David Johnson has not had the season he and the Arizona Cardinals envisioned. While missing two games due to ankle and back injuries, the 2016 All-Pro has compiled 302 yards and two touchdowns on 82 rush attempts (3.7 yards per carry). He has also reeled in 31 receptions for 323 yards and three scores — all in all, low numbers for one of the NFL's highest-paid tailbacks.
Johnson returned to action in Week 10, only to be benched after 29 snaps. He recorded five rushes for two yards, a one-yard reception and a fumble. Though many believe his poor performance was due to injuries, he is not one of those. It was a bad game.
“Just a bad game, just a bad game,” Johnson said on Friday, via Darren Urban of the team's official website. “Not everyone is perfect. Biggest thing is what you do after a bad game.”
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury thinks Johnson can dig himself out of his hole. “I’m proud of his effort and his focus,” Kingsbury said on Friday. “I like where his head is at.”
Johnson insists that he will bounce back from his poor performance. He will have to do so while sharing a backfield with Kenyan Drake, who the Cardinals traded for before the trade deadline. In two games in Arizona, Drake has tallied 145 ground yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts (5.8 yards per attempt), he has hauled in 10 receptions for 58 yards.
Moving forward, the Cardinals will be running a committee. Johnson, with fewer snaps, has the opportunity to thrive in the Air Raid offense alongside Drake. The only thing holding him back is himself.
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