Just two years removed from a 2,000-yard season, Titans running back Chris Johnson is setting his goals significantly lower this year.
With 930 yards through 14 games this season, Johnson says he’s hoping to gain 1,000 yards.
“Any running back who runs for over 1,000 yards, it puts you up there in a group with elite running backs,” Johnson said, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “Even though I am not having the best of years, to go over 1,000 yards, that’s something a lot of people thought probably wouldn’t happen this year.”
A 1,000-yard season is a fine achievement for an ordinary NFL starting running back, but the Titans rewarded Johnson with an extraordinary contract this year because they expected him to get a lot more than 1,000 yards a season. And it’s no sure thing that Johnson will even get the 70 more yards he needs to reach 1,000: Johnson has failed to gain 35 yards in six different games this year, so he might struggle to average 35 yards over the last two.
Although Johnson has been better over the second half of the season than he was in the first, this season will go down as a major disappointment, even if he does reach 1,000 yards.