Arizona Cardinals star running back David Johnson is coming off a couple of tough years, but he is excited about what’s coming in 2019 with Kliff Kingsbury calling the shots.
Speaking about the offense, and his role in it, Johnson gushed over what he expects to be a very exciting campaign. He says Kingsbury wants the Cardinals to run “90 or 95 plays a game,” per the team’s website.
“With so many plays we’re trying to get in, I’ve got to be conditioned,” Johnson said with a smile.
Kingsbury will spread the field and run an offense that almost exclusively works out of shotgun formations. That suits Johnson just fine, and he expects to get back to the form that saw him dominate in 2016.
“I think I’ll be utilized as both a runner and a receiver,” Johnson said, adding, “I think there will be a lot more opportunities to get the ball, a lot more opportunities to score.”
Johnson is coming off a difficult 2018 season that saw him average just 3.6 yards per carry and score seven touchdowns on the ground — career-worst totals in both categories, apart from his 2017 injury-shortened season. Arizona’s coaching staff did a poor job of utilizing his strengths, and the entire offense suffered as well.
Looking ahead to the 2019 season under Kingsbury, Johnson is once again aiming to reach the elusive goal of 1,000 yards both on the ground and through the air. Based on the way the Cardinals will be spreading the field, that may not be as crazy as it seems.