Chris Johnson blames O-line for struggles, says he can break Eric Dickerson’s record

Chris Johnson seems to never know what to say about the Tennessee Titans offensive line. He has a rocky relationship with the unit, one minute thanking them for their hard work and the next taking a shot at his teammates for not doing their jobs.

Johnson started off incredibly slow last season before picking things up down the stretch and finishing with 1,243 yards. Many people feel that he was dogging it for much of the year. Others have blamed the offensive line and system. We know where CJ?K stands on the subject.

“What a lot of people don’t understand, I was playing with an offensive line that only had one starter,” Johnson told Around The League on Wednesday. “I had four offensive linemen hurt. I felt like I did good with the situation I was dealt.”

In reality, it was probably a combination of poor offensive line play and inconsistent effort from Johnson. Not to mention, the Titans passing offense was hardly a threat to opposing defenses, allowing them to hone in on CJ and the running game. However, Johnson believes he is capable of turning things around and getting back to being one of the league’s most feared rushers.

“Every running back’s goal is to break Eric Dickerson’s record,” he said. “It’s a situation where you’re working hard and you want to break 2,105. I believe I can do it.”

Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network then asked Johnson if he believes he can break Dickerson’s record in 2013.

“I think I can,” he replied.

If you were to bet on anyone doing it, you’d be best off putting your money on Adrian Peterson. AP won a rushing title while playing through a sports hernia in 2012 and his surgeon believes he could come back even stronger next season. Unlike Johnson, his effort has never been questioned. There’s no reason to believe that Johnson will give it his all over the course of a 16-game season — especially if the Titans struggle as a team once again.

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