BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – After signing with the Browns this spring, John Johnson III grabbed the tablet the team sent him and watched Cleveland’s 22-17 playoff loss to the Chiefs.
It didn’t take him long to realize the difference he could’ve made in January.
“I looked at that game and what went wrong, and it was a close game, so it’s not like we were far off,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Ironically, Johnson will get the chance to make that difference in his first game as a Brown – September 12 at Kansas City, a game being hyped not only as a playoff rematch but potential AFC championship game preview.
“That’s the last one from last year, it’s going to be the first one from this year so there’s definitely a little – it’s a vindictive vibe, you know,” Johnson said of the excitement within the locker room. “We definitely want to get back at those guys but, you know, I always want to win the opener regardless of who it is so that’s what we got to go out there and do.”
With Super Bowl and NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes sidelined with a concussion, Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne slammed the door and sent the Browns home with a pair of back breakers – a 13-yard scramble on third down followed by a quick completion to Tyreek Hill on fourth-and-1.
“That wasn’t an unstoppable play,” Johnson said of the fourth down throw by Henne. “I think that type of play you just got to see it coming, you know, when Tyreek goes in motion and he’s in the position where he can beat you to the flat, especially that down and distance, I think that’s just something you got to like alert the whole defense before it happens.”
And Johnson, who wore the green dot on his helmet and made the defensive calls last season for the Rams, is just the guy to do that.
Although the responsibility of making the calls on the field for defensive coordinator Joe Woods falls on linebacker Anthony Walker, throughout camp Johnson can be seen talking – on the field directing traffic or to teammates on the sidelines, pointing out details in alignments.
He’s been doing it for years, dating back to when he was sent in to play corner at Boston College.
“I felt the need to make calls and make sure the safety was aligned correctly and when I moved to safety it was easy,” Johnson said. “I like talking. I don’t even wear a mouthpiece because I like talking so much. I just think it’s been that way for a long time.”
Johnson’s leadership on the field and playmaking ability has been hard to miss these last four weeks of camp, but from his perspective, he’s simply doing his job.
“If I know a guy is misaligned and he might not do his job, I don’t want to see him go down like that and I don’t want to see anyone good down that way,” Johnson said. “So I just want to make sure everyone is comfortable and aligned in the right place and have fun with it. Me talking helps other guys talk, so just going out there and having with it has always been my thing.”
Johnson was signed to a three-year, $33.75 million contract as a free agent to help get the Browns over the hump in what is a stacked field in the AFC.
In addition to the Browns, the Chiefs, Ravens and Bills are considered the class of the conference entering the 2021 season, but there are plenty of other teams that could prove to be problematic in Cleveland’s quest to end their Super Bowl drought.
“You got some big-time contenders even just in this division alone,” Johnson said. “And then you look at Buffalo and Kansas City and you never know who else in that division with Kansas City can come alive. Denver can come alive, so I think it is pretty competitive and it’s a different game.”
After spending the first four years of his career with the Rams after being selected by them in the third round, 91st overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft, it hasn’t taken Johnson long to see a difference in competition from the NFC.
“I don’t know about conferences, but definitely divisions. This division, big-boy pads,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I’ve seen a fullback in my life until now. In San Fran they have one or two, but I’m not used to tight ends. I’m not used to fullbacks. It was all wide receivers and passing so it’s a little different. This is like real, pro football.”