Celebrate? Chad sure isn't

[The Entertainer]

[quote][size=3][b]Celebrate? Chad sure isn't[/b]
Injuries, criticism, lack of TDs have WR keeping low profile[/size]
BY MARK CURNUTTE | MCURNUTTE@ENQUIRER.COM


Chad Johnson has been uncharacteristically quiet off the field because, to some extent, he isn't making noise on the field.

Johnson has gone eight consecutive games without catching a touchdown pass and has just three this season. Counting the last six games of last season, when he didn't have a touchdown, Johnson has just three scores in the past 16 games - the equivalent of an NFL regular season.

Johnson has been stung by media criticism of his play, though he is fourth in the NFL with 938 receiving yards and just 62 from his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season.

He also is dealing with nagging injuries for the first time in his seventh-year NFL career and is facing defenses that won't let him beat them.

"I don't think he's ever had anybody bad-mouth him in the media before in his career," quarterback Carson Palmer said.

Johnson has been on the injury report this season with ankle, knee and neck injuries, the latter coming at the end of the Buffalo game Nov. 4. Some fans thought he faked it.

"He doesn't feel as good as he has in years past," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said.

Johnson also is hurting in his head.

"He's frustrated," Bratkowski said, "and when you get frustrated you sometimes press a little too hard. I told him the fumble he had in the red zone the other day (that) he was flying with every ounce of energy he had to get the ball in the end zone. He just happened to be carrying it sloppily. And if he had not been carrying it sloppily, I don't think anybody would have had an issue with it."

Then there is the way defenses are playing Johnson. In the red zone, where T.J. Houshmandzadeh lines up in the slot, most touchdown passes have gone to him. Houshmandzadeh has 11.

Otherwise, Palmer said of Johnson, "People are putting a corner in his face and a safety 20, 30 yards behind him and not letting him run by them."[/quote]




[url="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071122/SPT02/711220328/1066/SPT"]Enquirer.com[/url]

[Agent Orange]

It's the same old crap week in and week out. Whenever Chad doesn't play good, we hear the whole "I'll be better next game" garbage and then he goes out and doesn't score for an 8th straight game.

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]New record for Old Chad?[/b][/size]
By GEOFF HOBSON
November 22, 2007

The Old Chad may be as close as the Bengals all-time receiving record.

He needs six catches Sunday against Tennessee to top the list with 531 balls, a day that his mentor believes Cincinnati and the rest of the NFL will see the return of the chippier, livelier and bouncier Chad Johnson that has gone to the last four Pro Bowls.

"You'll see it," says Charles Collins, one of his junior college coaches and closest friends. "We've talked about how he can't worry about what's written and said about him. He has to be who he is. He has to be careful about who he is, but he has to be who he is and he hasn't been doing that and it may have affected his production."

Johnson, arguably the most outgoing and quotable players in sports, has been neither the last month as he closes in on one of the franchise's marquee records two months since he became the Bengals all-time receiving yardage leader.

Ever since he drew a storm of criticism that followed an on-field blowup with quarterback Carson Palmer that culminated with a bogus trade story, Johnson has shut down the media in a consecutive days streak that reached 29 Wednesday.

With defenses following suit and shutting him down, there are those watching his body language and numbers wondering if he is pouting and if it is affecting his performance.

Teammates, coaches and Collins say no.

"Same old Chad to me," says wide receiver Chris Henry.

His feelings have been hurt, some say, but he's still practicing and playing with his signature red-hot intensity.

"He's frustrated," says offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. "Teams have said they're not going to let him beat them. I think he's not as healthy as he's been in the past. He's dealing with some issues, but he had a great practice (Wednesday), he worked real hard. I think he's ready to go.

"Sometimes when you get frustrated, you try a little too hard."

Since head coach Marvin Lewis denied the trade story the day after his 102-yard effort against the Jets Oct. 21, Johnson has gone four straight games without a 100-yarder, hasn't had a catch longer than 25 yards, and has extended his scoring drought to eight games. He's also battled a frightening neck injury and some knee and ankle problems without missing a game.

Before then, he was on an 1,800-yard pace. In the last month the Steelers held him to 51 yards, he dropped what would have been a game-winning catch in Buffalo in the fourth quarter and last Sunday against Arizona he made two killing mistakes in the red zone on a false start and a fumble.

Still, he's fourth in the NFL in receiving yards with 938, just 114 behind leader Randy Moss. On a day he'll become the club's all-time leader, Johnson should also notch his sixth 1,000-yard season.

