Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson feels like the team tried to become a passing offense in 2012 to benefit second-year starting quarterback Jake Locker.
Chris Johnson expects Titans to be ‘run-first’ in 2013
Tennessee is going to be a ground-and-pound team according to its running back.
Andy Lyons
This year, Johnson says the team will feature a run-heavy offense, according to the Nashville City Paper.
Johnson’s thoughts make sense from a variety of angles. For starters, Locker struggled mightily last season, throwing for only 2,176 yards and a completion percentage of 56.4 while tossing 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Conversely, Johnson bounced back from a brutal 2011 season to rush for 1,243 yards on a robust 4.5 yards per carry behind a very mediocre offensive line.
Speaking of the line, Tennessee went out and really rebuilt its front wall in the offseason through the draft and free agency. Long needing help on the interior of the line, the Titans signed the top guard on the market in ex-Buffalo Bills star Andy Levitre.
Then in the draft, Tennessee made another big move along the line by drafting Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chance Warmack. Many draft pundits believe Warmack was the best guard prospect to come from the draft in years, although Jonathan Cooper was drafted three spots before him by the Arizona Cardinals. Per the piece:
“We want to be able to run the ball when we want to and when we need to,” first-year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “Obviously, the commitment that [Webster] and [Munchak] made to rebuilding the interior of the offensive line is a big part of that.”
The Titans weren't done though, waiting until the fourth round to get great value in center Brian Schwenke from the California Golden Bears. If the picks pan out, Tennessee could have one of the best offensive lines in the league within a few years, something that seemed impossible at season's end.
Johnson feels like all this combined could make for a great season, per the article:
“I feel like the things we have done have given us the chance to take the next step,” Johnson said. “We still have a lot of work to do. Everything looks good on paper. We still have to go out there and work hard and prove it on Sundays.”
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