After career game against Jets, Duke Johnson signs to Dolphins’ 53-man roster
One day after a career game in his return to Hard Rock Stadium, Dolphins running back Duke Johnson signed to the team’s active roster.
The Dolphins on Monday officially added Johnson to the 53-man roster after the Miami native and University of Miami alum rushed 22 times for 107 rushing yards and two scores, all career highs, in the Dolphins’ 31-24 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. The Dolphins also rushed for a season-high 183 yards in the victory.
“He played well. Definitely gave us a spark,” coach Brian Flores said of Johnson after the game.
Johnson got the start over Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed, who were sidelined for much of the week because of coronavirus protocols. Phillip Lindsay missed the game because of a positive test and Johnson, who made his team debut in Week 11 against the Jets, was elevated to the active roster as a COVID-19 replacement.
Throughout the afternoon, Johnson was serenaded by “DUKEEE” chants from the crowd.
“It just reminded me of college,” Johnson said after the game. “It means a lot. I think being from here, it means a lot.”
Aside from eclipsing the century mark on the ground, Johnson brought another element that has been missing from the team’s rushing game: the ability to break tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson averaged 3.68 yards after contact per attempt. Gaskin, who leads the team in rush attempts and yards, ranks 46th of 47 qualified runners with 1.2 yards after contact per attempt. He rushed for 54 yards Sunday, including a 30-yarder on the team’s game-winning drive.
Gaskin said Monday that he tested his conditioning late last week as he awaited clearance from protocols, doing a set of 50-yard sprints at a park in Miami Lakes.
“The O-line did their job,” Gaskin said of his long run. “The hole opened up right where it was supposed to be, right where you practiced it all week. It just worked out. Everybody did their job. I was able to hit the whole in stride. That’s the type of run you hope for in the fourth quarter, especially in that Miami heat and just trying to finish the drive, trying to finish the game.”
Sunday wasn’t just a feel-good story and breakout game for Johnson but a bit of vindication for an offensive line that has been much maligned throughout the season. Despite struggles in pass protection, the unit entered Sunday ranking ninth in ESPN’s pass block win rate, defined as how often lineman can hold their blocks for at least 2.5 seconds. The Dolphins also used Robert Jones as an extra lineman for 10 snaps against the Jets to bolster their efforts.
“It feels good when the outcome of your work is that,” offensive lineman Austin Jackson said. “We look for plenty of more 100-yard-plus rushing games, definitely, and that’s always going to be our goal.”
Johnson’s signing to the active roster, along with Lindsay being activated from the reserve/COVID-19 Monday, creates a logjam in the backfield but the type of tough decisions the Dolphins would welcome this late in the season. Salvon Ahmed was active but did not play a snap Sunday and Malcolm Brown, who has missed the last seven games on injured reserve, practiced last week and is eligible to return to the 53-man roster.
“Salvon was ready to go,” Flores said Monday. “Kind of battled back from having a different week, dealing with COVID and getting back and getting back into form. He and Myles both did a good job from that standpoint.”
Steady contributions will be needed for whoever suits up for next Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints, who have the most efficient run defense in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders.
“Everyone knows football starts with running the ball,” wide receiver Albert Wilson said. “If you can get into a game and do that successfully, you’ll definitely have a good chance of winning a football game. For us to get in there and get that done, it felt great.”
This story was originally published December 20, 2021 at 9:48 AM.