"He's still been pretty productive," Collins says. "Believe me, he's not pouting. He's trying to figure out how to help this team get to the playoffs. That's all he cares about and it's tough when you're not winning. (The criticism) hurt his feelings. I told him, 'I want you to stop worrying about what's written and said and go out and just have fun and play for the same reasons you played when you were playing for me.' "

Johnson says he's not talking and boasting because he doesn't want to be a distraction. Defensive tackle John Thornton thinks that's the criticism that hurt most.

"Because that's the last thing he wanted to be," Thornton says. "He never put the team in a bad situation. Chad's not sensitive, but I think the trade story really hurt him. He wants to be here. The same people that built him up, they loved him and all the things he did, and the same people turned around and called him a distraction. I just think he said, 'I'm not going to put myself out there.' "

It doesn't seem to matter to Johnson that the ESPN trade report was opinion rather than news, that no one with the Bengals told ESPN they wanted to trade him, and that Bengals president Mike Brown broke his vow of silence to say that Johnson "is going nowhere."

"He's never been a distraction to us. Everybody knows him and knows how he is and that's the way he's just trying to prepare himself," Thornton says. "It didn't put any pressure on us. Everybody likes him and if there's a blowup, it's like family. You forget about it in two minutes."

Palmer, his quarterback and other captain, agrees that the criticism has stung Johnson.

"He's gone through some things. I don't think he's ever had anybody bad-mouth him in the media before in his career," Palmer says. "It's tough to go through. It's something that everybody's first time going through that, it takes an adjustment. Production-wise, aside from the touchdowns, he's still had a bunch of catches. They didn't cover him last week."

Bratkowski talked to Johnson about the fumble at the Arizona 9 on Sunday, which came on a play he was trying to beat two defenders into the end zone after making a catch at the line of scrimmage. But he carried it like he was using it to hail a cab.

"He went in there flying with every ounce of energy," Bratkowski says. "He did everything he could to get the ball into the end zone. He just happened to be carrying it a little sloppily. Had he not been carrying it sloppy, I don't think anybody would have had an issue with it."

The boiling point had to be Sunday when Johnson watched Moss and Terrell Owens each score four touchdowns. And his teammate, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, has 11 touchdowns while he's still trying to get into the end zone.

Bratkowski says the foe is rolling coverages toward him and that the slot receiver, Houshmandzadeh, usually gets the most favorable red-zone matchups.

What is missing is the long ball. Johnson's longest touchdown came on the first score of Opening Night, a 39-yarder. Johnson, always among the league leaders in catches of 40 yards or more, has only one this season, a 56-yarder.

"We've had an opportunity. I overthrew him this past week in the end zone," Palmer says. "We've had some opportunities, but mostly people are putting a corner in his face and putting a safety 20, 30 yards behind him and not letting him run by him. And you can try and you can force it and you can throw interceptions that way, or you can put yourself in second-and-10 or third-and-10 and try and take shots down the field.

"But for the most part, he's catching short, underneath routes, and we just need to be patient. I need to be more patient and keep taking those short, underneath routes because at some point, you've got to come up and stop them. As a defense, you've got to try to take those away. And when they do, we'll attack them over their heads."

Even before he shut down the media, Johnson said he wanted the ball more and he wanted it deep. And after watching Moss and Owens run wild, the question is, "How do they get open?" The Patriots and Cowboys move those guys around while the Bengals believe Johnson is more comfortable and effective in one position rather than putting him in motion or putting him in the slot.

"Sometimes it's like a dog on a leash when he sees a cat," Collins says. "When you line up against a guy that you know can't cover you, it's just frustrating for him. I think the bottom line for him is that he has to relax."

Johnson started by flying to Miami for his day off on Tuesday. Collins thinks the rest will be history when Johnson makes history Sunday.

Palmer has already said he likes the Old Chad. And right tackle Willie Anderson advised Johnson if he needs to talk to score touchdowns, then start talking.

"I guarantee you you're going to see the Old Chad again and I think it's going to be this week," Collins says. "I think he understands that in the end it doesn't matter what other people say about him, he has to do what he has to do."[/quote]



[url="http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6468"]http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6468[/url]

[JBandJoeyV]

I love chad, but for the way he is treated out here I almost hope for his sake he gets out of here and goes somewhere like Indy and puts up ridiculous stats and gets a ring.

