Chiefs’ Johnson finally runs with the big dogs

By Clayton Wendler  |   Tuesday, January 02, 2007  |  Comments( 2 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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All year long, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson had been stuffed by the NFL's elite run defenses.

It started in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers held him in check for perhaps his worst performance as a professional - 15 carries, 26 yards, one meaningless touchdown.

It continued in Miami, where the Dolphins limited him to just 75 yards.

When Johnson met the Baltimore Ravens, sure, he gained 120 yards, but 47 came on one play and he never sniffed the end zone. Against the Chargers a week later, a meager 84 yards was the order of the day for Johnson, and he was again held scoreless.

That left just the Jacksonville Jaguars on the schedule, and their second-ranked run defense, looming in Week 17.

Marcus Stroud. John Henderson. Only two 100-yard rushers surrendered all season and only 3.4 yards per carry allowed during the team's first 15 games of the year.

Tiki Barber: 27 yards. Willie Parker: 20 yards. Brian Westbrook: 38 yards. These Jaguars were most definitely the big dogs.

The game started, and as luck would have it, Johnson ripped off a 12-yard gain on his first carry. But then things started to turn sour.

Johnson plowed ahead for two yards. He was stuffed for no gain. He was hit for a loss, twice.

It had been seven carries, and Johnson only had 14 yards rushing. It was happening again. The big dogs were eating L.J. alive, and there was no relief in sight.

And then something wonderful happened: Chiefs quarterback Trent Green got clobbered after an incomplete pass by Jacksonville defensive end Paul Spicer.

The personal foul seemed to wake up the Chiefs' offensive line. Left guard Brian Waters was incensed. He looked like he was ready to step into a boxing ring with all 11 members of the Jaguars' defense.

On the next play, the Chief O-line washed over Jacksonville's defense like a tidal wave. Johnson ran through a gaping hole, sidestepped a defender with a nifty move and just like that, gained 40 yards.

After that it was all downhill - no pun intended.

Johnson continued to bull his way through defenders. The Chiefs racked up almost 400 yards of offense. For the first time all year, Johnson walked into the end zone untouched, on a 13-yard scamper off left tackle.

You know that had to be a relief. Last season, it seemed like Johnson had one of those flag-football touchdowns every week. This season he's had to scratch and claw his way into the end zone, with the occasional dive over the pile.

On the day, Johnson racked up 138 yards on 33 carries, the best individual effort against Jacksonville's defense by any running back in 2006. He also scored three touchdowns. Only two players accomplished that against the Jaguars this season - Johnson, and Redskins wideout Santana Moss.

All of this in what was thought to be a meaningless game - or so the Chiefs thought. It's not as if Johnson had a crystal ball. He didn't know the San Francisco 49ers would shock the world with a win over the Denver Broncos just hours later, catapulting the Chiefs into the playoffs.

And yet, there he was, churning his way through the mud and slogging through defenders as if it was the most important game of the season.

As it turns out, the most important game of the season is this week's contest against the Indianapolis Colts, KC's first playoff game since 2003. The good news for Johnson is the Colts can hardly be compared to the big dogs of the NFL when it comes to defending the run. Indianapolis' 32nd-ranked run defense bears more resemblance to a pack of French poodles.
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