NFL.com bold prediction: David Johnson leads NFC in yards from scrimmage
Jul 21, 2016, 3:00 PM | Updated: Jul 22, 2016, 11:30 am
Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown past Philadelphia Eagles' E.J. Biggers (38) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Arizona Cardinals’ offense has an incredible arsenal, and one player with the potential to have an explosive season is David Johnson.
NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison took a stab at bold predictions for each team and said that Johnson would lead the NFC in yards from scrimmage.
David Johnson turned it on last season after Chris Johnson went down in San Francisco in Week 12. Which is important, as this bold prediction isn’t solely based on David Johnson’s talents. While the kid showed what he could do, including in the passing game, bear in mind that Chris Johnson was fourth in the NFL in rushing at the time he got injured. For all the banter about Bruce Arians being an aggressive play caller, the man likes to run the football. Arizona was a top-10 rushing offense last year.
The rookie finished 19th in the NFC in yards from scrimmage (1,038) in 2015, even though he had just 161 touches and started five times.
Of the 10 NFC running backs ahead of Johnson in yards from scrimmage, only Tampa Bay’s Charles Sims had more yards per touch (6.90) than him (6.44).
Over the final six weeks of the regular season, Johnson averaged 4.7 yards per rush, while accumulating 114.5 yards per game and scoring six touchdowns. He averaged 19.5 touches per game in this stretch.
