4 Reasons to Believe the Hype Around Chris Johnson This Preseason

While Chris Johnson and the Titans' preseason was less than stellar, let's not go completely overboard on what we saw CJ do.

Yes, we did just witness a performance from him that mirrors the early stages of last season. The guy finished his time ion the field with five carries for a measly eight yards.

However, the Seattle Seahawks defense made a concerted effort to crowd the box with eight defenders on every play. Also, let's not forget that the Seahawks finished last season as a top-10 overall defense.

Here's coach Mike Munchak's take on Johnson's performance:

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“The first carry is a mistake on a blitz and … he loses four yards on his carry, so take into effect that that is counted as one of his five carries.

“His next carry he has a 10-yard run so you have to look at what is happening and hope that if he had played more he would have gotten better. I would think if he would play a game he would have continued to have gotten better throughout the game, just like the other guys did.”

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The sample size here is way too small to really know which CJ the Titans will be getting this year. With Johnson healthy and having gone through a full offseason program for the first time in his career, there's still optimism that a bounce-back season is on the horizon.

He's Never Performed Well in Preseason Action

Save for his rookie season, Chris Johnson has always left fans wanting more in preseason action. During his famed 2,006-yard season he only averaged 3.1 yards per carry in the preseason. 

The following year he averaged even less with only 2.1 yards per carry and we all know he was a no-show for all of last season.

If I hadn't already convinced you enough not to put too much weight on last Saturday's poor performance, I hope this little factoid does.

Team Is Shifting to a More Pass-Heavy Approach

Odd as it may sound, having the Titans passing game become the focal point for opposing defenses will open things up for Johnson to show the burst we're all used to.

Ever since CJ's 2009 campaign, opposing defenses have been stacking the box against the Titans with eight defenders, sometimes even more.

Johnson has the ability to make people miss, but he still needs the room to be able to do it and all the defenders clogging running lanes on every carry can get overwhelming in a hurry.

If Kendall Wright can prove capable of stretching the field early, along with a healthy and suspension-free Kenny Britt, teams will be forced to respect the Titans' passing game.

He Is in the Best Shape of His Career

Johnson spent the offseason working out in Nashville at the team facility, a first in his career. He appears stronger, and when he ran during the work against the Falcons, something stood out.

The Titans running back spent more time this offseason with teammates and coaches, and added eight pounds of muscle to his frame, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Inside Training Camp Live that Johnson appears to have rediscovered past elite form.

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I’ve been stunned. He looks like the Chris Johnson of old. … He’s fast, he’s in shape. Looks like he’s primed for a big year.

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With a fit and rededicated Chris Johnson coming into the 2012 season, the arrow is pointing up for his 2012 campaign.

Improved Interior of Offensive Line

Many of Johnson's carries last season began with him having to deal with defenders already in the backfield by the time he got the ball.

As a result, the Titans made sure to bring in some help for the interior of their offensive line to help remedy the situation.

Enter All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson. Hutchinson replaces the so-so Jake Scott and forces Leroy Harris to shift over to right guard for the first time in his career.

But what he brings is some toughness, intensity and great football knowledge to help with pre-snap line calls.

After an injury to what has been a very lackluster two-year stint as the team's starting center, Eugene Amano suffered a season-ending injury, making Fernando Velasco the favorite to win the position battle.

The drop-off, if any, will not be great from Amano to Velasco. Velasco would be hard pressed to perform much worse as a starter than Amano did last season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Amano finished the season ranked 32nd out of 35 centers who played a minimum of 25 percent of their respective team's offensive snaps.

Conclusion

At age 26, Johnson is still in the prime of his career. If he is unable to prove himself of being the Chris Johnson of old, the Titans will have spent a huge chunk of cash on an average player.

No other running back in the league has outperformed the last four seasons of Johnson's career. His 5,645 yards rushing during that time span tops the totals of Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, Maurice Jones-Drew and anyone else you can think of.