Keys To Victory: Will The Bears Earn Their First Road Win Of 2018?
By Usayd Koshul
4. Shutdown David Johnson
In 2016, Johnson rushed for 1239 yards and scored 16 rushing touchdowns. However, his 2017 season was cut short due to injury. Even though he’s earned the label of being a workhorse running back by some, he hasn’t performed like it in 2018. So far, he’s only rushed for 85 yards through two games and has just one touchdown.
The goal with shutting down Johnson is getting consistent pressure on him. The Bears need to close up any potential gaps to make sure he doesn’t get into any sort of open field. Once he finds some open space on the second level, he can make anything happen. His impact is felt in both the running game and passing game.
In two games this season, the Bears defense has allowed just 143 rushing yards. That averages out to 71.5 yards per game. This is another reason to be cautious about a guy such as Johnson. The Bears cannot take Johnson’s slow start lightly. If they do, then Sunday could mean that he ends up breaking out and begin getting back to his old form.