Lions running back Kerryon Johnson snapped a long streak by running for more than 100 yards in Detroit’s Week Three win over the Patriots, but that breakthrough didn’t result in a change to his role in the running back committee in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
Johnson played 20 of the team’s 55 offensive snaps, which placed him squarely between Theo Riddick and LeGarrette Blount in the team’s rotation. He was the most productive of the three backs on the ground with nine carries, 55 yards and a touchdown, which led to a question for head coach Matt Patricia about how Johnson will be used in the future.
Patricia did not sound like he was planning any big change to how things stack up in the backfield.
“I think we have a lot of really good running backs and I think we try to use them appropriately,” Patricia said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I think Kerryon played a significant amount of the game. He played 20 snaps of 55, that’s a good amount. Plus, we have two other running backs, plus we have two-minute drives and other two-minute personnel packages and things like that. There was quite a bit of reps in there for Kerryon.”
Johnson said that he’s fine with any work that comes his way and needs to “make them count” for more than they did in Dallas.