The Detroit Lions could give fans a preview of their ground-and-pound rushing attack for 2020 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
Going into their Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon, the Detroit Lions running game ranks 22nd in the NFL averaging 98.7 yards on the ground per game. And that’s mainly due to Detroit losing their starting running back, Kerryon Johnson, to a knee injury in Week Seven.
On Saturday, Johnson was activated from Injured Reserve after spending the last eight weeks on the sidelines. And although the 3-10-1 Lions are already eliminated from postseason contention, the 22-year old is expected to play against the Broncos this Sunday.
Although it’s risking the health of Johnson, who has missed a total of 14 games in less than two seasons in Detroit, Kerryon wants to play. And the fact is, he has a lot to prove.
Coming out of Auburn, Johnson dropped to the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft mainly due to his lengthy injury history that reached all the way back to high school. Last season, the first-year running back missed the final six games of his rookie season due to a knee injury. And his latest knee injury has only put his durability under a brighter spotlight.
If there is a silver lining to Johnson’s latest injury is the fact the Lions found running back Bo Scarbrough in his absence. A college star at Alabama, Scarbrough was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. Yet, he wouldn’t see any regular-season snaps as a rookie despite stints with the Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Seattle Seahawks last year.
The Lions signed Scarbrough to the practice squad in early November and soon promoted him to the active roster. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound power back made an instant impact in his regular-season debut posting 55 rushing yards and a score starting against his former team, the Cowboys, in Week 11.
Scarbrough has recorded 301 total rushing yards averaging an impressive 4.2 yards per carry while starting in four games for Detroit so far. With Johnson set to make his return against the Broncos on Sunday, the Lions could give their fans a preview of their 2020 rushing attack with the duo of Scarbrough and Kerryon.
Here’s what Scarbrough told DetroitLions.com about the potential of the rushing tandem …
"“I think we’ll be dominant. Kerryon has his style of running, and I have my style of running, and when you get two guys with different styles, but somewhat similar, I think it’s harder for the defense because you don’t actually switch out linebackers and safeties.”"
With the season already in the tank and the team set to finish in the basement of the NFC North for the second-straight season, Detroit Lions fans have little to look forward to in these final two games. But if they are looking for a reason to cheer, the duo of Kerryon Johnson and Bo Scarbrough could be fun to watch.