Agent orange what do you want him to say? Im not playing that great so I should stop trying? Of course hes gonna say he'll try to do better next week.

[Storm]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='597699' date='Nov 22 2007, 06:48 PM']I love chad, but for the way he is treated out here I almost hope for his sake he gets out of here and goes somewhere like Indy and puts up ridiculous stats and gets a ring.

Agent orange what do you want him to say?[b] Im not playing that great so I should stop trying?[/b] Of course hes gonna say he'll try to do better next week.[/quote]


He doesn't have to say it actions speak louder than words

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='Storm' post='597701' date='Nov 22 2007, 01:50 PM']He doesn't have to say it actions speak louder than words[/quote]
I think your right about his actions.....
That sitting on your ass after the fumble said it all about Johnson.....
I was disgusted with his total lack of effort ......
His antics have worn thin with everyone and his immature emotions
are a major distraction on the team ...

[JBandJoeyV]

[quote name='claptonrocks' post='597717' date='Nov 22 2007, 05:54 PM']I think your right about his actions.....
That sitting on your ass after the fumble said it all about Johnson.....
I was disgusted with his total lack of effort ......
His antics have worn thin with everyone and his immature emotions
are a major distraction on the team ...[/quote]


You guys are fucking idiots, hence my comment about him leaving and being successful somewhere else, cause the fans in cincinnati suck.

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='597720' date='Nov 22 2007, 06:00 PM']You guys are fucking idiots, hence my comment about him leaving and being successful somewhere else, cause the fans in cincinnati suck.[/quote]
Your entitled to your opinion about him ....I just dont agree..

[JBandJoeyV]

chad is the least of our problems and people are making him out to be our biggest.

[TigerJ@w]

[quote name='claptonrocks' post='597721' date='Nov 22 2007, 06:02 PM']Your entitled to your opinion about him ....I just dont agree..[/quote]

Fans of him are always defensive. CJ is a very good player, but maybe Brat needs to do more with him instead of doing the same ole, same ole. It was like T. Owens said about Parcells, he never used my talent to what I am capable of and got me into the game plan. It looks like Carson is keying in on TJ and I don't care what ML says, he is keying in on his main WR on each play so that tells me TJ is the one he will throw to and they are even saying they are putting a safety behind him so CJ does not go past them, well, then make up a play so he gets open.

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]WR Chad Johnson isn't talking or scoring touchdowns while Bengals struggle[/b][/size]

By JOE KAY, AP Sports Writer
November 22, 2007

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Chad Johnson isn't talking. Isn't scoring touchdowns, either.

Nobody expected this.

The chatty receiver has clammed up in the past four weeks, stung by suggestions that his fun-loving antics are part of the reason the Cincinnati Bengals are stuck in last place in the AFC North.

He's not doing interviews. He doesn't seem to interact with teammates as much. He's definitely not smiling.

It's such a pronounced change that concerned teammates are urging him to go back to being Chad.

"I told Chad, 'Man, if you've got to talk to go score two, three touchdowns, start talking,"' right tackle Willie Anderson told reporters. "He was talking in '03. He was talking in '04, when you guys loved him and built him up on top of this city. Now the guy gets killed for doing the exact thing he's always been doing."

Two things have changed: Johnson isn't scoring touchdowns, and his team isn't winning.

Since making the playoffs in 2005 with their high-tech passing attack, the Bengals (3-7) have steadily regressed. They've lost 10 of their last 13 games, their running game has evaporated, and Johnson has been penned in by opposing defenses stacked to stop him.

He had promised a lot more.

Heading into the season, Johnson proclaimed that he had his "sexy" back and started dropping hints about his latest touchdown celebrations. When he scored the Bengals' first touchdown of the season on a 39-yard catch against the Ravens, he went to the sideline and donned an oversized Hall of Fame jacket.

A week later, he scored twice in Cleveland and got a shower of beer when he dived into the Dawg Pound after the second touchdown.

He hasn't been back to the end zone since. Eight games, zero touchdowns.

"Teams have made the commitment not to let Chad beat them," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. "There's been some times when we've had the opportunity, and we haven't hooked up on it. It's kind of a freak thing of how the plays come out."

Instead, slot receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been getting the catches. He leads the NFL with 76 catches and has 11 for touchdowns, ranking third in the NFL behind Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

"T.J.'s been left in one-on-one situations and done a good job beating those one-on-one situations, when Chad's been double- and triple-teamed," quarterback Carson Palmer said.

