Pittsburgh Steelers rookie RB Kaleb Johnson made his first meaningful positive contribution to the team in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, running six times for 22 yards. Johnson got a big opportunity on a drive at the end of the third quarter and into the start of the fourth quarter, and Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said that was a “big boost” for Johnson.
“He was able to get a couple good runs in there, and I could feel a little bit of some of the pressures that he’d been feeling lifted off his shoulders, so I expect him to just get better and better,” Faulkner said Tuesday via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter.
On that drive, Johnson had a nine-yard run and a six-yard run. The nine-yard run was on a toss play, and Johnson did a good job of hitting the hole and finding space in the open field.
It hasn’t been a great start to Johnson’s NFL career. Despite high hopes after being drafted in the third round, he didn’t see a lot of opportunities early in the season, and his blunder that led to a Seattle touchdown on a kick return in Week 2 kept him on the bench in Week 3 despite being active. But with Jaylen Warren out in Week 4, Johnson served as Pittsburgh’s RB2 behind Kenneth Gainwell.
It wasn’t a performance that wows anybody, but it was solid, and there were some flashes. Johnson excelled once he reached the second level at Iowa, and his nine-yard run showcased some of the traits that led Arthur Smith to praise his explosiveness after the team drafted him.
With Warren expected to return after the bye, it’ll be interesting to see how much the Steelers use Johnson. He’ll be back to being the team’s third running back, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still saw some opportunities. Faulkner clearly believes in his ability, and after his gaffe in Week 2, it was good to see him make a positive contribution and perhaps regain some confidence.
Faulkner said it’s a “luxury” for Johnson to have two veterans ahead of him.
“Kaleb’s coming fine. He has the luxury of having two really good veterans who have played in front of him and are selfless and willing to help him anyway they can. Obviously, he’s a great talent, there’s some growth there, he knows that, we all know that, and we’re just gonna keep working toward it ’cause we know we’re gonna need him to win here down the stretch,” Faulkner said via audio provided by the team.
The Steelers demonstrated in Week 4 that they can have a good offense when they run the ball effectively. If they believe Johnson can aid that cause, he’ll continue to receive opportunities, and Faulkner seems confident that he’ll only improve as the season progresses, which would be beneficial for Pittsburgh.
