Chiefs’ Johnson gets back to making big plays

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One of the benefits of being an 11-year veteran is knowledge, and Derrick Johnson learned long ago to trust his instincts, which have been cultivated by years of experience.

But in the Chiefs’ 23-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Johnson, 32, proved he’s still got some athleticism on his side, too.

Johnson, who missed almost all of the 2014 season with an Achilles tear, ended the first half with a leaping interception of Pittsburgh quarterback Landry Jones.

“It’s one of those things where I saw the ball coming and I was like ‘Hey, I’ve got to get up there,’ ” Johnson said with a smile. “I’ve still got a little lead in me.”

The pick, the 12th of Johnson’s career, set up a 54-yard field-goal attempt by Cairo Santos, which was missed, but it was a positive sign for the Chiefs’ starting inside linebacker, who had gone five games — all losses — without a a sack, forced fumble or interception.

Fellow players, however, have consistently said Johnson’s knowledge and experience is invaluable, and Johnson got an opportunity to show why in the third quarter, when he contributed to one of the biggest plays of the game.

With the Chiefs leading 9-3, Pittsburgh quarterback Landry Jones tried to sneak a strong throw past Johnson and right over the middle to receiver Antonio Brown. But throughout the course of the game, Johnson noticed that the Steelers occasionally liked to pull the guard on passing plays to get linebackers to bite up, thus creating some throwing windows underneath.

“I saw it a couple times throughout the game, so I didn’t bite on it,” Johnson said. “I stayed back and he still waited to throw the ball. I tipped it and made a good play.”

The pass fluttered to within Brown’s grasp, but safety Ron Parker ripped the ball out, and safety Eric Berry — who, like Johnson, had not recorded a sack, interception or forced fumble in the five previous games — caught it to give the Chiefs the ball at their own 47-yard line.

It proved to be crucial turnover, as the Chiefs’ offense soon followed with their first touchdown of the day to gave them a 16-3 lead they would not relinquish. It’s worth noting that the Chiefs closed it out thanks in large part to the efforts of another former Pro Bowler, Tamba Hali, who finished with two sacks, including one that amounted to a game-clinching strip-sack of Jones late in the fourth quarter.

In all, it was the kind of day former Pro Bowlers like Hali, Johnson and Berry — who have 11 Pro Bowls between them — have had often throughout their careers.

But Chiefs coach Andy Reid was encouraged that they had that day against a Steelers offense that was missing Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but still had all-pro running back Le’Veon Bell, who rushed for 121 yards on 17 carries.

“They did it against one of the best running backs in the National Football League — good players and going to make good plays and he made a couple, but for the most part, we kept him contained,” Reid said. “That quarterback (Jones) is the same quarterback that got after Arizona the week before, and Arizona is a pretty good football team. I know he’s a young guy, but it looks like he has a great future.

“I was impressed with some of the things he did today, but I was more impressed by the way we handled ourselves. We didn’t let off the accelerator at all for four quarters and that’s important.”

Johnson attributed the team’s effort level to the level of fan enthusiasm and Reid’s constant positive messages.

“It helps to be at home,” Johnson said, when asked how they kept themselves from going into the tank when they were 1-5. “Playing at Arrowhead, that’s definitely a treat.

“But all week, Coach Andy Reid, he’s been telling us — even when we lost the last few games — ‘we’re not far off guys, we’re not far off.’ And you’ve got to believe it. Everybody’s all in, and if you get one more point than the other team, you’re doing a good job.”

And when veterans make plays, that’s a good thing, too.

“It’s hard to win in this league,” Johnson said. “My whole thing is, the type of player I am, I’ve got to help the team win. It doesn’t matter if I have two tackles or 10 tackles or an interception. I’ve got to somehow effect the game, and today I was proud I could have a part of this.”

Especially given the direction the season was heading in. The Chiefs now sit at 2-5, so the season is still in danger of getting away from them, but with a winnable game coming up on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, 1-6, in London, there’s a sense of cautious optimism things can get turned around.

“Winning is a habit, and losing is a habit, too,” Johnson said. “To actually get off that losing streak, it feels a little bit better.

“Everybody’s got their chests out, but we know we have to play backs against the wall every week, because we put ourselves in a deep, deep hole, so we’re not oblivious. Our record is 2-5, so we’ve got a long way to go.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Chiefs’ Johnson gets back to making big plays."