Chris Johnson: Breaking Down Titans RB's Struggles

It's no secret that Chris Johnson has been extremely disappointing thus far in 2012.

After all, the star running back has accumulated just 45 rushing yards on 33 attempts and 63 receiving yards with zero touchdowns. Plus, this is a guy who has totaled over 1,000 rushing yards each NFL season.

Therefore, at some point Johnson will turn it around, right?

Well, not necessarily. Along with the NFL being a pass-happy league, the Titans just haven't been blocking consistently for Johnson to trust the running lanes.

To that end, let's break down why Johnson has struggled during the early stages of his fifth pro season.

Note: All screen caps are courtesy of the NFL's Game Rewind.

Hesitant Transitions to Lack of Quick Decision-Making

Because of how Tennessee's run-blocking can be inconsistent, it ends up affecting Johnson when a lane is present.

Here, we see the Detroit Lions with six defenders in the box and you'll see a safety roll down late just after the snap.

Circled in yellow is the late safety and you can see that also attributed to Johnson's hesitation. What we see right now, though, is a solid running lane and an opportunity for a big play. Up top, the receiver is running off the cornerback, so all Johnson has to do is hit downhill and then turn on the jets.

Well, instead of staying true to the lane, you can see Johnson second-guessing himself just by looking at his left foot. Had Johnson immediately decided to follow his blocker from the handoff, then he would have a stronger forward lean. Instead, he still has thoughts of bouncing the rock outside.

As you can see, the initial hesitation gets Johnson caught at the beginning part of the running lane.

The Lions' defensive front has slightly closed the lane and Detroit ultimately holds Johnson to a one-yard gain. His body position alone says everything, because despite having a low center of gravity, Johnson's lean is more vertical than forward. He now doesn't have any potential explosion and the defense closes in quickly thereafter.

And by the time Johnson does decide to make a move, there's no lane and Detroit is given an easy tackle.

The Difference Between Patience and Hesitation

On this play, we see Johnson's lack of patience, as opposed to him hesitating like the previous play.

Above is a designed run with one specific lane to hit. That's mainly because it's a flowing play with a lineman pulling. Therefore, Johnson has a lead blocker to follow.

Now, though, what we see is a zone read where a cutback lane will develop. The only question is, where will the cutback develop? Johnson does have the opportunity, but because he doesn't recognize it, a big run can't happen.

With only one back in the backfield, Detroit comes out in base and has another rolled down safety.

Just after getting the handoff, Johnson's cutback lane begins to emerge. That said, he never becomes aware of it simply because he doesn't look for it. This is the difference between patience and hesitation.

If Johnson were a tad more patient, he would have recognized the cutback lane. Also, with the linebacker reading him not being in ideal position to react quickly (standing too high and leaning leftward), an enormous gain is in the making.

Unfortunately for the Titans, Johnson doesn't allow his patience to feel the cutback with his awareness. Instead, he just continues forward and gets what he can—which turns out to be a one-yard gain.

There's a distinct level of specificity that comes with playing running back. Certain plays require no patience, as they are designed to attack one part of the defensive front. Then there are those such as zone reads, which require patience and allowing the blocking to develop.

As a pro running back, Johnson has to improve at differentiating between these play calls.

Now, yes, the inconsistent blocking doesn't help for trusting where a play is supposed to go. Still, possessing the wherewithal to slam between the trenches or wait for the cutback must happen.

If not, we're only going to see this frustrating season for Johnson continue through October and beyond.

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