Which Players Shoulder the Most Blame for Chris Johnson's Colossal Struggles?

Chris Johnson may be the most disappointing player in the early 2012 NFL season, and the Tennessee Titans have a serious problem as a result. 

So far in 2012 Johnson has only rushed for 45 yards on 33 attempts—good for a 1.4 yards per carry average. 

As a result, the Titans appear to be toying with the idea of kicking Johnson to the curb, at least according to ProFootballTalk. He is due $10 million next season, but the Titans can get out of at least $9 million if they part ways with him before the Super Bowl. 

The question now becomes who is most responsible for Johnson's mediocrity, and how can the problem be addressed to allow Johnson to get back to playing elite football? 

Here are the players who shoulder the most blame for CJ?K's colossal early-season struggles. 

Jake Locker, QB

Jake Locker is not exactly a quarterback that strikes fear in the hearts of defenses and prevents them from stacking the box to stuff the run like an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady does. 

In Week 3, Locker looked slightly better than his horrible performances he turned in the first two weeks, but he still has a long way to go before defenses respect him. 

To date, Locker has only thrown for 781 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions to go along with a miserable 64 percent completion percentage. He has also lost two fumbles in the three starts. 

Locker's continued inability to consistently play at a high level has allowed defenses to key on the run game and make both the offensive line and Chris Johnson look mediocre in the process. 

Leroy Harris, RG

The entire offensive line for the Titans appears to be struggling when it comes to run blocking, but it would be redundant to list every player, so let's focus on a major weak point of the unit. 

That would be right guard Leroy Harris. 

Harris has looked extremely average in all three appearances and has had some serious issues driving his blocks down the field to pave the way for Johnson. 

The Titans' organization failed to bring in competition for Harris this offseason, and now it is paying for that mistake. 

So is Johnson. 

Fernando Velasco, C

We'll highlight one more player on the offensive line with serious issues preventing him from doing anything at a high level so far this season: center Fernando Velasco.

When the Titans lost former starting center Eugene Amano for the season in August, there was not expected to be a significant drop off in play considering Amano was one of the worst centers in the league in 2011. 

Velasco has managed to play worse. 

In the running game, Velasco is non-existent, and the pressure he consistently allows on quarterback Jake Locker means defenses are able to stack the box to shut down Chris Johnson in running situations. 

Jared Cook, TE

Jared Cook is poised for a breakout season if he could get some consistent play from the quarterback position, but he has been a serious liability in the running game when called upon. 

A good example would be Cook in this film breakdown by Yahoo.com's Doug Farrar.

On the outstanding All-22 film, it is clear Cook fails to hold his block, which negates a big gain in a situation where the offensive line actually managed to open up a huge hole for Johnson to shoot through. 

Cook was not brought in by the Titans for his run-blocking prowess, but a little more effort and consistency could go a long way for Johnson. 

Chris Johnson

Ultimately, the blame for Johnson's massive early-season struggles fall squarely on his shoulders. Things around him have certainly not been perfect, and he is quick to point out that his teammates have failed as well (via NFL.com):

"

I'm never perfect. Even when I went for 2,000 (yards), I wasn't thinking I was perfect...But I wouldn't sit here and say I'm to blame.

"

Problem is, Johnson needs to be more responsible and own up to his struggles. 

Going to back the outstanding film provided by Doug Farrar, it is clear as day that Johnson is failing to hit open holes and fight through any kind of contact at all. 

Johnson's supporting cast is not as horrible as advertised, and the film supports that. The best running backs take a small crease and turn it into great gains. Johnson is sounding like he expects to not be touched by any defenders on each play. 

In the end, Johnson got his big pay day, and is now finding it easier to blame others rather than own up to his struggles. As of now, Johnson is failing to capitalize on basic opportunities, and for that, he deserves most of the blame for his mediocrity.

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