Dolphins Coach Backs Rookie Chris Johnson After Tough Debut

A rough debut on paper

Miami Dolphins rookie cornerback Chris Johnson had a busy NFL debut against the Las Vegas Raiders. The first round draft pick was targeted 11 times, giving up six catches for 62 yards. He was also the closest defender on two touchdown passes thrown by Kirk Cousins.

Despite what the stat sheet says, the Dolphins coaching staff and players are not worried about the young defender. They believe his performance was much better than the numbers suggest. Johnson finished the game with 11 tackles, two pass breakups, and an impressive tackle for a loss on the Raiders first drive.

Scheme errors and teammate support

Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley explained that the two touchdowns scored against Johnson were actually caused by mistakes from other players. On both plays, the defense was in Cover 1, but other defenders vacated their zones to cover the same receiver, leaving open spaces.

Safety Michael Taaffe admitted that he was responsible for one of the touchdowns blamed on Johnson. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks also defended the rookie, saying that some of the issues were a breakdown of the defense as a whole. Brooks described Johnson as a highly confident player who will easily bounce back.

Johnson himself remained humble after the game. He admitted he needs to clean up his techniques and be cleaner in his coverage because the team relies on him. Hafley praised Johnson for his work against the run at the nickel position and said he still has full confidence in his rookie.