The Cardinals have dealt with enough injury issues at running back of late. When David Johnson suffered a quad contusion on the first possession against the Vikings on Thursday night, it hobbled him, but it wasn’t going to keep him out of the game.
It’s a good thing, too, because the rookie again performed well in his second career start in place of Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington.
Johnson finished with 19 carries for 92 yards and added five catches for 31 yards in the 23-20 victory. His longest catch was 14 yards and it was also the biggest, as the third-down conversion with the clock under two minutes set up the game-winning field goal.
“Everyone was saying they needed me, and I didn’t want to be the guy that let our team down,” Johnson said. “I knew it was on my shoulders.”
Johnson’s longest run of the night was 24 yards, which was originally ruled 26 and a touchdown before it was overturned on review.
While he averaged 4.8 yards per carry, Johnson wasn’t satisfied with the performance. He thought the type of running lanes the offensive line gave him should have resulted in better production.
“I was thinking too much (Thursday),” Johnson said. “I’ve just got to let the game come to me. I missed a few holes. Some of the plays I wish I could get back.”
Johnson rode the stationary bike on the Cardinals sideline in between offensive possessions and had to tap out of the game for a play after his final catch. He’s looking forward to the longer-than-usual break before next week’s “Sunday Night Football” matchup against the Eagles.
“I’m definitely going to get as healthy as I can,” Johnson said. “Cold tub, treatment, everything.”
