Reggie Bush made it no secret his goal was to lead the NFL in rushing in 2012.
Through two weeks, Bush has run for 241 yards. Only the Buffalo Bills' C.J. Spiller (292 yards) is ahead of him.
So yes, Bush is living up to his own hype so far. He was a huge factor in the Miami Dolphins' 35-13 win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, busting two long touchdown runs in the second half. Fans at Sun Life Stadium responded by chanting Bush's name throughout.
"It felt good, obviously," Bush said, via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't. It's great to hear and know that the fans are there."
Bush is the most popular player for a team that's struggling to connect with its fan base right now. The Dolphins had their lowest home-opener attendance in decades Sunday. Bush can't bring them back alone, but winning will help.
"We know what kind of running game we have and we know what we're capable of," said Bush, who finished with 172 yards on the ground. "So we felt like that's the foundation of our offense. We've got to be able to run the ball."
Bush is 27, and has never truly been a workhorse back in an NFL offense. His 216 carries last season represented a career high. Based on early usage, that might be changing in 2012.
Bush has carried the ball 40 times in Miami's first two games -- putting him on pace for a 320-carry season. By comparison, Maurice Jones-Drew -- last season's rushing champ -- carried the ball a league-high 343 times for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Is Bush built for that type of punishment? Maybe this is the year he finally gets tested.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
