Dec 30, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Something caught my attention as I was browsing the Music City Miracles blog. Jimmy Morris brought up an interview segment that Chris Johnson had done with Jim Rome. From jimrome.com, Johnson had an interesting perspective on sharing carries with recently-acquired running back Shonn Greene. According to Johnson:

“At the end of the day you want to stay in there. [But] I’d rather have 2,000 yards than have 20 touchdowns, so you got to take the good with the bad.”

The obsession with 2,000 remains alive and well. During the 2009-10 NFL season, Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards. That season ended with an 8-8 record and was the first of four consecutive playoff-less seasons. The Titans will try to end that streak during the 2013-14 season.

Is it better if Johnson returns to CJ2K form or if he became CJ20TD? My initial reaction was that yards don’t win games. That’s accomplished with offensive scores and defensive stops. All the evidence that one needs comes from the 2009-10 season.

Running backs who’ve had 20-touchdown seasons have their own special place in NFL history. There have only been 11 instances when a running back scored at least 20 rushing touchdowns in a single season. LaDanian Tomlinson was the last player to accomplish that feat. He had an NFL-record 28 rushing touchdowns during the 2006-07 season.

Another way of looking at it is that 2,000 yards would put the Titans in more scoring situations. This would help establish a balanced offense and eliminate the amount of time that the defense is on the field. Greene would probably play the role of LenDale White when he had 15 rushing touchdowns during the 2008-09 season. The Titans finished that season with a 13-3 record and the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

Maybe this answer comes down to how those 2,000 rushing yards are distributed? An example comes from the Week 15 regular-season game against the New York Jets. Johnson had 21 carries for 122 yards. 94 of those yards came on a touchdown run. That meant his other 20 carries went for 28 yards. His lack of productivity stalled the offense as they didn’t score more than 14 points.

It’s important to maintain that 3.4-yard average over as many carries as possible. Remember that 3.4 x 3 = 10.2 yards—a first down. This sets up second-and-manageable and third-and-short.

What do Titan Sized readers believe? If you had the choice of Johnson rushing for 2,000-plus yards or scoring 20-plus touchdowns, which do you take? Answer in the poll below and comment via Facebook, Twitter or Disqus.

Joshua Huffman

(Before the poll was closed, another voter gave a 33^rd vote to Chris Johnson. That’s why the results are 61-33, not 61-32).

Chris Johnson is the greatest player to ever have the word Titans across his chest. This isn’t a debate.

That quote came from the introductory sentence from Titan Sized contributor Carlos Beard’s May 13^th piece, “Chris Johnson: The Greatest Tennessee Titan.” Beard goes on to mention that while Johnson is the greatest Titan, many people don’t even consider him as a possibility for that honor.

It appears as though a debate exists. When Titan Sized polled readers on “Who’s the Greatest Tennessee Titan,” Steve McNair won in a landslide. This Eddie George vs. Chris Johnson poll was used to determine whether readers believed that Johnson had earned the designation as the greatest running back in Titans history.

In the hearts of most Titans fans, George is still No. 1. If Johnson wants to win those fans, then he’ll need a few more seasons similar to 2008-10. Some fans prefer George because he’s the humbled running back who has the longer resume. George is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 10,009 yards. He’s second with 64 touchdowns. The “me-first” mentality that exudes from Johnson has damaged his reputation in this market.

Johnson has the greatest individual season of any running back. But does one greatest season make for the greatest player? With a revamped offensive line and a greater concentration on the ground game, Johnson has every opportunity to change minds and complete his career as the most productive and greatest running back in Titans history.

VS.

Jul. 21, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Eddie George of Ohio State is introduced at the College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Dinner at the Century Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the dead period. NFL offseason news has come to a grinding halt. For the next two months, the Tennessee Titans will prepare for the 2013-14 NFL season. Don’t expect many roster transactions or much juicy news until training camp starts in late July.

What does that mean for Titan Sized? We don’t close shop during this period. There are plenty of evergreen topics to cover and discuss over the team’s history. Reviewing offseason moves, previews and predictions for the upcoming season, roster projections, editorials and continued coverage of any breaking news story that affects the Titans or one of their AFC South rivals.

Last week, Titan Sized asked the question, “Who Is the Greatest Tennessee Titan.” Here were the results. With 57 of the 117 votes (48.72 percent), Steve McNair unsurprisingly won in a landslide. It eliminated any logic for holding an eight-player tournament to decide who the greatest Titan was; McNair would’ve beaten anyone he faced.

Coming in second place was Chris Johnson. Johnson had 18 votes. Eddie George came in third place with 13 votes. While this may surprise some old-school Titans enthusiasts, I had an explanation for the result and suggested that Johnson wouldn’t beat out George if it were a head-to-head voting matchup:

Does this mean that Johnson is the Second-Greatest Titan? Although Johnson finished in second place, he probably wouldn’t receive more votes than George in a head-to-head “Who is the Greater Titan” matchup. The thing with Johnson is that he’s a “love him or hate him” type of player. After reviewing conversations on Twitter, it was obvious that many McNair voters had George as their No. 2 option. Johnson may have the better chance at No. 1 votes but George would have the advantage at getting his face on Mount Rushmore (most top four votes).

Here’s the question that I pose to all readers and fans: At this stage of Johnson’s career, who was the greater Tennessee Titan between George and him? If you could put one face on Mount Rushmore and the only two choices were George and Johnson, who gets the nod? Who meant more to this franchise? Who meant more to the community? When you think of the Titans, which of these two players bring back your most fond memories?

Eddie George (1996-2003)
Yards: 10,009 Yards (1^st)
Touchdowns: 64 (2^nd)
Avg: 3.7 Yards per Carry

Chris Johnson (2008-Current)
Yards: 6,888 Yards (3^rd)
Touchdowns: 44 (3^rd)
Average: 4.7 Yards per Carry