Chargers LB Jarret Johnson One Of Few Players On Defense Playing Well

By Ernie Padaon
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October 6, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback

Terrelle Pryor

(2) is tackled by San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Jarret Johnson (96) during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Chargers LB Jarret Johnson is one of the few men on the defensive side of the football that has come out to play this season. Too bad he hasn’t had much support from the rest of the guys on the roster. Double-J has been a force at outside linebacker, setting the edge in the running game and this year he is getting pressure on the quarterback and reeling in the sacks.

That really hasn’t been part of repretoir in the past, but he has been getting after it this season. The highest single season sack total that he has had in his first 10 seasons in the league was 6. He has 4 in his first 5 games this season already. Last season he finished with 1.5 sacks.

He was beaten up pretty good in the Oakland Raiders game on Sunday. It looks like he hurt his shoulder when Manti Te’o and him collided on a tackle and then he left the game early with a hamstring injury. Losing Johnson for any amount of time would be a kill shot for our defense. We already are missing Dwight Freeney and the defense has already been hanging on by a thread with the players that they have, if we lost our best defensive player this season, we would be in a world of hurt.

We only face Andrew Luck this weekend. Luck may not get talked about as much as some of the other quarterbacks in the league, but he is as dangerous as some of those other guys. We will need Jarret Johnson back on the field to help provide that pressure.

Johnson has been thriving in the defensive scheme this season. Hope he is able to nurse that injury to 100% and will be able to knock down Andrew Luck and a whole other mess of quarterbacks in the near future.

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