Will this Chicago Bears rookie have his best game against the Arizona Cardinals?
In two of the last three games, Roschon Johnson has had his highest snap counts with the Chicago Bears. Johnson played 75% of the snaps, 51 total in week 12, and 53% of the snaps, 37 in week 15. In between, he played just 18 snaps in week 14, which was just 32%. So, while there is optimism that Roschon Johnson has ascended to their top back, there is also a question about who will lead the way against the Arizona Cardinals, one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL.
Roscon Johnson may not lead the way for the Chicago Bears
Johnson has been the more productive back of the three-man committee. Khalil Herbert and D’onta Foreman have both been banged up, and neither of them have been able to find their footing in recent weeks. This has led Johnson to be the top man by default.
On top of that, in two of the last three games, the Bears faced teams who bring serious pressure. Whether it be the blitzing of Brian Flores or the Myles Garrett chips of the offensive tackles, the Bears have needed extra pass protection in two of the last three weeks, and Johnson has played more because of this.
He is far and away the Chicago Bears' best pass protector, and Foreman has serious issues here. Now, the Chicago Bears will not need the extra pass protection nearly as much against the Cardinals. Does this mean that Johnson does not play as much?
Foreman played 56% in week 14 when the Lions did not have much of a pass rush, but he was down to 23% the following. It could have been because he struggled and is still coming back from injury, but it could easily be because the Bears did not want him on the field against the vicious pass rush of the Browns. They could go right back to Foreman.
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This is a juicy matchup for whoever leads the way, but the Bears may not have a leading rusher. Will it be Foreman, Johnson, or the dark horse Herbert?