the open field? I honestly remember that happening, but don’t recall Scott being run over in the game.

 

[tboyer]

The vehemence of the anti Jan Johnson opinion here sounds exactly like what people said about Josh Hull --- right up until the moment he started playing on sundays. Some of these people don't know linebacker play from checkers.

 

[Navion N8865H]

Was that the TD run that Scott whiffed on in the open field? I honestly remember that happening, but don’t recall Scott being run over in the game.

Yes. He didn't literally get dump-trucked, he yet again took a bad angle and tried to arm tackle him. Just like other areas on the team, they are replacing upper classmen who played a lot (Apke/Allen) with what exactly? It is what it is.

 

[therod]

I did leave after the 3rd quarter and listened to the game for the 4th on the way home. So I'm not sure what or how he did in the 4th. Had to get home and thought Potter's Mills might get me home too late.

But the comparisons to Benfatti/Williams at mlb, are ridiculous, from what I saw.

He crushed a running back 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage that you could hear 40 rows up. Made a shoe string tackle on their very good running back that would have gone for a long gain, as the whole sideline had been cleared out. Hope Ellis pans out and am rooting for him and all our players...but what did Ellis do in his limited time?

I'm not worried about Johnson, and am comfortable with him as our starting mlb...until I see Luketa.

I think we can win with him manning the middle. But obviously, many of you disagree.

Jan Johnson played head and shoulders above Mica Parsons. Much of Jan's problem was he was carrying Mica. This is not a slam on Mica, but he clearly played like a true freshman.

I did leave after the 3rd quarter and listened to the game for the 4th on the way home. So I'm not sure what or how he did in the 4th. Had to get home and thought Potter's Mills might get me home too late.

But the comparisons to Benfatti/Williams at mlb, are ridiculous, from what I saw.

He crushed a running back 2 yards beyond the line of scrimmage that you could hear 40 rows up. Made a shoe string tackle on their very good running back that would have gone for a long gain, as the whole sideline had been cleared out. Hope Ellis pans out and am rooting for him and all our players...but what did Ellis do in his limited time?

I'm not worried about Johnson, and am comfortable with him as our starting mlb...until I see Luketa.

I think we can win with him manning the middle. But obviously, many of you disagree.

 

[CJF_Said_The_Great_Joe_Paterno]

The vehemence of the anti Jan Johnson opinion here sounds exactly like what people said about Josh Hull --- right up until the moment he started playing on sundays. Some of these people don't know linebacker play from checkers.

Well he did have 11 tackles - 4 solo, so there's that...