Tom Pelissero

USA TODAY Sports

TEMPE, Ariz. – Chris Johnson says he’s feeling explosive. If the rules were different, Johnson thinks he could’ve played in the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff opener last weekend.

But the veteran running back isn’t eligible to come off short-term injured reserve until next week, meaning his Cardinals teammates need to win one more game Sunday at Carolina to give Johnson his chance in Super Bowl 50.

“God-willing, we get there,” Johnson told USA TODAY Sports in the locker room Tuesday, “and then, it’s showtime.”

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Johnson, 30, was a pleasant surprise after joining the Cardinals during training camp. He was among the NFL’s leading rushers with 814 yards and three touchdowns on 196 carries in 11 games before landing on injured reserve with a tibial plateau fracture near one of his knees Dec. 1.

Since returning to practice last week, Johnson said, he has focused on regaining his wind and trust in the leg. He’s taking scout team reps, meaning this week he’s playing the role of Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart, a good friend of Johnson’s from the 2008 draft class.

“It’s a difference when you’re out there running straight ahead and running cuts like with the trainer,” Johnson said. “But when you actually get back to practice and are able to run plays and all that stuff, getting back the trust in it, it just feels good.”

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Rookie David Johnson took over as the Cardinals’ lead back and had a 187-yard game last month. But their run game has struggled the past few weeks – issues coach Bruce Arians attributed Monday to “getting our ass kicked up front.”

Six years after running for 2,006 yards in his second season with the Tennessee Titans, Chris Johnson is on his third team in as many seasons. His status for 2015 was in doubt after he was shot in the shoulder in a March incident that left a friend dead.

Johnson made the most of his opportunity when the Cardinals signed him in August to a one-year, $1.15 million deal. They’d have to activate him (and make a corresponding roster move) for him to suit up in the Super Bowl. But if Arizona makes it, Johnson puts his chances for playing at 100%.

“I’m playing,” Johnson said. “I’m ready to go right now.”

Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero.