David Johnson Can Take Arizona Cardinals Offense to Elite Level
The Arizona Cardinals are 2-0.
Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals were able to easily sweep past the Chicago Bears during a Week 2 matchup that finished 48-23. The result wasn't surprising, but there were a few unexpected pleasantries for fans during the game. The most notable in the moment was Larry Fitzgerald's three-touchdown performance.
The most notable moving forward may have been the contributions of rookie running back David Johnson.
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David Johnson didn't start the game despite the absence of regular starter Andre Ellington through injury. Ellington's absence moved Chris Johnson into the starting lineup. Chris Johnson was signed during the preseason because David Johnson couldn't establish himself as a reliable backup during that time.
Even though David Johnson couldn't do that, it was largely because of injury. David didn't have enough time on the practice field or in preseason games to prove himself.
In Week 1, when Ellington entered the game as a healthy starter, David Johnson didn't have a single carry. He did make one huge play in the passing game, when he caught a 55-yard touchdown pass late in the game that helped to secure the victory.
On that play, Johnson showed off his receiving ability.
Johnson initially lined up in the backfield alongside his quarterback. Before the snap, the Cardinals motioned John Brown from the right side of the formation through the backfield. Carson Palmer faked the handoff to Brown before dropping deeper into the pocket.
While Palmer was carrying out the fake and dropping further backward, Johnson was releasing onto the second level while angling toward the right sideline.
It's always important to note how a running back gets open for his receptions. Johnson didn't show off any crisp route running or line up in a position where the defense could have been aggressive against him. Instead, he was able to release free into space from the backfield.
Because the defense was in man coverage and the defender covering Johnson lined up to the far side of the field, the running back was wide open without having to work for it.
When the ball arrived, Johnson made a natural catch before turning upfield. He was turning into wide-open space with two blockers ahead of him down the sideline. Johnson was able to accelerate away from the pursuing defense and carry the ball all the way to the end zone.
Having closed the first game of the season with one hugely athletic play, Johnson opened the Week 2 matchup with another.
Johnson returned the opening kickoff of the game for a touchdown. He ran it back 108 and covered that distance with relative ease. Johnson wasn't touched as he perfectly set up the effective blocking that his teammates gave him.
Considering he is listed at 6'1" and 224 pounds, Johnson's ability to run that distance at that speed with such ease is a hugely impressive feat.
It's this size-explosiveness combination that makes Johnson such an intriguing player. He doesn't have refined vision or technical ability as a runner, but he won't need it to be a big-play creator in the NFL. More importantly, neither Chris Johnson nor Ellington are consistent, refined runners.
This should help David Johnson see more touches in the offense over the coming weeks. Using his bulk and explosiveness, he will be able to add a new dimension to the Cardinals offense.
Against the Bears, Johnson carried the ball five times for 42 yards and a touchdown. He had three 10-plus-yard runs, each coming in the second half of the game. The first of those runs went for a touchdown early on during the third quarter.
Johnson is lined up alone in the backfield. Palmer tosses the ball to him at the snap, while wide receiver Michael Floyd closes down the edge from the outside.
The Bears front defends this play terribly. Johnson is able to get space immediately and advances to the second level unopposed without having to make a defender miss or set up a block. Once on the second level, he is confronted by a defensive back in space.
Johnson is able to easily fend off the attempted tackle before jaunting into the end zone for a simple touchdown.
The ease with which Johnson was able to brush off this tackle attempt is something the Cardinals haven't seen from one of their running backs for a long time. None of the current backs on the roster are consistent tackle-breakers, and neither was Rashard Mendenhall, the other primary back Bruce Arians has relied on during his reign.
Early in the fourth quarter, Johnson carried the ball on a similar toss play to the right side to convert a 2nd-and-8. He didn't have to break a tackle on that occasion before going out of bounds.
Getting Johnson into space outside was obviously an emphasis for the Cardinals coaching staff. On the play immediately after his first carry in the fourth quarter, he took another play outside toward the other side of the field.
This time, Johnson chose to bounce outside.
Johnson made a good decision, as a defender had filled the hole to the inside of his left tackle. His cut to the outside put him in space, but he was met five yards downfield by the pursuit. Johnson is first contacted at the 45-yard line, but he drags the tackler with him for almost 10 yards.
Even though he didn't break a tackle on this play, the yards that Johnson created with his strength were still valuable in getting the first down.
The Cardinals don't have a great offensive line to create space for Johnson with blocking, but they do have an offense that is stacked with dangerous weapons. Those weapons can drag the defense in different directions and consistently take advantage of space.
With that kind of supporting cast around him, Johnson should be able to get into space regularly enough to make the value of his big plays outweigh the negatives of his technical errors.
Getting more big plays from the backfield would go a long way to making the Cardinals offense one of the best in the league. Palmer is a high-quality starter at quarterback, while John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Jaron Brown make up arguably the best quartet of receivers in the NFL.
Presuming Mike Iupati can play to his reputation when he returns on the offensive line, the potential balance the Cardinals will play with could carry them to the NFC West crown.
Rookies don't typically make big impacts on the best teams in the league, but at running back, Johnson doesn't have a tough transition to make. He can come in and rely on his instincts and athleticism to be an impact player without being as concerned with the mental/technical side of his position.
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