Tag: Josh Johnson

Tunnel Vision of Week 9

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Lamar Jackson 266 – 120 3
 Justin Herbert 356 – 14 3
 Matt Ryan 343 – 8 3
 Josh Johnson 317 – 18 3
 Carson Wentz 272 – 16 3
Running Backs Yards TD
James Conner 21-96 rush
5-77 catch		 3
Jonathan Taylor 19-172 rush
2-28 catch		 2
Nick Chubb 14-137 rush
2-26 catch		 2
Joe Mixon 13-64 rush
5-46 catch		 2
Nyheim Hines 6-74 rush
4-34 catch		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Elijah Moore 7-84 2
Olamide Zaccheaus 3-58 2
DeVonta Smith 5-116 1
Malik Turner 5-33 2
Brandon Aiyuk 6-89 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
George Kittle 6-101 1
Travis Kelce 5-68 1
Stephen Anderson 4-39 1
Donald Parham 3-39 1
Darren Waller 7-92 0
Placekickers XP FG
Brandon McManus 1 3
Chase McLaughlin 5 2
Graham Gano 2 3
Matt Gay 1 3
Justin Tucker 4 2
Defense Sack – TO TD
Patriots 1 – 3 1
Browns 5 – 3 1
Titans 5 – 2 1
Texans 4 – 5 0
Dolphins 5 – 4 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Ezekiel Elliott – Knee (returned)
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Head
RB Damien Harris – Head
RB Zack Moss – Concussion
RB Devontae Booker – Hip
RB Chase Edmonds – Ankle
TE Jonnu Smith – Shoulder
TE Albert Okwuegbunam – Knee

Chasing Ambulances

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)
RB Damien Harris (NE) – Both New England backs  suffered head injuries which entailed laying on the ground for a bit (not on the same play). The Patriots are rarely forthcoming about injuries but both could end up in the concussion protocol. If either back is out for Week 10 against the Browns, Brandon Bolden becomes much more than the third-down back.

RB Zack Moss (BUF) – Left in the third quarter of the loss to the Jaguars, Moss is believed to have been concussed. That makes Devin Singletary the clear primary back if Moss it out. While the Bills are not a run-heavy offense, they face the Jets and their terrible run defense this week.

RB Devontae Booker (NYG) – Was knocked out of the win over the Raiders with a hip injury but was X-rayed  and said he was fine and wanted to return to the game.  The Giants are on bye this week and by Week 11, assumedly Saquon Barkley is back anyway.

RB Chase Edmonds (ARI) –  The Cardinals back only lasted for one play when he injured his ankle and left the win over the 49ers. In his absence, James Conner turned in a career day with 173 total yards and three touchdowns. Eno Benjamin used nine carries to gain 39 yards and a score during the mop-up portion of the game. Benjamin would be a bit player next week if Edmonds remains out, but Conner would again shoulder a large workload.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

RB Christian McCaffrey (CAR)  – Was reported to be on a pitch count in his first game since Week 3, but he was just as busy as before. McCaffrey was the leading rusher (14-52) and the leading receiver (4-54). Chuba Hubbard was left with only three carries for three yards and one catch. Until he is hurt again, Christian “The Franchise” McCaffrey is back in business.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE) – The Browns had little need to pass, but DPJ made the most of his two catches. He scored a 60-yard touchdown in the second quarter and added a 26-yard catch later in the game. He’s the favorite to replace Odell Beckham and already led the Cleveland receivers in his first start.

RB Javonte Williams (DEN) – After his first seven games rarely topped 50 rushing yards, the rookie turned in his first 100-yard effort when the Broncos beat the Cowboys in Dallas. Williams ran for 111 yards on 17 carries but failed to catch any passes for the first time as well.  Melvin Gordon still took the rushing touchdown on his 21 runs for 80 yards, but Williams is at least setting the stage for 2022 if the Broncos elect to let Gordon leave in free agency.

QB Matt Ryan (ATL) – With Calvin Ridley gone for an indeterminate amount of time, Ryan was held to a season-worst 146 passing yards and one score with two interceptions in Week 8 against the Panthers. Just when it seemed he’d taken a downward turn, Ryan turned in one of his best games of the year. He passed for 343 yards and two scores in the win over the Saints and even rushed in a touchdown. Cordarrelle Patterson (6-126) was his top receiver but both Russell Gage (7-64) and Kyle Pitts (3-62) helped out.

TE Darren Waller (LV) – The Raiders’ star tight end was stuck at 50-yard efforts this year and only scored once since Week 1. In the first game without Henry Ruggs, Waller returned as the primary receiver with seven catches for 92 yards. This week against the Chiefs should be an even more bountiful matchup.

