Fred Johnson: ‘This half was going to define us’
It’s only Week 3, but veteran offensive tackle Fred Johnson knew that the second half of Sunday’s game against the Rams would serve as a litmus test.
“This half is going to define us, who we are,” Johnson told teammates at halftime. “Do you lay down or do you stand up tall on all 10 (toes)? And whether we take an L or we win, we do it together. We do it fighting.”
At this point, Johnson was not in the game on offense. Lane Johnson exited after the opening drive with a neck injury and Matt Pryor filled in for him. Fred Johnson said there was no discussion of going in at right tackle at halftime. After the Eagles committed their first turnover of the season on the opening drive of the second half and found themselves shortly thereafter down 26-7, Fred Johnson went in at right tackle. The offense scored touchdowns on three of the four drives Fred Johnson played at right tackle.
“All I know is my number was called. You got to deliver when you’re number is called, no matter the circumstance, no matter the weather, no matter how you’re feeling, how you woke up that morning,” Johnson said. “My brothers need me, I gotta deliver.”
Johnson was the first tackle off the bench during the Super Bowl LIX campaign before signing with the Jaguars in free agency. The Eagles, looking to add experience and depth, turned to Johnson, who was trusted and reliable, and re-acquired him in a trade with Jacksonville after the preseason. The reasons for the trade were on full display in the second half of Sunday’s win.
“Fred did a great job, just like Fred did last year in certain situations, to come in and play meaningful football,” Head Coach Nick Sirianni said. “It took a couple of series to go there. We had played some things with right left side as far as that goes with where they’ve been training, but offensive staff, (Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Jeff) Stout (Stoutland), Kevin (Patullo, offensive coordinator) did a good job of saying, ‘Hey Matt Pryor’s very important to this football team and the things that he does. Fred would maybe give us a better chance right now,’ and making that change. That’s hard to do sometimes and I credit those guys a lot for that change.”
“I knew what it was when they traded for me to come back. I knew my role. Sirianni told me my role verbatim,” Johnson said. “I just got to live in that, living in that truth, and when my number is called, execute. These are my brothers, every last one of them. Even the new guys I didn’t know.”