Even On One Leg, Lane Johnson Helps Shut Down Nick Bosa
PHILADELPHIA – Kyle Shanahan lost his starting quarterback in the NFC Championship Game because of the disrespect he had for Haason Reddick.
Imagine, thinking you could block one of the preeminent pass rushers in the NFL Reddick with a backup tight end.
Brock Purdy was hurt because Reddick, the owner of 16 sacks in the regular season, went right around San Francisco’s backup tight end Tyler Kroft like one of Septa’s Broad Street Line’s turnstile and karate chopped Purdy’s wrist, forcing the ball out and, at the same time causing a UCL tear that will sideline the upstart 49ers quarterback for six months.
Then Shanahan almost got his backup, Josh Johnson, killed when he tried to use receiver Jauan Jennings and tight end George Kittle crossing across the formation to block Reddick, who had none of it and, untouched, bowled over Johnson with a full head of steam.
Imagine, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni trying to use Grant Calcaterra to block 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa then, later, letting Quez Watkins and Dallas Goedert run across the formation to try to stop Bosa.
The Eagles didn’t need to do any of that.
Lane Johnson was all the Eagles needed to neutralize Bosa, who had 18.5 sacks in the regular season, along with help from left tackle Jordan Mailata.
Nick Bosa tried both sides of the Eagles' offensive line but was stonewalled on each side.
He had zero sacks and zero hurries against the Eagles. While he showed up in the run game with four tackles, two for losses, Johnson and Mailata never let him close enough to inflict any harm on Jalen Hurts.
Bosa played 59 snaps and didn’t get a single QB hit or hurry against either Johnson or Mailata, who even pancaked Bosa on one passing play.
Johnson said afterward he was nervous before the game playing against Bosa and explained why.
“Because I was on one leg,” he said. “One false move and he could (bleeping) put you on your ass. He could strip-sack it. Especially when you’re (bleeping) backed up at the 6, 7-yard line. You have to pay attention to your set lines and getting off the ball because if you don’t, you’re (bleeped).”
Johnson talked after the 31-7 win for the first time since he revealed after the regular season ended that he had a torn adductor and would require surgery.
He talked about his rehab process, the work he does in the team’s training room and then more work at home. He uses an ARP (accelerated recovery performance) machine and a hyperbaric chamber.
“What gave me confidence was my doctor when I asked him about if football players came back and played that quickly,” said Johnson. “He said, no, but hockey players have, but then when I found out (Saints DE) Cam Jordan played through it, I was like, ‘Goddammit, if he can do it, I can do it.’”
Johnson is doing it all right.
In 53 pass-blocking snaps over two postseason games, Johnson hasn’t allowed a sack or a QB hit, with just two pressures, per CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr.
On one leg.
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.