It wasn’t pretty, but the Chicago Bears got their fourth win of the season on Monday night in Minnesota. A big part of why that happened was the play of their latest draft class. Darnell Wright helped slow down star Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter. Gervon Dexter got heat on quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Terell Smith was steady in coverage all night. It was a terrific effort from the young guys. Perhaps the biggest unsung hero was Roschon Johnson, who put up 75 total yards from scrimmage when the offense needed every one of them.
Yet his most prominent highlight of the night was a block. Let’s set the stage. Early in the game, Johnson was responsible for picking up Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. on a blitz. Pace juked him badly, leading to a sack of Justin Fields.
Johnson seemed to take that personally. Later in the game, he was once again in pass protection. This time, Pace came up the middle, accompanied by Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith. The running back was ready this time, stonewalling both of them in one thunderous block and knocking them to the turf. It was fitting payback and sent a clear message that the Bears weren’t intimidated.
Roschon Johnson is one of the unsung heroes this season.
He’s accumulated 363 yards from scrimmage in ten games, which is impressive for a 4th round pick having to share a backfield with Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman. Yet what separates him has been his pass protection. He’s allowed only three pressures on the quarterback in 39 snaps. For context, Foreman allowed the same number in only 19 snaps. A running back who can block is probably one of the most underrated commodities a team can ask for on offense.
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It was one of the reasons Chicago drafted Roschon Johnson. They knew he could help them right away. The young man hasn’t disappointed. He has helped make life easier for Fields and should for the next few years. Moving forward, he needs to work on his ability to find running lanes. It remains an inconsistency for him. Nobody disputes his power and contact balance. The problem is he’s missing some opportunities. If that can climb up to match his blocking prowess, this will be an outstanding football player.
