Chris Johnson points fingers in Titans demise as he plays through personal tragedy

The Tennessee Titans were thought to be one of the dark horse candidates for a playoff spot in the AFC but so far after two weeks of play, they have proved only their critics right.

Once a phenomenon, running back Chris Johnson continues to sputter out gaining just 21 yards over the first two games of the season.

Yesterday, Johnson should have been tuned up for a big day with Kenny Britt easing back into the lineup, quarterback Jake Locker on the mend and receiver Nate Washington also suffering.

So what happened? Johnson was quick to provide answers to the Tennessean.

“People need to step up and do their job,” Johnson said. “They don’t need to let people beat them. It don’t matter who the opposing defense is, you can’t let your guy beat you. You just can’t give up plays. You have to make plays like they make plays. I can’t speak for the defense. I can only speak for the offense.”

It seems like Johnson was perhaps sending shots at the team’s offensive line which did not do a very good job giving Johnson running lanes to explode through.

Tragedy impacts different people different ways. When Brett Favre’s father died, he went on to play one of the greatest games of his career against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football in 2003.

49ers running back Frank Gore singlehandedly beat the Rams in two touchdown performance days after his mother passed away in 2007.

On Sunday, Johnson was given the news that his great-grandmother passed away at the age of 100.

Of the passing, Johnson said that he knew it was on the way.

“I knew she would have wanted me to play,” he said. “It wasn’t unexpected, but it’s sad. She was getting worse every day, and I’d hoped to see her one more time.”

Hopefully, now that Johnson is a veteran on his team, he can rally his group around a mission of success with the knowledge that he has someone watching over him from the other side.