FiveThirtyEight: David Johnson is the midseason NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Nov 8, 2016, 10:00 AM | Updated: 11:12 am
Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
David Johnson hasn’t let down anyone bold enough to praise him.
The Arizona Cardinals running back has followed individual accolades thrown his way with more and more production.
The latest bit of praise comes from FiveThirtyEight.com’s Chase Stuart, who named the Cardinals’ second-year pro his pick as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year at the midway point of the season.
He’s averaging over 80 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving per game, which has only been accomplished by four other players in NFL history. But what’s most impressive has been his consistency: Johnson has gained at least 100 yards from scrimmage in every game this year, making him just the 12th player since 1960 to do that in each of his team’s first eight games. Every other player this year has at least three team games in which they failed to gain 100 total yards.
Johnson has compiled 1,112 yards from scrimmage in eight games, and his consistency and sturdiness as Arizona has put more responsibility on him hasn’t changed the fact that he’s productive with each touch of the football. The running back is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and 11.6 yards per reception.
Broken down, he’s rushed for 705 yards and 407 on receptions with all eight of his touchdowns coming on the ground.
The only way for Johnson to build on earning this unofficial, midseason Offensive Player of the Year award from a stats website?
Win the real thing handed out by the Associated Press at the end of the year.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility.
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