Titans aim to get RB Chris Johnson 2.000 yards has 3 comments

Dec 27th 2009, 12:44 | FFN-Score: 12 points

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans' improbable playoff dreams are finished for this season. Now it's back to reality with goals quickly set on two other historic marks. Finish 8-8, which no NFL team has ever managed after starting a season with six straight losses. And get Chris Johnson to 2,000 yards rushing, making him only the sixth player in league history to reach that mark.

Johnson has 1,872 yards after he ran for 142 yards and a touchdown against San Diego. That was his 10th straight 100-yard rushing game, giving him the third-longest streak behind Barry Sanders (14 in 1997) and Marcus Allen (11 in 1985-86). Jamal Lewis was the last to run for 2,000 yards in 2003.

"That record would mean a lot to me," Johnson said. "That was one of my goals that I set before this year started, and a lot of people didn't even think I would get close or whatever. To get that record would mean a lot to me. So basically this team will get back to work, and we got one more game left so hopefully we can get .500."

The second-year running back out of East Carolina already has bought gifts for his offensive linemen, tight end Alge Crumpler and fullback Ahmard Hall. Johnson promised cars if he reached 2,000 back in November. He said Friday night he didn't buy them cars and wouldn't divulge what the presents were.

Johnson isn't giving up on Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards either. He would need 233 yards to tie the mark Dickerson set in 1984. That would be a new career high for the running back who ran for 228 yards Nov. 1 against Jacksonville.

"Anything is doable," Johnson said. "I feel like I can do it. Just basically we got to stay in the game and keep the score close and stay in our offense. We can't become one-dimensional."