Chris Johnson's Debut

Chris Johnson flashed some of his speed and ability in the preseason, but the first true test came this past Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. By the time the final whistle blew, he'd taken the first steps towards proving Titans' general manager Mike Reinfeldt's foresight for selecting him in the first round, ending the game with 127 yards on eighteen touches and the season's first offensive touchdown. 

It did not take Johnson long to get going, taking the Titans' first offensive play down the left sideline before tip-toeing out of bounds for eighteen yards, and following that up with a run to the right side off Jake Scott's block for another eleven. Among his other game highlights was an eighteen yard run in the second quarter that might have gone for seventy-five were it not for a Reggie Nelson shoestring tackle, and a catch in the red zone that showcased his contortionist ability on a less-than-stellar pass from quarterback Vince Young.

Johnson's speed was evident before this game, but he surprised me with his willingness to run between the tackles against a stout Jacksonville defense that held LenDale White (strictly a power runner) to 2.7 yards per carry in Week 1, and 26 carries for 78 yards in two games last season. Though his biggest gains came on plays to the outside, his running between the tackles will give opposing defenses another dimension to account for.

What's next for Tennessee's new weapon? I'm expecting big things for Johnson in the coming weeks - with Kerry Collins starting at quarterback for the next few games, Johnson's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will be an asset should opposing defenses look to send all-out blitzes (see Bo Scaife's 44-yard catch and run in Week 1). Tennessee also faces defenses that struggled to stop the run in Week 1 in Cincinnati (229 yards vs. Baltimore) and Houston (183 yards vs. Pittsburgh). 

I'm thrilled that Johnson is set in two-tone blue for, at least, the next little while, and I'd like to hear other opinions (Titans' fans and otherwise) about what they think of Johnson's successful first week.