NFL Predictions Week 3: Chris Johnson Will Come Alive

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson insisted during his holdout that he wanted to be paid like one of the top playmakers in the league, and he got his wish.

Now all he needs to do is make plays.

In case you haven't been paying attention, Johnson hasn't done that yet in either of Tennessee's first two games. After carrying the ball nine times for just 24 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, Johnson rushed for just 53 yards on 24 carries against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.

In those 33 carries, the longest run CJ has had was for 11 yards. I think we can all agree that we're used to Johnson being a little more explosive than that.

However, I think we can also all agree that Johnson's slump is not going to last. Sooner or later, he's going to break out, and those vast sums of money he's earning will be well-deserved.

If I had to guess, I'd say this is going to happen very soon. The Titans are going to play host to the Denver Broncos this weekend, and that's a good thing for Johnson.

The reason for this is simple: the Broncos are weak against the run. They were among the worst teams in the league when it came to stopping the run last year, and that trend is holding steady this year. You can ask the Oakland Raiders, who torched the Broncos for 190 yards rushing in Week 1.

Sure, the Broncos were better stopping the run in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but you can chalk that up to the fact that the Broncos couldn't contain Andy Dalton, who threw for 332 yards. You can also chalk it up to the fact that Cedric Benson tends to be inconsistent.

Regardless, it will be a shock if the Titans don’t give CJ a heavy workload against the Broncos. Because they're paying him, and because he's the most dangerous player they have on offense, the Titans are going to keep giving him the ball. That Johnson couldn't do anything with a heavy workload in Week 2 will not deter the Titans from giving him another heavy workload.

If so, all CJ has to do is run right the Broncos. The middle of their defensive line is not a strength, and Johnson will find plenty of gaps waiting for him as long as Matt Hasselbeck can keep the defense honest. He’s coming off a game in which he threw for 358 yards, so that shouldn’t be asking too much.

It's a favorable matchup, make no mistake about that. But even if it weren't, I would still like Johnson's chances of busting out.

Because, once again, he has to sooner or later.

Prediction: 26 carries, 135 yards, two touchdowns.