Chris Johnson compares himself to Lebron James

[Titanswin472 29]

Titans running back Chris Johnson sees himself when he watches LeBron James.

 

Johnson told Jim Rome on Rome that he thought of himself while watching James and the Miami Heat win the NBA championship: Last season James, like Johnson, signed a new contract and took a lot of criticism when he fell short of his goals. This season Johnson says he, like James, plans to prove he’s the best in his sport.

 

“I feel just like LeBron — a lot of people are going to be back on the bandwagon,” Johnson said. “He had a lot of haters out there, a lot of people saying he wasn’t good and things like that and just to see how he overcame that and came back this year and won the championship, it shows his hard work and dedication.”

 

Johnson just barely topped 1,000 yards last season, but this season he says he wants to top 2,000 yards, as he did in 2009.

 

“I feel like a lot of people have written me off,” Johnson said. “I still went over 1,000 yards but it wasn’t a CJ2K year. So a lot of people are going to write me off. . . . I want to be the first one to do it twice, that’s certainly a goal of mine to do. . . . I feel like I’m still the best back in the league. When I ran for 2,000 yards my goal was to be the best player in the league and I still want to be that. In order for my team to make it to the playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl, I’m going to have to be the best.”

 

Even his harshest critics are recognizing James as the best player in the NBA now. Johnson would have to be a whole lot better this year than he was last year for anyone to even consider calling him the best player in the NFL.

 

I hope he's right.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/23/chris-johnson-compares-himself-to-lebron-james/

Edited June 24, 2012 by Titanswin472

[BwareDWare94 723]

But Chris Johnson wasn't even good last year. LeBron is always good.

[Bucman 891]

Going over 1000 rushing yards in a season isn't anything special anymore. His yards per carry was average. He should compare himself to someone more average like himself.

[56AceInDaPlace 110]

Going over 1000 rushing yards in a season isn't anything special anymore. His yards per carry was average. He should compare himself to someone more average like himself.

 

Just like throwing for 4000 yards isnt special anymore. The numbers thing yeah it gets out of hand a times, but there is a couple RBs in the NFL would can carry a offense, not team but offense. Teams that have those RBs with a good defense have a chance to make the playoffs. Its happened. CJ is one of those players. Now i know everybody will look like wtf after last year. Granted u have a point but that is on his own fault. The holdout, not stayin in shape, yeah its a fuck up. This year hes been more focused and working harder. Hes proved to be a top RB no matter the non love they get. He has had a nice career until last year. He was consistent before last year. He can be bumped down a couple spots i give u that. Til he sees the field anyways.

 

Also i see what he means on the LBJ thing, hes been a top RB before last year and has gotten hate, and coming into this year after signing a big contract. he IS facing pressure. They had talks about cutting him this offseason. Crazy

Edited June 24, 2012 by 56AceInDaPlace

[RazorStar 4,025]

Well Chris Johnson didn't sign with a bunch of superstars and choke in the championship game. He just didn't show up.

[oochymp 2,393]

Going over 1000 rushing yards in a season isn't anything special anymore. His yards per carry was average. He should compare himself to someone more average like himself.

Only 15 backs went over 1000 yards, meaning that not even half the league had a 1000 yard rusher. It's certainly not the same achievement it was ten years ago, but it's still nothing to scoff at. He certainly performed under expectations but if most backs had the kind of season he had last year everyone would be saying it was a pretty good year, but because it was a guy coming off a 2000 yard season everyone has completely unreasonable expectations. To be fair, he gets a lot of the blame for those high expectations because he very vocally sets them for himself, but to say he had a bad year in general last year is pretty disingenuous. He definitely had a bad year by his standards, but by normal standards it really wasn't that bad, especially when you consider the blocking he had in front of him.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Well Chris Johnson didn't sign with a bunch of superstars and choke in the championship game. He just didn't show up.

 

LeBron didn't choke in the championship game either. The Mavericks shut him down. Cuban somewhat explains it here, (Skip Bayless tries to argue your point, that LeBron just choked): http://www.thegridironpalace.com/forums/index.php?/topic/59888-mark-cuban-takes-skip-bayless-to-school

[karl 3]

Chris Johnson is an average running back who had 1 unbelievable year. He won't be anything close to AP, Foster, Rice or MJD; year after year of dominance.

