FloridaChief
09-23-2004, 01:11 AM
Texas hold 'em: Chiefs focusing on Johnson
Houston receiver has T.O.-like talent minus attitude
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
Quarterback David Carr is the national face of the 3-year-old Houston Texans franchise, but the cover of the 2004 media guide features two other young Texans: wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Domanick Davis.
All three will be playing Sunday when the 0-2 Texans and 0-2 Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium. While the Chiefs are well aware of Carr and Davis' talent, Johnson will be the scariest player in a Texans uniform.
“He's another one of those big, strong, fast guys that you're seeing all over the league nowadays,” Chiefs safety Jerome Woods said. “As a quarterback, that's what you want: a big, fast guy running downfield. It's that Randy Moss, Terrell Owens-type where you just throw it up there and believe that the guy is going to come down with the ball.”
Houston selected Johnson with the third overall pick of the 2003 draft, and he has quickly carved out a space for himself with the game's elite wideouts. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Johnson burst on the scene as a rookie last season with 66 receptions for 976 yards and four touchdowns.
Johnson started all 16 games, received two NFL rookie of the week awards and finished second to Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin for the NFL's rookie of the year award.
Johnson put up better numbers than any receiver selected in the top five over the last 20 years. Eight wide receivers have been selected with one of the first five selections in the NFL draft since 1984, and Johnson had more receptions and yards than any of them as a rookie.
The Chiefs would love to get their hands on a young receiver like Johnson, but as coach Dick Vermeil pointed out, “You have to lose 12 or 13 games to get one of those guys.”
The only things keeping Johnson away from national acclaim are the Texans' poor record, little national attention — they will make only one appearance on prime-time national TV this season — and Johnson's lack of a look-at-me attitude.
Johnson doesn't perform any orchestrated touchdown celebrations like Philadelphia's Terrell Owens and has yet to declare himself un-coverable, like Cincinnati's Chad Johnson.
Johnson might have attended the University of Miami but displays an attitude that is positively un-Hurricane-like.
“Me not getting attention is nothing new,” Johnson said. “Nobody thought I would be the third pick in the draft, so that's nothing new. I just go out and play and don't really spend a lot of time looking for attention. I'm focused on helping us win.”
A humble Hurricane?
“Everybody tells me they don't really believe I went to the University of Miami,” Johnson said with a laugh. “But that's just how I am.”
But Johnson just might be the best wide receiver to come out of Miami since Michael Irvin broke in with the Cowboys in 1988. Other former Miami receivers in the NFL include the Colts' Reggie Wayne and the Jets' Santana Moss.
The Chiefs learned how dangerous Johnson can be when he turned in the best performance of his brief career when the teams met in Houston last season. Johnson burned the Chiefs with seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yarder that tied the score 7-7 in the second quarter.
“I don't think a lot about last year because that's in the past,” Johnson said of facing the Chiefs. “But I am looking forward to coming up to Arrowhead and playing those guys again.”
Johnson presents problems because he's big enough to outleap or outmuscle smaller corners and also fast enough to outrun bigger corners and/or safeties. Last season, Johnson led all AFC receivers with 445 yards after the catch, and his 6.7 yards after the catch average was highest among the NFL's top 10 receivers.
“People are going to know where Andre is on the field because he's a big, strong guy who has the speed to go deep on you,” Houston coach Dom Capers said. “The more production he has, the more attention he's going to draw like any of the top receivers.”
Defensive coordinators who don't pay attention to Johnson end up paying the price.
When the Lions sneaked safety Bracy Walker, a former Chief, toward the line of scrimmage on Johnson's side in a tight game last week, Johnson shook the bump-and-run coverage of cornerback Chris Cash, hauled in Carr's perfect pass and raced to a 54-yard touchdown.
“That happened earlier in the game and we missed it, so I came to the sideline and told my coaches about it, and they said we'd get back to it,” Johnson said. “When we caught them in that same defense again, we were able to make them pay for it.”
The Chiefs will go into Sunday's game trying to limit Johnson's big-play opportunities.
“That's what has been hurting us — the big plays,” Woods said. “And he's one of those guys who can break one.”
