"LaMont Jordan vs. Larry Johnson: Who has the advantage?"

When the Kansas City Chiefs travel to Oakland on Sunday to meet with the division rival Raiders, two "LJs" -- the Raiders' LaMont Jordan and the Chiefs' Larry Johnson -- will do battle for the third time in 2? seasons.Both veteran running backs will undoubtedly be critical to their team's success, and the 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
final outcome may come down to each player's performance.Here's how the two AFC West halfbacks match up against one another.On paper in 2007 ...The Raiders' Jordan has carried the ball 102 times this season for 466 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. For Kansas City, Johnson has rushed 115 times for 394 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Advantage: LaMont.According to the doctor ...Thus far, Johnson has made it through six weeks virtually injury-free. On the other hand, Jordan, just a week ago, told the Mercury News that his back "is the worst it's been in years." Jordan hasn't missed a start this year, but you can bet his ailing back is always on his mind. Advantage: Larry.In recent weeks ...After a slow start and awful Week 5 performance, Johnson has now registered two 100-plus-yard efforts on the ground in his past three outings. Since Week 4, the 230-pounder has carried the ball 65 times for 254 yards (85 yards a game), despite a lowly 12-yard performance against Jacksonville.In the same span of time, Jordan has spent more time resting than running. The third-year Raider missed half of Week 4 with a back injury, spent the next 14 days nursing that injury and then finally played last week, despite being listed as doubtful. In the three-week, 1?-game stretch, Jordan carried the ball just 33 times for 116 yards, or 58 yards a game. Advantage: Larry.Behind the line ...Nobody expected this, but the Raiders' front five has outperformed the Chiefs' more than a third of the way through the 2007 season.The 230-pound Johnson averages just 3.4 yards per carry, after averaging the reverse -- 4.3 -- last season. At this pace, Johnson will finish the '07 campaign with his lowest per-carry mark in his six-year NFL career. On 1,007 career rushes, No. 27 has averaged 4.6 yards per attempt. Additionally, this year, Johnson has eclipsed the 100-yard mark only twice, but has been held to under 60 yards four different times.Across the field, Jordan is running behind a much-improved O-line. After averaging 3.8 yards per rush in his first two years in Oakland, No. 34 is now up to 4.6 yards per attempt, and has been held under 70 yards only one time this season. As a team, the Raiders have the third-best ground attack in the NFL; the Chiefs rank 30th. Advantage, LaMont.When off the field ...Sometimes, a good supporting cast can make all the difference, and Jordan's cast is much stronger than Johnson's. The only other Chief to carry the ball this season has been Michael Bennett, but his trade to Tampa Bay this week leaves a major void behind Johnson. As a result, the 34-year-old Priest Holmes may be activated to play; however, he hasn't appeared in an NFL game since October 2005, when he suffered severe neck and spinal cord injuries.Behind Jordan are Dominic Rhodes and Justin Fargas, who are both healthy and combined for exactly 1,300 rushing yards in 2006. Advantage: LaMont.Matchup history ...Since joining the Raiders in 2005, Jordan has started in three meetings against the Chiefs. In the trio of contests, the ex-Maryland standout has been less than spectacular; he has carried the ball 38 times for 176 yards and one touchdown. In the same three meetings, Johnson has rushed 62 times for a whopping 302 yards and five TDs. Advantage: Larry.Against the 'D' ...Both Oakland and Kansas City's rushing defenses rank in the bottom half of the Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
NFL, but the Raiders, at 28th, are eight spots worse than the Chiefs. Despite being run at 36 more times than Oakland this season, Kansas City still has allowed 18 fewer yards than the Raiders and 27.1 fewer yards each game. Neither defense is impressive; however, stats say the advantage goes to Kansas City. Advantage: Larry.Against the environment ...Being on the road, Johnson and the Chiefs will not only have to face 11 defenders on the field but the "12th man," too. McAfee Coliseum has officially sold out, meaning one more problem for the Chiefs' offense. Advantage: LaMont.How convenient: A 4-4 tie.