INDIANAPOLIS -- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has quelled any thoughts that he might follow in Tennessee Titans counterpart Chris Johnson's footsteps.
The player formerly known as CJ2K hasn't been the same since he held out before the start of the 2011 season. He has played in 19 games and reached the 100-yard plateau just four times. Johnson is averaging 34.5 yards in the other 15 games.
Jones-Drew, who held out all of training camp, rolled off 177 yards on 28 carries in Sunday's 22-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, including a game-changing, 59-yard touchdown. The play was blocked perfectly, with the right side of the line collapsing in and the left guard pulling to blow open the hole.
"It's called God's play," Jones-Drew said. "That's our bread and butter. Our offensive line did a great job blocking. I didn't get touched. When you don't get touched, you've got to make a defense pay. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
"That run play, sometimes a little lightning strikes in the bottom, and that was that play."
Jones-Drew averaged 4.21 yards per carry outside of the touchdown. Colts coach Chuck Pagano lamented the consistency in which Jones-Drew found room to run.
"You know he goes seven, eight, nine yards, even six, it's kind of just bleeding you," Pagano said. "If they hand it to him 30 times and you can play great 27 of those 30 times ... but to give up a 60-yarder, that breaks your back."
Jones-Drew was the 2011 NFL rushing champion and currently ranks No. 2 behind the Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles. Jones-Drew celebrated his first rushing touchdown of the year with a little faux dice rolling.
"Yeah, I did the dice thing," Jones-Drew said. "Coach said you can celebrate as long as the ref touches the ball. I threw the ball to the ref, and then I took my ball back because I have to give the ball to my kids, so now we have the best of both worlds.
"My son wanted me to do that one. That's his favorite one, so I did it."
Doesn't seem to be any need to worry about MJD.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
