File this story under "Well, Isn't That Cute".
Chris Johnson, the Tennessee running back formerly known as CJ2K for his 2,006 yard season over three years ago, has set the bar very high when it comes to his expectations for the 2013 season.
Maybe a little too high.
Johnson ran for a whopping 1,243 yards this past season, which put him a mere eight hundred and fifty-four yards behind league leader Adrian Peterson. Johnson did average 4.5 yards per carry, which was his best effort since the last time he was relevant his impressive 2009 campaign. But that respectable average still put him 1.5 yards per carry behind AP's mind boggling 6.0 last year. To say that there was a gap in performance between Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson in 2012 would be like saying Dennis Rodman was only slightly confused about which Korea he just visited.
But that didn't stop CJ1.243K from making a very, very bold prediction on ESPN's "NFL Live" on Wednesday. When asked if he or AP would have more rushing yards next season, Johnson said that he would surpass the Vikings all-world RB. He's even confident about it.
I've always been a confident guy...if you want something to happen you have to speak on it it, you have to believe in it. You just got to pray and God will lead you there. I know the type of guy that I am, the type of back that I am and if the situation is right I know I can do it.
I get that Johnson is trying to prove that he's still capable of being an elite running back and professional athletes are supposed to have this kind of confidence, but come on. There's setting goals, and there's setting yourself up for failure. Adrian Peterson just had one of the best seasons a running back in the NFL has ever had, if not the best. And in 2013 Peterson isn't going to have to deal with that whole pesky business of REHABBING A SURGICALLY RECONSTRUCTED KNEE before the season starts. Barring another unthinkable injury or setback for Peterson, Johnson's bold prediction seems to be a flimsy attempt to grab headlines.
Crap. I guess the flimsy attempt worked, didn't it? Either way, I'd love to see the odds you could get for picking Johnson to outrush AP next year. How high would they have to be for you to take Johnson? Five-to-1? Ten-to-1? Higher?