The lack of touchdowns aside, Johnson is still having an impressive season. He's third in the AFC in yards with 938. He needs six catches on Sunday against Tennessee (6-4) to break Carl Pickens' franchise record of 530 receptions.

There have been some uncharacteristic moments as well. He dropped what likely would have been a touchdown pass during a 33-21 loss in Buffalo. He fumbled without being hit while running after a catch in a 35-27 loss to Arizona last Sunday.

And, he's not talking about any of it.

"He's gone through some things," Palmer said. "I don't think he's ever had anybody bad-mouth him in the media before, probably, in his career. It's tough to go through. It's something that everybody's first time going through that, it takes an adjustment."

The criticism started coming when the Bengals lost four of their first five games. Coach Marvin Lewis screamed at his underachieving players following a loss to New England on Oct. 1, calling them selfish.

Although Lewis didn't single anyone out, everyone assumed he was referring in part to Johnson, who got into a sideline squabble with Palmer during the game. Talk shows revved up over the question of whether the Bengals would be better off without Johnson.

He took it personally and clammed up.

Johnson also has been slowed by a sore ankle, a sore knee and a strained neck, suffered on a hard hit at the end of the Buffalo game. A lot of things are involved in his unhappiness and his bad moments.

"He's frustrated," Bratkowski said. "Sometimes when you get frustrated, you press a little too hard. I told him the other day, he was flying with every ounce of energy to get that ball in the end zone (when he fumbled). He just carried the ball a little sloppy."[/quote]



[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-bengals-silentchad&prov=ap&type="]http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-b...ov=ap&type=[/url]

[CTBengalsFan]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='597724' date='Nov 22 2007, 06:10 PM']chads [s]not [/s]the least of our problems and people are making him out to be our biggest.[/quote]


I think that's what you meant to say, and I completely agree.

[BengalsOwn]

I've never seen a player whine so much, or a team whine so much, about the opposing defense covering a WR.

Ridiculous.

[CTBengalsFan]

it's not whining when the media asks you a question and you answer it. people don't seem to understand this. they get mad when people give non-answers in interviews, they get mad when people give the answers they don't want to hear in interviews. who cares? it's a freakin article, it's not seriously tapping into the mind of Chad Johnson so, seriously, who cares?

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='Agent Orange' post='597618' date='Nov 22 2007, 08:56 AM']It's the same old crap week in and week out. Whenever Chad doesn't play good, we hear the whole "I'll be better next game" garbage and then he goes out and doesn't score for an 8th straight game.[/quote]


besides that fact that there is no quote from Chad whatsoever in that piece, what would you expect him to stay "yeaaaaa, I'm probably gonna go out and suck next week. Just so you know..."

[Agent Orange]

[quote name='Bengals1181' post='597827' date='Nov 23 2007, 09:10 AM']besides that fact that there is no quote from Chad whatsoever in that piece, what would you expect him to stay "yeaaaaa, I'm probably gonna go out and suck next week. Just so you know..."[/quote]
Maybe he didn't say it this week but he's said it plenty of times in the past. "I got my sexy back". I'm sure you remember him saying that not too long ago.

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='Agent Orange' post='597972' date='Nov 23 2007, 11:04 PM']Maybe he didn't say it this week but he's said it plenty of times in the past. "I got my sexy back". I'm sure you remember him saying that not too long ago.[/quote]

I dont like alot of his antics but its what you have to expect from him.
He's not the most emotionally stable player in the league...
Apparently he has some kind of identity problem that makes him cry for
attention..
It seems like it plays into his performance be it bad or good...
He's not a bad joe...He's just very emotional..
dont know if thats altogether good or bad .. both Id surmise....

[JBandJoeyV]

Its just funny, cause if we were 6-4 or 7-3 or something no one would be ripping on chad, but since we are 3-7 obviously its chads fault, forget about carson having a bad year, the D sucking, while chads on pace to put up over 1500 yards... Im not trying to give chad a free ride because he has made some critical drops or fumble, but he isnt playing nearly as bad as people are making him out to be, and he isnt a locker room problem.

