Last week against the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson had just 7 carries for 5 yards. Yes, just five yards. Obviously this is very atypical of the All-Pro running back, but the Titans were facing a deficit the entire game and were lead by a rookie late round quarterback in Rusty Smith. From the beginning of the game, it seemed as if the Titans had conceded they had no chance to beat their division foe.
In the last meeting on Monday Night Football, Chris Johnson finished the day with 26 carries for 111 yards, but those numbers are misleading. Throughout much of the game the Jaguars defense held Johnson in check. He got a good chunk of his yards on a 35-yard touchdown run to close out the game.
Unlike last week, the Titans will be close to full strength offensively. Quarterback Kerry Collins is in line to start, wide receiver Kenny Britt returned to practice, and of course they still have that guy Randy Moss who a lot of people think is done. Personally, I don't think he's done, but the Jaguars will be facing a tougher task than they did on Monday Night. Having both Britt and Moss, along with Nate Washington (their leading receiver), the Jaguars defense can't afford to stack the box and slow Johnson. They'll need to slow him down with their front seven.
Typically for his career, Chris Johnson follows up a performance like last week with a big day. Earlier in the season Johnson was held to just 34 yards on 16 carries by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The following week, he had 125 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. Against the Denver Broncos he was held to 53 yards, the following week he had 131 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys.
In fact, every time Chris Johnson has been held under 60 yards in his career he's come back the next week and had at least 100 yards rushing.
Except this one time, in 2008 in his rookie year. Coming off a 14 carry for 8 yard performance against the Chicago Bears, the next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars he had 64 yards on 17 carries.
A game the Jaguars won 24-14.