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Thursday, September 16, 2010
Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball during the first quarter of the NFL season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on September 10, 2009. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images North America)
NFL players aren't easily impressed by their peers. If they've seen one guy run a 4.4 40, they've seen a hundred.
Every once in a while, though, a truly unique "monster," as Steelers linebacker James Farrior put it Wednesday, comes along. And the prospect of facing him gets a locker room buzzing.
The Steelers' room lit up eight years ago in anticipation of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick coming to Heinz Field. It was buzzing last year, too, on account of a pending visit from Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson.
This is one of those extraordinary weeks.
Chris Johnson awaits.
Sure, the Steelers have faced the Tennessee Titans' cruise missile of a tailback two times and held him in check. But Johnson was merely very good then. He is the most dangerous man in football now (aside from Shaun Rogers in an airport, of course), coming off a season in which he set a league record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage.
As Steelers coach Mike Tomlin put it: "This guy can run through the back of your end zone every time he touches the ball."
You better believe the Steelers' locker room is buzzing. I asked Farrior — who has pretty much seen it all in 13 NFL seasons — if the prospect of facing Johnson excites the Steelers' defense.
"No doubt about it," Farrior said. "He proclaims himself the best offensive player in the NFL, definitely the best running back, and we take that as a challenge. Our defense is going to be extra fired up this week."
The Steelers, remember, could have drafted Johnson, who visited their South Side practice facility before the '08 draft. But when it came to pick 23rd — one spot before the Titans — they took Rashard Mendenhall out of Illinois.
Here's how the running backs went in the first round:
4. Darren McFadden, Oakland
13. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina
22. Felix Jones, Dallas
23. Mendenhall
24. Johnson
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday that he wasn't praying for Johnson to drop to the 24th pick, that he would have been pleased with Jones or Mendenhall. Ray Rice and Matt Forte wound up going in the second round, so it was an outstanding year for running backs.
But Johnson has become the prized catch. Three years into his career, he has 3,376 yards rushing, at 5.3 yards per carry, and 25 touchdowns.
Mendenhall got a late start, missing nearly all of his rookie season, but seems intent on making up for lost time. I asked him yesterday if he keeps a close eye on Johnson, seeing as he was drafted right before him.
"I think as a back you're looking at all your peers in the league, your draft class, all the starting running backs," said Mendenhall, fresh off that gorgeous, 50-yard game-winner against the Falcons. "You pay attention to those things."
Is this a chance for Mendenhall to announce himself as a star in his own right?
"I don't look at it like that," he said.
I do. I think there's something special in the air this week, on both sides of the ball. The Steelers have held Johnson to 69 and 57 yards in their two meetings, though he did burn them for a 21-yard TD run on a fourth-down play two years ago, reaching the end zone in the time it takes to light a match.
It's a classic matchup, really. Johnson has 12 consecutive 100-yard games, two short of tying Barry Sanders' NFL record. The Steelers have allowed only nine 100-yard rushers in the past eight years, easily the best mark in the league.
Sounds like appointment viewing to me.
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