Much like the Titan Atlas, who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, Titans running back Chris Johnson carries the weight of his team on his. The Tennessee Titans all purpose back, who set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage in 2009, is in the midst of a bitter contract dispute. Without Johnson, the Titans are very thin at the running back position. Second on the depth chart is Javon Ringer, a second year player out of Michigan State who had a total of 48 rushing yards in 2009. Whether the Titans offense will be directed by Vince Young or Kerry Collins in Week 1 at home vs. the Oakland Raiders, it stands to be a tough day if Johnson is on the sidelines.

Currently, the Tennessee Titans are a seven (7) point NFL Week 1 odds favorite over the visiting Raiders in the season opener for both teams. The Raiders also have many question marks on offense; the biggest one being how will newly acquired quarterback Jason Campbell gel with his teammates? If Chris Johnson is out, this game looks as if it has “defensive struggle” written all over it. Even though both of these defenses ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in total defense in 2009, neither of these offenses have much firepower outside of Chris Johnson.

The outlook of this game rests squarely on if Johnson suits up or not. If he plays, the Titans should easily cover the seven points at home against a weak Oakland club. Also, the teams will likely go over the 41 points in the over/under with Johnson likely to score 2 or 3 touchdowns himself. On the other hand, if Johnson sits, this contest becomes very even. The Raiders have an up and coming defense with Rolando McClain and Nnamdi Asomugha and could cause problems for the lackluster Titans offense. With Johnson out, take the Raiders in a very close, very low scoring game.