RB Jordan Howard (PHI) – Two games since Miles Sanders left and Howard’s scored in each matchup. He ran 17 times for 71 yards and the touchdown in the Week 9 loss to the Chargers one week after rushing 12 times for 57 yards and two scores in the win over the Lions. Boston Scott (10-40) remains involved, but Howard is productive as the new lead back.

WR DeVonta Smith (PHI) – So much didn’t make sense this week. The Eagles’ rookie wideout hadn’t scored since the season opener and only managed one catch for 15 yards in Week 8 at the Lions. He faced the No. 2 defense against wideouts on Sunday against the Chargers. Naturally, he logged his best game of the year with five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

QB Jordan Love (GB) – The first start for the rookie could have gone better.  Facing the No. 28 defense against quarterbacks, Love was held to 190 yards and one score with one interception. He threw 14 passes at Davante Adams but only completed six for 42 yards. A score in the final five minutes salvaged his day.

QB Patrick Mahomes (KC) – At home against the No. 24 defense, Mahomes passed for 166 yards and one score. I’m just  going to leave that right there and walk away.

WR Brandon Aiyuk (SF) – The former first-round pick was a star as a rookie but then flopped this year while Deebo Samuel sponged up nearly every pass. He caught four passes for 45 yards in Chicago in Week 8 as a season-best. And he had a meeting with Kyle Shanahan where “words were exchanged,” and Aiyuk came away with a new dedication to practice. That translated into Week 9 where he again turned in a season-high six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

TE George Kittle (SF) – Returned after spending four weeks on injured reserve and posted six catches for 101 yards and a score in his first game back. He led the 49ers’ receivers but the game was almost entirely passing since the 49ers trailed throughout the loss to the Cardinals.

RB Jeff Wilson (SF) – He was active for the first time this year but did not have a carry. But realize, the next time you start Elijah Mitchell and really need him, Wilson will probably pick that week to get some work.

Titans backfield – The first game without Derrick Henry and the Titans opted for a three-man committee. D’Onta Foreman (5-29), Jeremy McNichols (7-24), and Adrian Peterson (10-21, TD) all shared in the workload and McNichols added three catches for 11 yards. Both Foreman and Peterson are new to the team, so the distribution is likely to shift. But, there is no free agent equivalent to Derrick Henry waiting to be picked up by a team. The No. 2 defense against running backs of the Saints is up next.

QB Josh Johnson (NYJ) – 1.02 pick of Zach Wilson hasn’t thrown for more than two scores or over 300 yards in any game as a rookie. He’s been replaced for the last two games by Mike White (405 pass yards, 3 TD) and once White was hurt in Week 9, Josh Johnson (317 pass yards, 3 TD) also played better than the rookie has. Maybe Wilson should get some seasoning on the bench for the rest of the year because  his backups are turning in Top-10 performances each week.

WR Elijah Moore (NYJ) – Playing with Zach Wilson meant that the rookie wideout topped out at four catches for 47 yards and only totaled nine receptions on the year. With Mike White in Week 8, Moore caught six passes for 67 yards. With Josh Johnson in Week 9, he caught seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson has to go through his learning curve, but Moore’s production has spiked without him.

Huddle player of the week

RB James Conner (ARI) –  The Cardinals backfield committee lost Chase Edmonds on the first play of the game and Conner never looked back. He rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, plus caught five passes for 77 yards and a third score. He already logged three games with two touchdowns, and now has his first three-score game.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Josh Jonson 335 3 QB Patrick Mahomes 166 1
RB Nyheim Hines 108 1 RB Aaron Jones 53 0
RB Devonta Freeman 83 1 RB Zack Moss 24 0
WR Olamide Zaccheaus 58 2 WR Davante Adams 42 0
WR Malik Turner 33 2 WR CeeDee Lamb 23 0
WR D. Peoples-Jones 86 1 WR Tyreek Hill 28 0
TE Donald Parham 39 1 TE Mark Andrews 44 0
PK Brandon McManus  1 XP   3 FG PK Greg Zuerlein   nope
Huddle Fantasy Points = 129 Huddle Fantasy Points = 33

Now get back to work…

5 standout stats from the Jets’ Week 9 loss to the Colts

The Jets’ defense put up historically-bad numbers against the Colts on Thursday night. Here are five surprising stats from the Week 9 loss.

Days after a triumphant upset win, the Jets crashed down to Earth in a 45-30 loss to the Colts.

