David Johnson’s Brilliance Ends Cardinals’ Offensive Identity Crisis

Last year, the Arizona Cardinals won 13 games, propelled to the NFC West title by one of the NFL’s most prolific passing attacks.

In 2016, quarterback Carson Palmer and the passing game have struggled. So has the team, losing three of its first four games.

However, in winning its last two contests, Arizona has happened upon a recipe for success, the right combination of ingredients to get the Cardinals back in the race in the NFC West.

After downing the flailing New York Jets 28-3 on Monday night—ahead of another prime-time matchup with the division-leading Seattle Seahawks—Arizona needs to feed its beast.

The Cardinals need to get tailback David Johnson the football.

Mind you, it isn’t like this is some sort of epiphany. In the five games Johnson had played this season entering Monday night, the second-year pro topped 100 total yards, well, five times.

Johnson was coming off his best effort of the season—a 185-yard, two-touchdown explosion against the San Francisco 49ers.

It didn’t take long for Johnson to serve notice to the Jets that he intended to build on that big game. On his second carry of the night, the Northern Iowa product took the ball off the left side, waited for the hole to develop and then…

Buh-bye.

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And he was only getting started. Johnson added a two-yard score in the second quarter.

Then, just because he could, Johnson found the end zone a third time from two yards out in the third, completing his second career touchdown hat …

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