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In case you didn’t know, Chris Johnson is fast. Very, very fast. If he gets past you, good luck, and goodbye.
Of course, there’s no good in being really fast if you don’t know how to make the most of it, and Johnson is certainly making the most of his blazing speed.
After running for 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season in a virtual split role with Lendale White, Johnson has become the main option in Tennessee’s backfield this season. He’s certainly the last person you could point to for the Titans’ atrocious start to the season.
After running for 491 yards in Tennessee’s last three games, Johnson has taken over the NFL’s rushing lead with 959 yards through eight games, putting himself a full game’s worth of yards ahead of second-place Cedric Benson (an excellent story in his own right, certainly).
At the halfway point, Johnson is on pace for 1,914 yards, but with the roll he’s currently on it’s not too early to speculate on his chances to be the sixth back in NFL history—and the first since Jamal Lewis in 2003—to run for 2,000 yards.
How realistic are his chances? Here’s a look at how the remainder of the Titans’ schedule breaks down, and as you can see, there are more than a couple of favorable matchups for Johnson.
Week 10: vs. Buffalo — Johnson wasn’t listed as one of the must-starts in the Week 11 fantasy start & sit, but it’s safe to say that starting him against the league’s worst run defense is a must.
The Bills are allowing an average of 174 rushing yards per game, and gave up 222 rushing yards to New Orleans, 250 to Miami, 318 to the Jets, and even 171 to the Browns.
Don’t be surprised if Johnson runs for 200-plus yards for the second time in three games.
Week 11: at Houston — The Texans may have outlasted the Titans 34-31 in Week Two, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying by Johnson. He was a one-man show, carrying the ball 16 times for 197 yards and touchdowns of 57 and 91 yards, and he caught nine passes for 87 yards and had a 69-yard touchdown catch.
Week 12: vs. Arizona — Arizona’s defense is statistically one of the best in the league against the run, but in Week Eight, they allowed the Panthers to run for 270 yards, including 158 by DeAngelo Williams.
Week 13: at Indianapolis — Johnson’s lowest output of the season came against the Colts in Week Four, but he was only limited to nine carries because the game was out of hand so early.
Indy’s run defense is decent statistically, but as we‘ve seen, they‘re prone to allowing big games on the ground. Ronnie Brown ran for 136 yards against the Colts in Week Two and Steven Jackson went for 134 in Week Seven, so Johnson could get his share if the Titans can stay in the game long enough for him to get a decent amount of touches.
Week 14: vs. St. Louis — The Rams are 27th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at 134.8, but only two running backs have been able to top the 100-yard mark against the Rams this season.
Julius Jones ran for 117 yards against St. Louis in Week One, but 62 of those yards came on one carry. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 133 yards and three scores against St. Louis in Week Six, but it took him 33 carries to reach that total.
Week 15: vs. Miami — Miami is fifth in the league against the run, but that’s helped by having given up next to nothing in their first four games.
Since then, they haven‘t been nearly as stingy against the run, giving up an average of 128 yards over their last four games.
Week 16: vs. San Diego — This could be one of Johnson’s least productive games if the Chargers continue to play the run like they have in recent weeks.
Over San Diego’s first four games, opponents averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 151 rush yards per game. Over the last four games, those numbers have dropped to 3.6 and 109.
Week 17: at Seattle — The Seahawks haven’t had to face many elite rushers so far, but remember what happened in Week Two at San Francisco? Frank Gore had 207 yards and touchdowns of 79 and 80 yards.
So, can Johnson reach the hallowed 2,000-yard mark?
Here’s what the others averaged in each half of their 2,000 yard seasons, and what Johnson has done thus far:
O.J. Simpson (1973 - 14-game season): 1st half - 177 carries, 1,025 yards, 2nd half - 155 carries, 978 yards
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