Chiefs Say Rookie Emmett Johnson Did This to Set Up Successful First NFL Start

Just like they have been all season long, the Kansas City Chiefs were shorthanded heading into their Week 10 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons. This time, however, it wasn't a wide receiver or offensive line injury that put the team behind the eight-ball.

It was a groin ailment for star running back Kenneth Walker, who's been one of the best players at his position since coming over to Kansas City. Normally, losing someone of his caliber would be so detrimental that it played a role in the upcoming game being much closer than expected.

Not in the Chiefs' case, though. Rookie Emmett Johnson stepped right up to the plate and essentially hit a home run in the process, going off for a pair of scores in his first NFL start. There wasn't much decline, if any, from Walker's production from a qualitative standpoint.

What prepared Johnson for such an outstanding showing? Speaking to the media following the 35-13 win, head coach Andy Reid pointed to him simply being prepared.

"So I look at the players," Reid said. "The players have confidence in him. The players, they're going to tell you the whole story. When a kid comes in and he's good, you know he's good. Obviously, he's doing the right things as far as protections go, so the cerebral part of the game, he's taking care of that part. Knowing the plays, the direction of the plays, how to set up the plays, all of those things, he's got. And then he has that skill that goes with it. And he wants to be in there. He's a great kid that way."

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes echoed that sentiment. Being ready to meet the moment goes a long way in Kansas City, and the former Nebraska man followed that to a T.

"Yeah, I mean, he did a great job," Mahomes said. "He runs tough, he runs hard, he breaks tackles. And then whenever he gets chances in the receiving game, he catches the ball and makes plays there too as well. I'm happy for him, because he comes in with the right mindset every single day. I've talked about it — he has a smile on his face, he wants to be great, he wants to contribute in any way possible.

"Obviously, [with] what happened to Kenneth and how great he's playing, he hasn't gotten as many opportunities. But when his number got called, he stepped in and made the plays happen. That's going to be great to have as the season goes on and we get Kenneth back, that one-two punch."

Johnson toted the ball 22 times on the ground for 101 yards, good for a 4.6 yard-per-carry average. He also was one of Mahomes' top receiving options, converting on six of seven targets for 70 yards and two of the superstar quarterback's five touchdowns on the afternoon.

In the victory, Johnson joined the San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey as the only halfbacks this decade with at least 100 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the same game.

The impressive stats don't stop there. Per NFL Pro, Johnson forced 10 missed tackles and gained 80 of his 171 scrimmage yards after doing so. He owns a higher forced missed tackle rate (45.6%) than any player at his position with 50 or more touches.

Kansas City expects Walker, who missed Friday's practice, back for next Sunday's contest against the Arizona Cardinals. If anything changes between now and then, the club can rest assured knowing it has a more than capable replacement.

Johnson has plenty of skill, as Reid alluded to, but the secret sauce is him pairing that with having adjusted to life in the NFL at a lightning-fast pace. It makes everyone around him more confident, with Mahomes at the top of the list.

"For sure, and he's put in the work for that," Mahomes said. "I don't think anyone can replace Kenneth and the special ability he has running and catching the football, but to have someone who can do it in their own way and can make plays happen and break tackles, that's what you want on the team is guys to be able to step up and make plays. It was late notice, obviously, with everything happening, but he was ready and prepared to go out there and have a great day."

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google