Emmett Johnson touched the ball six times against Denver and six times against the Jets. In Denver, Patrick Mahomes threw to him on third-and-10 with Kansas City ahead by one. Against New York, Johnson’s first handoff came with 8:25 left and the Chiefs ahead by 16. The workload stayed the same. The job changed.
Across those two games, Johnson had five catches and seven carries. Four catches came with the teams within eight points. Only one handoff did. Kansas City has already trusted the rookie to help keep a close game in its hands. The Chiefs signed off on one close-game handoff to Johnson in two games. On the other requests, they elected to pass.
What A Four-Yard Catch Reveals About Emmett Johnson’s Role
Johnson caught all five of his targets for 128 yards in Denver. The 73-yard touchdown and a 38-yard catch accounted for 111 of them. The better indicator of his role in Denver was how often Mahomes looked for him on third down.
Four of those five targets came on third down. Denver got off the field twice anyway. Johnson gained eight on third-and-10 and five on third-and-six. On the other two, the Chiefs needed 10 and got 73, then needed three and got four. That last catch came at Denver’s 42 with 4:40 left and Kansas City protecting a 24–21 lead. Four yards on third-and-three. A yard to spare, which qualifies as extravagance around here.
We know Mahomes threw to Johnson on those plays. Where Johnson ranked in his progression is harder to pin down. Still, on a day when Johnson played just 13 offensive snaps, four ended with Mahomes targeting him on third down. That’s a specific kind of trust, and it survived the two catches that came up short.
Six Carries Against The Jets Came With A 16-Point Cushion
Against the Jets, Emmett Johnson and Kenneth Walker III each averaged 5.7 yards per carry against New York. Walker ran 18 times for 102 yards. Johnson ran six times for 34. Apparently, 5.7 yards per carry comes in two sizes. Walker got the family pack. Johnson got a sample. Walker opened the second half with an 11-yard run while Kansas City led 14–12. Kansas City led 28–12 before each of Johnson’s six carries.
Johnson did something with the opportunity. On the touchdown drive alone, he took five handoffs for 31 of Kansas City’s 57 yards. Four came on first down, including consecutive gains of 12 and seven. The fifth came on third-and-three from the six. Denver had seen him convert that distance as a receiver. Against the Jets, three Chiefs reported eligible before Johnson took the third-and-three handoff up the middle for a six-yard touchdown.
It shows that Johnson can handle consecutive early-down carries and stay in to finish the drive. The score gave Kansas City room to try it. Would the Chiefs have given Johnson that same series with a 14–12 lead? All six carries came after the lead reached 16.
End Of My Emmett Johnson Rant
Denver offered one glimpse. With the Chiefs ahead 17–13 in the third quarter, Johnson took a second-and-two handoff at the Broncos’ 44 and gained 15 yards. It was his only carry of the game. Walker had already shown what he could do with a short-yardage handoff, turning third-and-one against the Chargers into a 33-yard touchdown. Back in Denver, trailing 28–24 on its final possession, Kansas City gave Walker four handoffs and threw him an eight-yard pass. Walker carried from the four to the one, then got the ball again on third-and-goal. With the game on the line, the Chiefs turned to Walker for both the handoffs and the short completion.
Give Johnson a series in the first half of a one-score game, with a chance to carry on first or second down and stay on the field if Kansas City reaches third. It would let the Chiefs answer a question these games leave open. Can Johnson pick up enough yards on first down to keep the playbook open, then give Mahomes a reliable target if the Chiefs need to throw? Walker earned his work against New York. The case for that series is what Kansas City still has to learn about Johnson. The Chiefs know they can throw to him with a lead in doubt. They know he can finish a drive with a lead in hand. Somewhere between third-and-10 and a 16-point cushion, there ought to be a first-and-10 with his name on it.