[56AceInDaPlace 110]

Chris Johnson is an average running back who had 1 unbelievable year. He won't be anything close to AP, Foster, Rice or MJD; year after year of dominance.

 

Hes had more then one good yr..

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Chris Johnson is an average running back who had 1 unbelievable year. He won't be anything close to AP, Foster, Rice or MJD; year after year of dominance.

 

I was going to post a rebuttal to this...

 

But then I realized you were a Colts fan, which means you haven't seen a good running game in so long you've probably just forgotten how to judge them.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

I was going to post a rebuttal to this...

 

But then I realized you were a Colts fan, which means you haven't seen a good running game in so long you've probably just forgotten how to judge them.

Ok be honest on this because it is a serious question that is not just directed at CJ but to all speed demons like Mike Wallace, Torrey Smith, etc etc.

 

In the NFL the difference between elite speed and just above average speed is fractions of a second right ? If you saw a guy like Jimmy Smith who ran a 4.40 you are like OK that is not amazing but pretty good. Now if we were to take 1/10th of a second off and he rins a 4.30 people are like holy shit that is incredible.

 

Given that rb's take a beating unless it is by committee which CJ does not have the luxury or anymore he is inherently going to take more of a beating. so how long before he loses that 1/10 th and just has above average speed? Longevity will not lend itself to rb's like it does a WR. SO all of that said how many more year can we realistically expect him to outrun everybody. Once he loses that there isnothing special about him. He does not run with great power and balance. He is just the guy that if you are even he is leaving.

 

So do you expect consistency or do you worry that after 3 more years of a beating he will then become average?

 

Not hating on the guy, although I do hate him for how he got his check and then just loafed on you guys for a year. I think that was pathetic.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Ok be honest on this because it is a serious question that is not just directed at CJ but to all speed demons like Mike Wallace, Torrey Smith, etc etc.

 

In the NFL the difference between elite speed and just above average speed is fractions of a second right ? If you saw a guy like Jimmy Smith who ran a 4.40 you are like OK that is not amazing but pretty good. Now if we were to take 1/10th of a second off and he rins a 4.30 people are like holy shit that is incredible.

 

Given that rb's take a beating unless it is by committee which CJ does not have the luxury or anymore he is inherently going to take more of a beating. so how long before he loses that 1/10 th and just has above average speed? Longevity will not lend itself to rb's like it does a WR. SO all of that said how many more year can we realistically expect him to outrun everybody. Once he loses that there isnothing special about him. He does not run with great power and balance. He is just the guy that if you are even he is leaving.

 

So do you expect consistency or do you worry that after 3 more years of a beating he will then become average?

 

Not hating on the guy, although I do hate him for how he got his check and then just loafed on you guys for a year. I think that was pathetic.

 

I'm not 100% sure how long it'll last(I'll try and think and give sort of a guess at the end of the post, I guess) I'm not really worried about it, to be honest though. He's not a game changer just because of his speed, but his elusiveness as well. He knows how to make people miss. People act like the offensive line did all the work for him in his first few years, yet fail to realize, outside of his first year, he's been running behind an at least below average, if not worse line.

 

Football Outsiders ranked the Titans 2009(the year he ran for 2k) run blocking offensive line 22nd in the NFL.

 

Last year his 2 big issues were 1. Rust(completely his fault by being a dick and sitting out training camp and pre-season) and 2. the interior o-line(ranked the worst in the NFL in run blocking by anyone who has eyes). He didn't just quit on the team. He just didn't have the energy to play. He was not in football shape, not in the SLIGHTEST bit. That's why as the year went on he improved a bit. He regained that elusiveness, he was breaking more long runs, etc. He still wasn't back to his old self, but it showed he was getting back in to football shape.

 

Steve Hutchinson has been brought in, it looks like we're finally gonna replace Amano at C, and he's bulked back up to around 200 pounds(which was what he was at his first 3 seasons, he dropped down to 190 or so last year), and he's gonna be in football shape.

 

Even when he drops to more of a 4.3 type of player, he'll still be very effective. Maybe not an elite back, but still a very good one/top 10. But I think he's got at least 2, maybe 3 more years of this speed before we see any real noticeable difference.