Houston receiver has T.O.-like talent minus attitude
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
Quarterback David Carr is the national face of the 3-year-old Houston Texans franchise, but the cover of the 2004 media guide features two other young Texans: wide receiver Andre Johnson and running back Domanick Davis.
All three will be playing Sunday when the 0-2 Texans and 0-2 Chiefs meet at Arrowhead Stadium. While the Chiefs are well aware of Carr and Davis' talent, Johnson will be the scariest player in a Texans uniform.
“He's another one of those big, strong, fast guys that you're seeing all over the league nowadays,” Chiefs safety Jerome Woods said. “As a quarterback, that's what you want: a big, fast guy running downfield. It's that Randy Moss, Terrell Owens-type where you just throw it up there and believe that the guy is going to come down with the ball.”
Houston selected Johnson with the third overall pick of the 2003 draft, and he has quickly carved out a space for himself with the game's elite wideouts. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Johnson burst on the scene as a rookie last season with 66 receptions for 976 yards and four touchdowns.
Johnson started all 16 games, received two NFL rookie of the week awards and finished second to Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin for the NFL's rookie of the year award.
Johnson put up better numbers than any receiver selected in the top five over the last 20 years. Eight wide receivers have been selected with one of the first five selections in the NFL draft since 1984, and Johnson had more receptions and yards than any of them as a rookie.
The Chiefs would love to get their hands on a young receiver like Johnson, but as coach Dick Vermeil pointed out, “You have to lose 12 or 13 games to get one of those guys.”
The only things keeping Johnson away from national acclaim are the Texans' poor record, little national attention — they will make only one appearance on prime-time national TV this season — and Johnson's lack of a look-at-me attitude.
Johnson doesn't perform any orchestrated touchdown celebrations like Philadelphia's Terrell Owens and has yet to declare himself un-coverable, like Cincinnati's Chad Johnson.
Johnson might have attended the University of Miami but displays an attitude that is positively un-Hurricane-like.
“Me not getting attention is nothing new,” Johnson said. “Nobody thought I would be the third pick in the draft, so that's nothing new. I just go out and play and don't really spend a lot of time looking for attention. I'm focused on helping us win.”
A humble Hurricane?
“Everybody tells me they don't really believe I went to the University of Miami,” Johnson said with a laugh. “But that's just how I am.”
But Johnson just might be the best wide receiver to come out of Miami since Michael Irvin broke in with the Cowboys in 1988. Other former Miami receivers in the NFL include the Colts' Reggie Wayne and the Jets' Santana Moss.
The Chiefs learned how dangerous Johnson can be when he turned in the best performance of his brief career when the teams met in Houston last season. Johnson burned the Chiefs with seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yarder that tied the score 7-7 in the second quarter.
“I don't think a lot about last year because that's in the past,” Johnson said of facing the Chiefs. “But I am looking forward to coming up to Arrowhead and playing those guys again.”
Johnson presents problems because he's big enough to outleap or outmuscle smaller corners and also fast enough to outrun bigger corners and/or safeties. Last season, Johnson led all AFC receivers with 445 yards after the catch, and his 6.7 yards after the catch average was highest among the NFL's top 10 receivers.
“People are going to know where Andre is on the field because he's a big, strong guy who has the speed to go deep on you,” Houston coach Dom Capers said. “The more production he has, the more attention he's going to draw like any of the top receivers.”
Defensive coordinators who don't pay attention to Johnson end up paying the price.
When the Lions sneaked safety Bracy Walker, a former Chief, toward the line of scrimmage on Johnson's side in a tight game last week, Johnson shook the bump-and-run coverage of cornerback Chris Cash, hauled in Carr's perfect pass and raced to a 54-yard touchdown.
“That happened earlier in the game and we missed it, so I came to the sideline and told my coaches about it, and they said we'd get back to it,” Johnson said. “When we caught them in that same defense again, we were able to make them pay for it.”
The Chiefs will go into Sunday's game trying to limit Johnson's big-play opportunities.
“That's what has been hurting us — the big plays,” Woods said. “And he's one of those guys who can break one.”