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The Oakland Raiders have an intriguing matchup ahead of them in Week 11 action going up against the Arizona Cardinals.
This will put the Raiders in the spot of having to prepare a game plan for former Pro Bowl running back David Johnson. According to Mike Jurecki of AZCardinals.com, head coach Jon Gruden heaped some huge praise toward Johnson regarding his ability to be a versatile offensive factor for the Cardinals.
Jon Gruden on RB David Johnson
Gruden “He’s a ‘joker.’ I call him ‘a joker’ because you can line him up in any hand. You can put him in the I-formation. You can offset him in the shotgun. You can line him up at wide receiver or the shotgun. He’s a complete, modern-day back.”
— Mike Jurecki (@mikejurecki) November 14, 2018
In his first four years in the league, Johnson has proven that he is one of the top running back behind his ability to impact the game greatly as a runner and receiving out of the backfield. When healthy, he has proven to be a game-changing factor that can carry an offense as the primary option.
Johnson hasn't exactly produced in the manner that he had hoped to begin the year but has recorded 492 rushing yards with six touchdowns along with 31 receptions for 292 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Johnson is coming off his best performance of the year posting 98 rushing yards and a touchdown along with seven catches for 85 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 26-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He isn't far removed from setting the franchise records for yards from scrimmage (2,118) and touchdowns (20) that earned him his first Pro Bowl selection and First-Team All-Pro nod back in 2016.
The 26-year-old could have the chance in front of him to build on that against a struggling Raiders defense that ranks 24th overall along with being 21st against the pass, and 30th against the run. This could set the table for a huge performance form Johnson right in front of Gruden to further showcase why he is one of the premier offensive talents in the league. Oakland is giving up 141.0 yards per game and nine rushing touchdowns, which is the eighth-highest total in the NFL.
