Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn said that the team plans to be “strategic” with Chris Johnson’s workload so that he will be fresh and explosive enough to make the big plays that helped make his reputation with the Titans.
Of course, Lynn has also said that the team has “always played the hot guy” and Johnson thinks that his production on the field will wind up outweighing any attempts to deploy him strategically during the 2014 season.
“Once the season starts and once we’re playing and I’m doing my thing, I’m pretty sure if I’m making plays they’re going to want to keep handing the ball off to me. If they want me to continue making plays, I’m pretty sure I can’t do that if I’m on the sideline,” Johnson said, via NFL.com. “That’s with any position on the field, if we have a receiver that’s continuing to make play after play I’m pretty sure they’re going to keep getting the ball. [Offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] is a smart guy, he knows how to put his players in the right position to make plays, so at the end of the day, if I continue to play like I’ve been playing, they’re going to keep handing the ball off to me.”
Johnson is almost certainly correct about how things will play out if he puts up good performances early in the season. His ability to do that will have something to do with the state of his knee after offseason surgery and Johnson said he’s not quite 100 percent although he has been “pretty much cleared” by Dr. James Andrews after a recent visit.