The Tennessee Titans are last in the NFL in rushing, and their No. 1 back, Chris Johnson, is averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry after holding out for a four-year, $53.5 million contract before the season.
But Johnson doesn't worry that he's not earning his money.
"You don't get a big contract over expectations. You get a big contract over things you have done," Johnson said Wednesday, according to the Tennessean.
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What he did last Sunday in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts was rush 14 times for just 34 yards.
"This is a situation where it can't get no worse, really, so it can't do nothing but go up," Johnson said. "I'm always eager to get back on the field and practice after a bad game and try to make it better."
Johnson will get another chance to produce this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, who boast the league's second-ranked run defense, allowing just 85 yards per game.
"They're pretty good," Johnson said. "They are disciplined. They stay in their lanes and things like that. They don't make many mistakes, but there are still teams out there who are able to have a little success against them."
Notes: The NFL fined Titans safety Anthony Smith $7,500 for his late-game hit on Colts quarterback Curtis Painter Sunday. Smith was flagged for unnecessary roughness after hitting a sliding Painter.
