Chris Johnson is beginning to hit his stride as a bona fide NFL running back midway through his second NFL season.

The Titans knew Johnson had breakaway speed from scouting him and seeing his 4.24 speed on display at the combine in 2008.

But what they hoped, and now know, is that Johnson's speed and ability to carry the load at running back is making him a special talent indeed -- one who is putting up numbers that have him mentioned with the game's very elite at the position.

Names like Jim Brown, Eric Dickerson and Barry Sanders are on the short list when the list of accomplishments Johnson has either reached or is in reach of are compiled.

For instance, Johnson has 1,242 yards rushing -- if he didn't gain another yard this season, that would be the 11th-best rushing season in the franchise's 50-year history.

But Johnson has the potential to have a far more special season than that. He currently has 71 more yards rushing than Dickerson did in 1984 when he set the NFL's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. Of course, Dickerson closed fast that season with six 100-yard rushing games in a row before "settling" for 98 yards in the regular-season finale.

Johnson is also broaching that accomplishment with five games in a row of at least 125 yards. If he gets at least that many again Sunday against Arizona, he would join Dickerson and Earl Campbell as the only backs with six 125-yard games in a row. He and Brown are the only ones to average at least 5 yards per carry in their five-game 125-yard streaks.

Johnson also needs just 56 yards to break Sanders' record for most yards in a month. Sanders had 701 in November 1997 over five games. Johnson has 646 through four games.

"He's putting up great numbers. He's off to a great start, but it's still very early in his career," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "It's way too soon to talk about him with those great players that have come and gone, but he's off to a great start, and his production speaks for itself."

Does Johnson have any indication of just how special his totals have the potential to be?

"It makes you feel good. It makes you want to keep working hard and breaking their records," Johnson said. "Basically, if you're being mentioned with those guys, you're doing the right thing."

Johnson's teammates know how special an accomplishment he could be on the verge of as well, and are happy to be a part of it.

"You start to put him in those categories of guys that are legends, guys that are in the Hall of Fame, and that's huge," fullback Ahmard Hall said. "I was thinking about that the other day. When they say he's on pace to do this, or on pace to do that, it's just amazing to see it, and I'm on the same team. He's a once-in-a-lifetime type guy."

Added center Kevin Mawae, "They're gaudy numbers to say the least. I think people underestimated him during the draft, and our guys, the scouts and coaches, saw something special in him. He's definitely proving himself. You thought it was going to be maybe a gimmick thing or something like that, but we're seeing who Chris really is. The great thing is the more times you give him the ball, the more big plays he's going to make."

SERIES HISTORY
9th regular-season meeting. Cardinals lead series 5-3. The Cardinals are the last of the NFL's 32 teams to play at LP Field.

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