We just dropped our second game of the season in Week 8, falling 28-24 to the Denver Broncos. Yeah, it stings, especially against a division rival. But even in a tough loss, one player absolutely exploded and showed everyone what he’s capable of. Seriously, if you weren’t watching, you missed a rookie masterclass.
Emmett Johnson Put the League on Notice
Hands down, rookie running back Emmett Johnson was the best player on the field for us against the Broncos. He balled out, pulling in five catches for 128 yards, including a ridiculous 73-yard receiving touchdown. He only got one carry, but even that went for 15 yards. That long touchdown? Total genius from head coach Andy Reid and the staff. The Broncos love to blitz on third downs, sending their nickel. The plan was to keep Johnson in protection, but Reid flipped the script. We had Johnson leak across the formation on a wheel route, and Denver totally messed up the coverage. One of their defensive linemen, probably the defensive end, should have dropped back to cover him. Instead, it was Johnson in a footrace with a defensive end, and come on, you know Johnson is winning that every single time.
Reid wanted to isolate Denver’s linebackers in space, and Johnson absolutely delivered. The Broncos were in Quarters coverage against our 2×2 formation. Travis Kelce running a 12-yard in route occupied their boundary cornerback, leaving him unable to recover to the flat. Rashee Rice ran an underneath route, drawing the backside linebacker away. This left the other linebacker stuck covering Johnson in the flat, and with the coverage flooded, he had zero chance. Johnson just blew right by him for another explosive play. I’ve been high on Johnson since his Nebraska days because of his insane agility and balance, and we saw it all over again in this game. He made a defensive end miss after right tackle Jaylon Moore whiffed on a block, juked a linebacker inside, hit a deceleration move to fool the safety, spun out of an arm tackle, and gained 15 yards. That’s pure talent, stuff he showed consistently in college, and it’s translating to the NFL. Now, he’s up to 237 receiving yards on the year. He’s been lights out on third downs, which is huge for spelling our lead back, Kenneth Walker. Look, I’m saying it: Johnson needs to get into the rotation for carries. Some folks argue it takes Walker off the field, and Walker has a greater chance of explosives. But come on, giving Johnson more carries keeps Walker fresher and saves him for those big plays. Honestly, we should probably be throwing the ball less than we are now and featuring both Johnson and Walker more often in the run game. What are we waiting for?
The Head-Scratching Play Call Before the Missed Kick
Yeah, Emmett Johnson was fire, but we still lost. And while there’s been some chatter about Andy Reid’s playcalling, and I honestly think the offense played about as well as you could hope for, there was one call that just made you scratch your head. That 3rd and 2 play call right before the missed kick? Oof. You just can’t have that. This team is already trying to overcome two shaky tackles going up against a great Denver defense, so every single call needs to be perfect. When you’ve got a dynamic rookie like Johnson showing what he can do, you gotta ride that momentum.
So, where do we go from here? We just dropped our second game, and every decision from here on out matters. With a talent like Emmett Johnson emerging, the coaching staff needs to figure out how to maximize his impact while keeping Kenneth Walker fresh. We know what we’ve got in Johnson, and it’s exciting. We’ve seen the flashes, the big plays, the pure athleticism. Now, we need to see it consistently, and that means giving him the rock more often. Let’s clean up the play calls and unleash our full arsenal, especially with a talent like Johnson ready to explode even further.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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