Chris Johnson: I’ll Beat Adrian Peterson In 2013

Chris Johnson has some big plans for 2013.

The Tennessee Titans running back said he expects to rush for more yards than Adrian Peterson, adding that he’s got a good shot to break Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season rushing record.

The question came up on ESPN‘s NFL Live on Wednesday. When asked which back would come out on top, Johnson didn’t hesitate.

“Of course, ‘2K,” Johnson said, referring to his nickname.

Johnson said he was pretty confident that he could top Peterson.

“I’ve always been a confident guy … if you want something to happen you have to speak on it, you have to believe in it. You just got to pray and God will lead you there. I know the type of guy that I am, the type of back that I am and if the situation is right I know I can do it,” he said.

If he makes good on his promise to out-run Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson is going to need a fairly dramatic improvement. The speedy back ran for 1,243 yards on 276 carries, leaving him about 800 yards short of where Peterson finished the season.

Adrian Peterson himself nearly beat Dickerson’s record this year. He finished with 2,097 yards, coming just nine yards from breaking the record.

But Chris Johnson has been there before. In 2009 he eclipsed the 2,000-yard barrier, finishing with 2,006 yards.

When asked how confident he felt about his answer, he said he was “very confident.”

Johnson later told the NFL Network that he thinks he’s got a shot at beating Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards.

Though Johnson is setting some lofty goals, his answers don’t come as too much of a shock. Despite a down year, Johnson is still one of the elite backs in the league, and he pointed out that it’s in any running back’s nature to aim high.

“Every running back’s goal is to break that record,” Chris Johnson said. “You want to break the 2,105. I believe I can do it.”