The score indicates the Jets had a chance, but New York was never really in it after going down 42-10 midway through the third quarter. Josh Johnson played well in place of an injured Mike White, but he didn’t get anything going until after New York’s defense had already been trampled by the Colts.

The Jets have now allowed more than 500 yards of offense twice this season. They’ve only done that eight other teams in franchise history. If you think that’s an ugly stat, what until you see some other numbers from New York’s latest loss…

Josh Johnson records first 300-yard game 12 years after NFL debut

Josh Johnson couldn’t finish an improbable comeback against the Colts, but the Jets’ journeyman QB had the game of his career Thursday. He also joined a club with Joe Namath.

Josh Johnson’s comeback bid came up short against the Colts, but the Jets’ journeyman quarterback played admirably in relief of the injured Mike White on Thursday.

White exited after New York’s second drive of the 45-30 loss with a forearm injury. Johnson, playing in just his second NFL game since 2018 — his first came last Sunday in a brief relief stint — took over from there. Things started off slow as the 35-year-old practice squad call-up adjusted to teammates he hasn’t taken many reps with, but Johnson kept the score closer than the game ever was due to a shoddy Jets defense.

Johnson admitted to feeling “butterflies” when he entered, but he ultimately went 27-47 for 317 yards and three touchdowns. His late interception ended an improbable comeback attempt, but New York would have never hung around if not for the veteran.

“I thought he did an awesome job,” Robert Saleh said of the third-stringer. “He ran the offense the way it should be run. He hit receivers and moved the chains.”

Johnson first entered the league when the Buccaneers used a fifth-round draft pick on him in 2008. Thursday was the first time he ever threw for 300 yards or three touchdowns. It was his 35th NFL appearance.

Johnson, who has bounced all over the NFL and some other leagues, became the first Jets quarterback to throw three touchdowns in a game he didn’t start since Joe Namath did it in 1971, per The Associated Press’ Josh Dubow. The Jets, meanwhile, have now had two different passers throw for over 300 yards in consecutive games for the first time in franchise history, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

White threw for 405 yards against the Bengals.

One of the best performances of Johnson’s winding career didn’t end the way he wanted it to, though. Rather than focus on personal accomplishments, he noted that “this league is about wins and losses,” and New York didn’t win.

“You just try to go out and show the team can rely on me when need be,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do enough.

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Entire defense, Elijah Moore among Jets’ Studs & Duds in Week 9 loss to Colts

New York’s defense never showed for the Jets’ loss to the Colts. Jeff Ulbrich’s entire unit headlines our list of Studs & Duds.

Week 9 proved to be a major letdown for Gang Green.

Not only was the Jets’ 45-30 loss to the Colts a devastating blow to the team’s morale, but the defense played just as badly as it did against the Patriots and the offense lost Mike White early in the contest.

There were some solid performances, though. Elijah Moore continued his recent surge, Josh Johnson played admirably in place of White, and the Jets only lost by 15 points — though the score wasn’t indicative of how badly New York played.

Here, we’ll take a look at the studs and duds from the Jets’ loss to the Colts.

5 takeaways from the Jets’ deflating Week 9 loss to the Colts

Mike White got hurt on the Jets’ second drive and New York’s defense never showed. Takeaways from Gang Green’s 45-30 loss:

Apparently, the Jets used up all their magic on the Bengals.

The Colts handed it to the Jets on Thursday after Mike White suffered a right forearm injury on New York’s second drive and did not return. Gang Green’s defense, meanwhile, never showed as the Colts cruised to a commanding 45-30 win.

Reality hit the Jets hard on Thursday night. White or no White, Gang Green is still a flawed football team with plenty to improve upon as the season goes on. Here are five takeaways from New York’s Week 9 loss.

Jets vs. Colts Week 9 recap: Everything we know

The Colts embarrassed New York on national television after Gang Green lost Mike White early. Here’s a recap of the action for any Jets fans in search of more pain:

With the Jets only a few days removed from their most exciting win in years, some thought Gang Green could provide some Thursday night entertainment against the Colts.

Instead, it was the Same Old Jets in Week 9. Mike White, the NFL’s newest folk hero, left early with an injury, but Josh Johnson played well in his place. That didn’t matter much considering New York’s defense never showed up for the 45-30 bludgeoning, though. It was hardly the Jets’ first deflating loss of the season, but this one was among the most disappointing after stunning the Bengals in Week 8.

Here’s a quick breakdown of New York’s sixth defeat this season.

Jets QB Mike White questionable to return vs. Colts

Jets quarterback Mike White is questionable to return against the Colts with a right forearm injury.

Jets QB Mike White is questionable to return against the Colts with a right forearm injury.

