Cleveland Browns: Is Duke Johnson in line for another solid performance?

The Cleveland Browns finally effectively used Duke Johnson against the Chiefs, and the running back could be in line for another solid performance against Atlanta.

The Cleveland Browns finally used Duke Johnson as a play-maker against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it paid off big time for the Browns offense.

Johnson caught all nine of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed the ball once, going for eight yards.

In Freddie Kitchens first game as the Browns offensive coordinator, he made it a point of emphasis to put Johnson in a position to be a play-maker. If Kitchens continues to do that, Johnson could have another solid performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

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This season, the Atlanta defense has struggled to keep offenses from moving the ball on them. They rank 29th against the pass and 17th against the run. In total, the Falcons have given up the fifth most yards and the fourth most points in 2018.

Atlanta has been decimated by injuries, especially on their defense. Against the Browns, they will be without their two starting safeties, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, and their starting middle linebacker, Deion Jones.

Those positions are key in covering running backs out of the backfield. Which could be why the Falcons are one of the worst teams in the league in allowing receptions out of the backfield.

Despite Johnson being able to be split out wide and make plays as a receiver, most of Johnson’s receptions last week came out of the backfield.

After proving that he is still a dynamic play-maker with the ball in his hands last week, Kitchens may make Johnson a bigger part of the game-plan against Atlanta. And the Falcons struggles against running backs should have made Johnson and Nick Chubb big parts of the game-plan already.

The Browns could also use Johnson as more of a runner this week. Although he has never been a true between the tackles running back, he has shown he can be an effective runner. By giving him more carries, it will keep defenses off balance by not letting them focus on the passing game with Johnson in the game.

As the Browns look to pull off the upset against Atlanta this week, Johnson should be a player that makes a big impact. The Browns offense has been looking for play-makers all season long, and Kitchens understands that Johnson is one of the best play-makers on the entire team. Look for Johnson to be a big part of the offense once again this week.