With Julio Jones landing on the Injured Reserve list earlier this week, the Tennessee Titans needed someone else to step up from the wide receiver group in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints.
All year long, the Titans have preached the “next man up” mentality, and on Sunday, that player was Marcus Johnson.
After making his Titans debut in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars to the tune of three receptions for 52 yards, the 27-year-old had just one catch over the last four weeks.
“These last couple of weeks have been tough,” Johnson admitted after the Titans’ 23-21 win. “I kind of felt like I hit a wall, and you know, I just locked in, kept ringing it out, and trusting my routine.”
That process of grinding through paid off significantly on Sunday against the Saints, as Johnson hauled in five catches for a team-high 100 receiving yards. The yardage total was eight shy of Johnson’s career-high.
He gained half of that in the first quarter with the Titans facing a second-and-6 from their own 24-yard line.
The play itself was fairly straightforward, with Johnson running a slant route and catching the ball eight yards beyond the line of scrimmage. From there, the former Indianapolis Colt displayed his speed and was off the races before being brought down at the New Orleans 26-yard line after a gain of 50.
“What really opened me up was the burst off the line,” he explained. “I committed to full speed, and Ryan [Tannehill] saw me. As soon as I caught it, it was immediate separation and was able to take it out. I should have taken it to the house- there were two opportunities to take it to the house, so I gotta find a way to get in the end zone.”
Marcus Johnson gains 50 yards to put the @Titans in New Orleans territory!
📺: #NOvsTEN on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/uKPW8v9hvs— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2021
Johnson ended up having one catch on each of the Titans’ five scoring drives.
With Jones out for at least the next two weeks, and with the Titans struggling to find traction on the ground without Derrick Henry, the Titans will continue to need players from their receiving group to step up.
As a result, Johnson could end up playing a bigger role than anticipated when he was initially signed.
“It feels great,” Johnson said of his performance. “I obviously believe in myself, but sometimes you need to show it. You need to prove yourself right, as well as anybody else who needs to see it. So it was big for me, and I am thankful I was able to contribute like that.”
The Titans will host the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium next Sunday, with kickoff set for noon CT.
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