Why D’Ernest Johnson is playing for Patriots and not Terrell Jennings on RB depth chart originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The first half of Thursday Night Football for the New England Patriots was all about TreVeyon Henderson.
The star rookie out of Ohio State ran for a pair of touchdowns and a 14-7 lead.
But beyond Henderson, the Pats’ RB depth chart took an odd shape.
D’Ernest Johnson was playing ahead of Terrell Jennings.
This is likely injury related.
Jennings entered Thursday as questionable, having had just a couple of limited practices this week.
The Patriots kept him active, with Rhamondre Stevenson already inactive.
But when Henderson came off the field in Thursday’s first half, it was Johnson who came in.
The former Browns and Jaguars RB is a powerful rusher with a bit of pass-catching skill.
He’s been on the practice squad, though, unlike the second-year back Jennings, who scored a TD two weeks ago and got New England’s first carry last week.
This time around, though, Johnson appears to be Henderson’s main backup.
Maybe it’s Jennings’ fault, or maybe it’s an injury’s fault. But it’s at least a little bit surprising and could be worth tracking if Henderson ever has to leave the game for an extended period of time.