White suffered the injury on New York’s second drive of the game, which ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass by White to Elijah Moore. White was taken into the blue medical tent for further evaluation. It remains to be seen if he will return to the field against Indianapolis.

Josh Johnson, who briefly spelled White in the third quarter of the Jets’ Week 9 upset of the Bengals, came in under center for New York with the Colts leading early in the second quarter.

Check back with Jets Wire for more on White’s injury.

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Ty Johnson, Sheldon Rankins among 5 unsung heroes in Jets’ win over Bengals

Players like Ty Johnson and Sheldon Rankins didn’t necessarily star against the Bengals, but they were among the unsung heroes in Week 8.

The Jets shocked the Bengals in Week 8 with backup quarterback Mike White under center. White had a game for the ages, throwing for over 400 yards and three touchdowns to lead New York to a 34-31 come-from-behind victory.

Players on both sides of the ball shined for New York, though not everyone received equal credit for fending off a Bengals team that traveled to MetLife Stadium fresh off its biggest regular-season win in a long time. Here, we’ll take a look at some unsung heroes who flew under the radar in the Jets’ Week 8 win.

5 takeaways from the Jets’ thrilling Week 8 win over the Bengals

Mike White’s 400-yard performance and late-game heroics were enough for the Jets to get back in the win column. Takeaways from the triumph:

Not many people gave the Jets a chance to give the Bengals a run for their money after New York’s 41-point loss to the Patriots last weekend — and understandably so.

Instead of rolling over and giving in after the embarrassment suffered in Foxborough with a surging Cincinnati team in town, the Jets bounced back and fought in Week 8. Mike White set the tone early by leading New York to its first first-quarter touchdown of the season and made countless clutch throws late in the game to get the Jets back in the win column with a thrilling 34-31 triumph.

It looked like Gang Green was going to fall short when it went down 31-20 on a Joe Burrow touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd with 7:29 remaining. White hit Ty Johnson for a score with 4:36 left to keep New York alive, though, and then Shaq Lawson delivered with an interception to give the Jets the ball deep in Bengals territory.

White took advantage, hitting ex-Bengal Tyler Kroft on a go-ahead, 13-yard touchdown pass. White then caught a two-point conversion from Jamison Crowder on Mike LaFleur’s version of the “Philly Special.” New York’s defense stood tall over the final 3:45 and White sealed the game with a quarterback sneak on 3rd-and-1 south of the two-minute warning.

Give the Jets credit for even coming to play in Week 8, let alone winning. Recent versions of Gang Green would have rolled over after the loss it suffered to the Patriots.

Here are some other takeaways from New York’s thrilling second win of the season.

Jets QB Mike White will start vs. Bengals, Joe Flacco’s arrival delayed

As expected, Robert Saleh named Mike White the Jets’ QB1 vs. the Bengals. Joe Flacco, meanwhile, won’t join the Jets until Friday.

QB Mike White will start for the Jets this Sunday against the Bengals, Robert Saleh announced.

White is filling in for Zach Wilson, who sprained his PCL against the Patriots in Week 7. Wilson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

White completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 202 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in three quarters against New England. It was his NFL debut.

“We have a lot of faith in Mike,” Saleh said Wednesday, restating his confidence in the inexperienced quarterback. “Mike has done a hell of a job. He’s earned this right to go out there and play on Sunday and show what he’s capable of.”

Saleh was non-committal to White starting beyond Week 8, though. The Jets just reacquired longtime starter Joe Flacco in a trade with the Eagles, and he has experience in a similar offense. However, the veteran won’t practice with the Jets until Friday due to personal reasons. While Flacco will participate in virtual meetings in the meantime, his delayed arrival may leave him inactive against the Bengals.

If that’s the case, Josh Johnson will be elevated from the practice squad. Johnson has not played in an NFL game since 2018.

The Jets’ lack of a veteran quarterback with recent experience was widely panned over the offseason and summer. The team had an interest in re-signing Flacco, who backed up Sam Darnold last offseason, but Flacco ultimately signed with Philadelphia. Saleh implied that Flacco chose the Eagles but added, “We’re happy he’s here now.”

Saleh also said that New York still has not determined if Wilson will land on injured reserve.

In other injury news, LB Jarrad Davis, P Braden Mann and DE Kyle Phillips were designated to return to practice. Davis could make his Jets debut in Week 8 after suffering an ankle injury over the summer. RB Tevin Coleman (hamstring), DE Bryce Huff (back), TE/FB Trevon Wesco (knee) and LB Quincy Williams (concussion) did not participate Wednesday.

LB C.J. Mosley (hamstring) returned after sitting out Week 7.

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