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='597998' date='Nov 24 2007, 01:34 AM']Its just funny, cause if we were 6-4 or 7-3 or something no one would be ripping on chad, but since we are 3-7 obviously its chads fault, forget about carson having a bad year, the D sucking, while chads on pace to put up over 1500 yards... Im not trying to give chad a free ride because he has made some critical drops or fumble, but he isnt playing nearly as bad as people are making him out to be, and he isnt a locker room problem.[/quote]

I was allmost willing to give YOU a free ride on your statement until the part about "he isnt a locker room problem"......
Fact is we dont know what he's like at halftime....
Does Lewis try and fire the team up at halftime if theyre down and Chad is sulking or bitching?
Is he a rah rah type that tries and get his teammates to respond?
We dont know but BASED on his deameanor on the field when things dont go HIS WAY Id lean towards the former.....
Ive never heard or read anything about him being a guy that leads the team with his words or actions but I do recall his hissy fit in the most important game in Lewis's tenure....
Think what you want about Johnson. Apparently you find him to be a positive on the team based on his stats..
Others feel differently and theyve a right too..

[Agent Orange]

[quote name='CJandRudiJ' post='597998' date='Nov 24 2007, 02:34 AM']Its just funny, cause if we were 6-4 or 7-3 or something no one would be ripping on chad, but since we are 3-7 obviously its chads fault, forget about carson having a bad year, the D sucking, while chads on pace to put up over 1500 yards... Im not trying to give chad a free ride because he has made some critical drops or fumble, [b]but he isnt playing nearly as bad as people are making him out to be[/b], and [b]he isnt a locker room problem[/b].[/quote]

that's true.

the problem isn't Chad. This whole team is playing like shit...besides TJ of course.

[LudwigVan Kubrick]

[quote name='Agent Orange' post='598060' date='Nov 24 2007, 12:15 PM']that's true.

the problem isn't Chad. This whole team is playing like shit...besides TJ of course.[/quote]


And Shayne.

Landon is having a decent season.

Chad's act gets tired when the overall team product is ass, just like any other showboat's routine gets tired when the team looks like crap.

Heck of a pouting contest the Bengals are having though. Realism is a real bear... Lucky for that loyalty clause...

[|Bunghole|]

Chad isn't our ONLY problem, but he IS a problem. And a distraction. It looks like to me he just isn't having any fun out there anymore. Even in the face of losing I see other guys on our team smiling or whooping it up when they make a big play, and Chad is still making some of those, he just isn't scoring TD's.
I don't know what his deal is anymore but if he keeps up this sad-sack, woe-is-me pouting act then I want him gone. I don't care what anyone says, that kind of negative attitude is infectious.

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='598069' date='Nov 24 2007, 12:40 PM']Chad isn't our ONLY problem, but he IS a problem. And a distraction. It looks like to me he just isn't having any fun out there anymore. Even in the face of losing I see other guys on our team smiling or whooping it up when they make a big play, and Chad is still making some of those, he just isn't scoring TD's.
I don't know what his deal is anymore but if he keeps up this sad-sack, woe-is-me pouting act then I want him gone. I don't care what anyone says, that kind of negative attitude is infectious.[/quote]

He's got some serious personality disorders.
maybe the dude is manic-depressive... seriously

[JBandJoeyV]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='598069' date='Nov 24 2007, 12:40 PM']Chad isn't our ONLY problem, but he IS a problem. And a distraction. It looks like to me he just isn't having any fun out there anymore. Even in the face of losing I see other guys on our team smiling or whooping it up when they make a big play, and Chad is still making some of those, he just isn't scoring TD's.
I don't know what his deal is anymore but if he keeps up this sad-sack, woe-is-me pouting act then I want him gone. I don't care what anyone says, that kind of negative attitude is infectious.[/quote]


See, I dont want chad celebrating and having fun and shit when he does a good play because he realizes this team isnt where they should be and he realizes that this team should be a playoff team, not 3-7. Why do you want someone to be happy being a crappy team. He is putting up decent stats this year but have you once heard him talk about how he is on pace to have 1600 yards or how he is gonna break all the team records. NO. Because whether you guys believe it or not he just wants to win, he doesnt give a shit if he has 1600 yards and goes 5-11.

How do people not see that? If he didnt care about the team, wouldnt he be happy he is on pace to have a shit load of yards?

[LudwigVan Kubrick]

[quote name='claptonrocks' post='598100' date='Nov 24 2007, 02:28 PM']He's got some serious personality disorders.
maybe the dude is manic-depressive... seriously[/quote]


Same personality disorder most NFL players have: Its called emotional arrested development, stemming from everyone kissing their asses from age 12 or so on forward.

Classic symptoms...

Not sure what the cure is, but I'll tell you what it ain't: Drew Rosenhaus