Arizona Cardinals superstar running back David Johnson has been criminally underutilized so far this year, and on Sunday he wasn’t on the field for a key play.
It was third-and-2 with just two minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals were down 16-14. Rookie Josh Rosen had just been inserted into the game after Sam Bradford continued to stink up the joint.
Yet Johnson was not on the field.
Instead, Chase Edmonds — a fourth-round rookie out of Fordham — lined up behind Rosen and promptly lost three yards, setting up fourth-and-5 from the Chicago 45-yard line. One play later, Rosen threw the game-sealing interception.
On Monday, Johnson revealed the reason why he was not in the game for these critical plays.
David Johnson said he was pulled off the field after missing a block on the second-down play before the crucial third-and-2 in the fourth quarter to talk with RB coach Kirby Wilson.
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) September 24, 2018
My goodness.
So, the Cardinals thought it was more important to scold their superstar running back than let him redeem himself and potentially help win a game?
That’s asinine.
We’re all for using mistakes as teachable moments. But the timing here is just too much.
The Cardinals appear to be tanking hard here in Steve Wilks’ first season at the helm. Which is a shame, because there is some darn good talent on both sides of the ball.