Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson answered questions at his locker following Wednesday's practice. Here are three takeaways from his availability with the media.
1. Get into a rhythm.
Johnson looked drastically different in his first start since the 2021 season compared to when he was thrust into the lineup in the Commanders' first matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks to getting most of the starting reps that week, he looked more comfortable in the pocket, which in turn allowed the offense to run more smoothly with him in the backfield. Despite running just 41 plays, the Commanders put up 328 yards, marking one of the unit's better outings since the bye week.
That wasn't a surprise to Johnson, who has seen the offense show flashes of the 2024 iteration this season. That has been difficult to maintain because of all the injuries the team has dealt with, but Johnson knows what the unit is capable of when it gets rolling.
"Once we get into a rhythm, man, this offense has been explosive all year. And it was good to just see that happen when I go in there. You see it with Jayden [Daniels], you see it with Marcus [Mariota] going in there and then for me, once we got into a rhythm with each other, we were able to really move the ball well, we had to have a balanced attack."
2. He's still growing as a player.
Johnson has been playing professional football for nearly two decades and collected a wealth of knowledge -- so much that offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury took time to compliment him for it last week. However, Johnson still feels like there's plenty left for him to learn, and it comes down to getting as much time on the field as possible.
Johnson has spent most of his time as a backup, so opportunities to start have not come often. Washington's Christmas game was just the 10th start of his career, and he feels like he improved after "going through the emotional rollercoaster of it, the different things you gotta manage out there, on top of just playing a game."
And Johnson expects that growth to continue this weekend, assuming that he will be the starter.
"Experience is the best teacher. And there is experience through other people's eyes, and then there's experience through your eyes. And so, one thing that's hard to judge is your growth as a player is when you're not out there to really see yourself in real time."
3. "It's good to go into the lion's den."
Mariota has not officially been ruled out of Sunday's game, although head coach Dan Quinn said that it was doubtful that he would play. That means Johnson is in line to make another start, and it will come on the road at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a rowdy Eagles fanbase.
Philadelphia's fans have a well-established reputation of being particularly passionate, but Johnson isn't worried about playing in a hostile environment. In fact, he believes it will be a fun experience.
"It's awesome; it's good to go into the lion's den. Love it; wouldn't change it. It's great to be able to have a game of this caliber versus this type of team to finish the season. So, I'm looking forward to it."
The Eagles already have the NFC East locked up, so their playoff spot is secured for next week. It's unclear at this point how the Eagles will approach the regular season finale, although they could consider resting their starters. Even if that is the case, Philadelphia is considered to have one of the best overall rosters in the league, and Johnson knows that Washington, which has made it clear they will play to win their final game, must put together a clean performance in order to get a win.
"In order for us to beat this team, we gotta play at a very high level, and I look forward to us going out there and playing at a high level."
