Though he cost the Houston Texans a lot through a trade, there are positives about David Johnson joining the team for the 2020 season.
The Houston Texans had a nice running back in Carlos Hyde for the 2019 season as he was a replacement for Lamar Miller, who in his own right was a solid running back during his tenure with the Texans as well.
Even with those two quality players each having a 1,000-plus yard rushing season while in Houston, the Texans haven’t had a game-changing, all-world type of running back on the roster since Arian Foster made the Texans backfield his home.
That statement could change for the 2020 NFL season if David Johnson can become the player he was a few seasons ago before injuries and lack of playing derailed his path in the NFL. Think about it, Johnson in his second season in the NFL carried the football 293 times for his career-high 1,239 yards rushing, and he added 80 receptions that season for 879 yards. That ’16 season he also rushed for 16 touchdowns and caught four more scores.
Then he was hit with a serious injury where surgery on his wrist caused him to miss the final 15 games of the season, as the injury occurred in Week 1. The following season, Johnson returned to rush for 940 yards on 258 carries, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, though he did have seven rushing touchdowns. That same ’17 season, Johnson also caught 50 passes for 446 yards with three receiving touchdowns.
Then came last season where Johnson didn’t do so well with the Arizona Cardinals, eventually seeing the franchise trade for Kenyan Drake, causing Johnson not to be the starter. The rest is history, as he finished ’19 with 94 carries for 345 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, while also totaling 36 receptions for 370 yards and four touchdowns.
There can be a lot of positives for having Johnson lead the way at running back for the Texans, and though losing Hopkins is heartbreaking to say the least, Johnson — if healthy — can provide a spark for the Texans offense in their rushing game. Next are three reasons why Johnson can have a bounce-back year with the Texans in 2020.
3. Focus needs to be on him
The Houston Texans used to get their offense going by passing the football to DeAndre Hopkins in big moments, but since those days are in the rearview mirror, the offense needs to be focused on David Johnson and the rushing attack, as that can lead to him being the dual-threat player he was a couple seasons ago.
If Johnson can become a legitimate threat with his talent to run the football, that will open up his receiving chances too, and then the Texans offense can really reset and possibly take off. That said, it still comes down to how he runs with the football, and Johnson is on a path where he’s due to showcase his skills in a big way.
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Last season was a bust for Johnson as the Arizona Cardinals chose Kenyan Drake over him, and that’s OK, but now as a member of the Texans, Johnson has a real opportunity to be the best running back for the franchise since Arian Foster, as those are some large shoes to fill.
The Texans have had only two players rush for 1,000 or more yards in a season since Foster was an All-Pro, and though Lamar Miller and Carlos Hyde were very solid running backs and did their job well, none of them put fear in teams like Foster did.
Johnson can be the next Foster if he’s able to get back near to the form of 2016 where he was amazing in running, and catching, the football.
Making Johnson the focal point of the offense in 2020 is something Bill O’Brien and Tim Kelly must do to make the team a success.
2. His receiving abilities bring hope to the offense
If there is one aspect about the Houston Texans offense in 2020, it will be that they have running backs who can catch the football, as the “Johnson & Johnson” duo of David Johnson and Duke Johnson are sure to turn some heads with their ability to catch the football this upcoming season.
David Johnson is an exciting player when he catches the football, and not too long ago during the 2016 season he had the 879 yards receiving. Looking back at the season, some of his numbers are out of this world.
Johnson had one game in ’16 where he caught eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, and two other games where he caught for over 90 yards in a game that same season.
Even in ’18 when he caught for 446 yards on 50 receptions, Johnson had a game against the Kansas City Chiefs where he caught seven passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, and in that same game he rushed 21 times for 98 yards.
The skill set is still there for Johnson. Just last season, Johnson caught eight passes for 99 yards against the Seattle Seahawks, and in three other games he had receiving totals of 55 yards, 65 yards and 68 yards all within the first six weeks of the season.
The ability to make the Texans offense special with the way he catches the football makes for some exciting potential, and if a “bounce back” season were to occur, that skillset will need to be front and center.
1. A unstoppable duo could be in the works
Even with the loss of DeAndre Hopkins in the trade for Johnson, the Houston Texans offense can still have a great duo in Deshaun Watson to David Johnson, if the offensive line holds up and the play calling of Tim Kelly can be creative enough for it to work.
Johnson and Watson will be really fun to watch, especially with both of their abilities to run with the football, which could and should cause a lot of confusion for the opposing defense.
Last season with Carlos Hyde as the main running back, the duo of Watson and Hyde combined for 327 rushes for 1.483 yards and 13 touchdowns, with Hyde having 245 rushes for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. Watson finished last season rushing the football 82 times for 413 yards and seven touchdowns.
If done correctly and the offensive line can be a solid run blocking unit, don’t be surprised to see the Watson-and-Johnson duo make great strides for the offense in 2020.
As for the trade? Yes, losing Hopkins is no fun at all, but if Johnson can be near the player he was in ’16, well, that means the Texans offense could be the best it has been in quite some time in terms of being creative and scoring points.