Before we talk about how good new Texans running back David Johnson looked on the touchdown drive that gave Houston a 7-0 lead over the Chiefs, we must put fourth this absolute disclaimer: It was still ridiculous for Texans head coach/general manager/showrunner Bill O’Brien to trade receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for Johnson because Hopkins, one of the two best receivers in the league, wanted a contract extension.
That said, it’s been nice so far to see Johnson, who has battled injuries over the last few seasons, to look like he did in 2016, when he led the league in touches (373), total yards (2,118), and touchdowns (20). It’s early yet, but perhaps O’Brien and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly have more than we thought in their new running back. Between David and Duke Johnson (insert your Blazing Saddles jokes here), Deshaun Watson has some interesting options at the running back position.
And David Johnson, for his part, put together this really nice 19-yard touchdown run with 5:02 left in the first quarter.
David Johnson: First TD of the 2020 NFL season pic.twitter.com/fvqKFnG22C
— Kaelen Jones (@kaelenjones) September 11, 2020
“I don’t get into bounce-back seasons,” O’Brien said of Johnson on Tuesday. “I mean, this guy has been a very productive player in this league. He’s an excellent football player. He’s had a really good training camp for us. He’s an even better person. He’s been a great addition to our locker room, very professional. I think it’s really good when you have all these guys in your locker room that the young players can really look towards as great examples. David’s going to go out there and he’s going to play a good game. He’s going to play hard. He’s going to try to do everything the right way. Hopefully that’s something that our team is looking for and he’ll continue to do that.”
At his best, Johnson isn’t just a great running back — he’s also a player who gives his offense all kinds of options, because he can line up everywhere in the formation as a receiver. We’ll see how far Johnson is able to take this early rebirth.
(And yes, the trade was still ridiculous).
