johnson's 2009 season got off to a very slow start, despite johnson keeping his starting job. as of week 8, he had 132 attempts for only 358 yards. his 2.7 yards per carry were the worst of any nfl running back with at least 70 carries. the chiefs as a whole, and not just johnson, struggled mightily in 2009, losing their first 5 games before winning 14–6 over the washington redskins. in the washington game, johnson had his best start of the season by gaining 82 yards on 23 attempts.