Johnson looks sharp, scores early

I watched maybe a single series of NFL preseason Thursday night continuing a several-year long promise to myself to not put much stock in games that generally amount to glorified scrimmages held between backup players, most of whom will be bagging groceries and supersizing french fry orders at McDonald’s in the weeks ahead.

Instead I follow preseason largely from game write-ups and comments from coaches. Based on most accounts one recovering star who apparently looked the part last night was Larry Johnson.

The overall numbers weren’t fantastic. He rushed eight times for 18 yards. But he scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and “burst through the middle, past Brian Urlacher, for a 7-yard-gain on the second play from scrimmage,” according to the Associated Press.

For the Chiefs to have any chance this season Johnson is going to have to shoulder the load, taking pressure off of Brodie Croyle (or Tyler Thigpen, as it reportedly may be) and keeping the defense fresh. He missed half of last season with a broken foot and didn’t play ALL that well when he was available.

A solid performance by Johnson would also provide a sigh of relief to fantasy football players picking in the second half of round one or the early parts of round two selecting from the good-but-not-elite heap of running backs. Johnson, a consensus top three pick the last two seasons has faded some following his injury and the overuse he sustained in 2006. But this game against Chicago, whose defense is still pretty solid despite an offense devoid of, well, nearly anything, gives some hope that Johnson may prove worthy of a risk-taker’s pick despite a mediocre quarterback situation and an offensive line that has yet to recover from retirement and injury.