04/20/24
January 02, 2010
Running Back Chris Johnson Has Chance for 2,000-Yard Season: On Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson has a chance to rush for 2,000 yards. He's 128 yards short of the total, which would put him in the company of O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998) and Jamal Lewis (2003).
Only in year two of his career, I hope they don't wear the guy out too fast.
Bud and Bum worked Earl Campbell too hard early on, IMHO. Shortened his career.
Plus, when a player gets overworked in their prime, their health may deteriorate on a more accelerated basis in their retirement.
Giving a stud the ball and watching him make positive things happen is like the lady and the snake asking you to bite the apple. Hard to resist the temptation.
The fact that Johnson did so well over the first half of the year when Kerry Collins wasn't getting it done is remarkable. Every opponent knew that Johnson was going to be nearly the entire show week in week out and he still managed to be productive. Like Walter Payton carrying the Bears and their pre-McMahon nobody QB's back in the day.
posted by beaverboard at 06:57 PM on January 02, 2010
Considering that we are in a throwing era, this is quite the accomplishment
He's on a run-first team, though. Vince Young and Kerry Collins aren't exactly aerial machines. That said, 2000 yards is incredible (125 per game; 125 in any game is considered a very good game).
posted by dfleming at 06:59 PM on January 02, 2010
And to think I didn't pick him in Fantasy because I thought Lendale was going to be stealing all his TDs.
Bud and Bum worked Earl Campbell too hard early on, IMHO. Shortened his career
True, but Earl was a very different type of football player. He took a career's worth of beating in just a few years. CJ is not that type of back at all...he doesn't take a lot of direct hits, so no reason to think he's getting any extra wear.
posted by bdaddy at 08:24 PM on January 02, 2010
Furthermore, he's only getting 21 carries per game (19 if you add in last season). He's putting up big numbers because he runs away from people when he gets to the second level, not because he is being overworked.
posted by bender at 04:13 AM on January 03, 2010
he's only getting 21 carries per game
That's crazy. 2,000 yards in the current 2-back environment is impressive enough, but to be doing it on 20 carries a game means averaging 6.25 yards per carry over the whole season.
posted by yerfatma at 11:44 AM on January 03, 2010
I have nothing to add, except to say that I agree with all the above comments.
posted by mjkredliner at 12:56 PM on January 03, 2010
Johnson put me in my fantasy football superbowl almost single handedly, despite my determination to pick the wrong QB every week.
Thankfully it's a keeper league.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:21 AM on January 04, 2010
A couple of other achievements this season: - this is the first time that 10 quarterbacks threw for over 4000 yards in the same season. - this is the first time that teammates had rushed for over 1100 yards each in the same season. That would be Williams and Stewart with the Panthers.
posted by NoMich at 07:47 AM on January 04, 2010
Related stat:
Jamal Charles (Chiefs RB), reached the 1,000 yard plateau starting (& being the featured back) in only 7 games. Not sure if he could've kept up with Johnson, but it could have been interesting. He has been averaging roughly 125 yards a game during that stretch as well.
Now if only someone could catch a football in KC, they might have something going.
posted by brainofdtrain at 12:20 PM on January 04, 2010
Considering that we are in a throwing era, this is quite the accomplishment. Of course, since there are presently only five members of the 2000 Yard Club, it's quite the accomplishment even if we were in a running era.