NFL Predictions: Why Chris Johnson Is About to Become CJ2K

Chris Johnson held out longer than any player this offseason after three solid years in a row for the Tennessee Titans, one of which he broke the 2,000-yard mark.

Expecting that kind of production consistently, the Titans' front office paid Johnson, signing him to a six-year, $56 million contract.

Panic is setting in as Johnson hasn't been living up to that big deal, rushing for only 366 yards this year, good for three yards per carry. He has only broken the 100-yard mark once this season.

But things may be looking up for CJ2K and the Titans as the season moves forward. Here are some reasons why.

Titans Schedule

When looking at the Titans schedule the rest of the way, something jumps out at you.

Five of the remaining eight games for Tennessee are against teams with a rush defense ranked 17th or worse in the NFL.

Johnson should be able to take advantage of these teams' weaknesses and be the driving force behind a playoff push.

The schedule alone will certainly help CJ2K at least be CJK in 2011.

Titans Need to Keep Defenses Honest

Looking at their respective rankings, the Titans' rushing and passing attacks have achieved completely different levels of success.

The Titans' passing game is ranked 13th in the NFL. Surprisingly, their rushing attack is the worst in football.

That can't continue if the Titans want to keep other NFL teams honest and make themselves less predictable. They can do that by balancing their offensive attack.

If Tennessee does what they need to, Johnson will get more carries and more opportunities to gain yards which should give his numbers a bump.

Should the Titans abandon the approach of balance in their offense, their season will go in the direction that Johnson's is right now.

Down.

Ability to Break Big Runs

Long runs are something that have defined Johnson's career.

The past two seasons, Johnson finished first in the NFL for runs of 20 and 40+ yards during 2009 and finished first and second respectively in 2010.

Clearly this man can break long runs, something he hasn't done much of this year. He only has three runs of 20 yards or more and has yet to break a run of 40 yards or more.

That won't last as Johnson has proved he has that ability. In doing so, will rack up yards very quickly.

As I mentioned before, he will be facing some of the weakest rush defenses moving forward which should increase his chances of breaking big runs.

Johnson's Carries Will Increase

The most disturbing thing about Chris Johnson's disappointing season is his lack of carries.

Johnson has only carried the ball over 20 times in a game twice this season. What's worse is that he has carried the ball less than 15 times in every other game he's played.

It seems there's no middle ground. Either Johnson gets the ball or he doesn't, plain and simple.

Mike Munchak needs to make sure his back gets more chances to help his team move the ball on the ground and take pressure off the Titans' passing game.

That kind of consistency that the Titans have been missing in 2011 can only help their chances to get into the playoffs this year.

Better Conditioning

The worst thing Johnson could have done for his physical shape was to miss training camp during his holdout.

That might have led to his sluggish season and lack of big runs.

The more chances Johnson gets at practice and on Sunday, the better shape he will be in the rest of the way. That will mean he'll get better when he reaches his peak physical form this season.

If that happens, expect to see a faster, more agile CJ2K running the ball between the tackles, past the linebackers and secondary, and into the end zone.

You might even get a look at that running back who used to be the fastest guy on the field. It's amazing the difference a little practice can make. I guess Allen Iverson was wrong.

Johnson Is Just Too Good

Johnson has broken the 1,000-yard mark in each of his three seasons in the NFL. He also broke the 2,000-yard mark in 2009, leaving his competition literally in the dust.

You don't achieve those great accomplishments if you don't have any talent. It's clear Johnson isn't playing his best.

I think when it comes down to it, Johnson will do what we've come to expect from him because he always has.

He has too much talent to do this poorly the rest of the season. No matter how badly his team might perform, he will get his yards one way or the other.

There are some guys (think Steven Jackson) who get their regular yardage no matter what happens. Johnson is certainly one of those guys until proven otherwise.

And there's still plenty of time for CJ2K to do what he can do.

Bold Prediction for Johnson's Season

Johnson hasn't been considered one of the top backs in the NFL for the past few seasons for no reason.

He's got a ton of talent and the ability to change a game with one run. Just because we haven't seen that yet this season doesn't mean Johnson can't do it anymore.

The Titans running back has certainly made the types of decisions that has hindered his season, something he can only blame on himself.

With the lack of tough run defenses he will be facing, combined with a little help from his coaches increasing his production, Johnson should be a major factor for the Titans this season.

He may not reach his CJ2K status of 2009 and break the 2,000-yard mark again, but he will certainly be near his 2010 total and in the process, help the Titans get to the playoffs.