St. Louis Rams: The Forgotten Star – Trumaine Johnson
By Matt LaPan
Each year, players are left out of the Pro Bowl despite playing some of the best football in the NFL. Some players let that hurt their play, while others use it to catapult their season to another level. This year Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson is one of those snubs. Rather than let it hurt his season, Johnson has allowed this snub to help his play go to the next level and help the Rams fight back from a dismal season.
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Johnson is enjoying a career season in his 4th year out of Montana. He currently is just seven tackles shy of his career-high of 68 while already setting career-highs in passes defended (16) and interceptions (7). He has an interception in four consecutive games, also setting a career-high.
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Dec 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during an NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
This recent run of success for Johnson has him in the top-10 in the NFL in both passes defended and interceptions.
He currently is tied for tenth in the league in passes defended – tied with Vontae Davis and just one behind Tyrann Mathieu and Josh Norman. He is currently tied for second in the league with seven interceptions with Kurt Coleman – just one behind the league leaders Marcus Peters and Reggie Nelson, who have eight.
All this has come after Johnson was considered to be a backup coming into the season. He was most likely to be the first cornerback off the bench throughout the preseason, but an E.J. Gaines season-ending injury pushed Johnson into the starting role. Johnson has tied a career-high in starts despite missing two weeks, with 12. He will likely set a new career-high this week.
When Johnson’s interception numbers are put in context, it makes him look even better. Johnson currently has 58% of the team’s interceptions – grabbing seven of the 12 total. With his combined numbers, Johnson has made 23 plays on passes, ranking him 5th in the NFL according to Sporting Charts.
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With one game left in the season, the question remains how Johnson was left off the Pro Bowl roster. Could he get a late invite if somebody drops off the roster? Could he even garner an All-Pro vote, or two, during postseason awards time?
Regardless of the honors, Johnson has emerged as one of the better cornerback the NFL has to offer in 2015. With his pending free agency, the Rams will need to make a decision on Johnson very soon, but it would be tough to let go of a player coming off such a great season.