After accounting for 284 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 against the Texans, Tennessee’s Chris Johnson didn’t come nearly close to replicating those numbers in tonight‘s 20-17 win in Houston, his chances for a 2,000 yard season are looking even more realistic.

After tying his career high with 24 carries against Jacksonville, Johnson logged a career-high 25 carries against San Francisco, and proceeded to top it last week with 26 carries against Buffalo.

Unlike in Week 2 against the Texans or last week against the Bills, when Johnson had nine catches apiece, he didn’t have any grabs tonight, but he more than made up for it with another career high in carries with 29. And though there were no 91-yard scampers like in Week 2, or even anything half that, or any touchdowns either, Johnson burned the Texans with a couple of key runs.

He had a big 36-yard run in the second quarter to help set up Tennessee’s second touchdown, which tied the game at 14 going into halftime, and late in the fourth, he had a 22-yard run on a 1st and 15 from the 19 that put the Titans in a good position to drive for what proved to be the game-winning field goal.

All told, Johnson rushed for 151 yards on the night, boosting his season total to 1,242 yards. Not only did tonight’s total re-establish a sizable cushion between he and the likes of Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson, and DeAngelo Williams, but it also moves him even closer to 2,000.

Here’s how his numbers stack up to the other 2,000 yard rushers in the 16-game era:

Dickerson (1984): 212 carries, 1,174 yards (5.5 yards per carry)
Sanders (1997): 201 carries, 1,103 yards (5.5 yards per carry)
Davis (1998): 240 carries, 1,338 yards (5.6 yards per carry)
Lewis (2003): 239 carries, 1,247 yards (5.2 yards per carry)

Johnson (2009): 199 carries, 1,242 yards (6.2 yards per carry)

1,242 yards down, 758 more to go in six games. That means Johnson needs to average a little over 126 yards per game from here on out to hit 2,000. He’s averaging 124.2 yards per game through 10 games, but he’s averaging 154.8 over his last five games (774 yards in his last five games), so provided the steady loads of two dozen-plus carries don’t prove to be too taxing on him, he’s right where he needs to be.

This Sunday sees the Titans face off against NFC West leader Arizona in Nashville, and you‘ve got to like Johnson‘s chances to have another triple-digit day with what a couple of his rivals for the rushing title have done thus far against the defending NFC champs.

The Cardinals allowed Steven Jackson to run for 116 yards on Sunday and gave up 158 to DeAngelo Williams in Week 8, so there’s a more than fair chance Johnson logs his sixth straight game with at least 125 yards on the ground.