The Chiefs appear to have made a significant adjustment in their secondary, replacing cornerback Nazeeh Johnson with Joshua Williams. Johnson was benched during the close win over the Raiders after struggling against Jakobi Meyers, and it looks like Kansas City plans to stick with Williams moving forward.
Johnson’s struggles have been ongoing. Since Jaylen Watson’s injury, the Chiefs’ defensive backs have been frequently targeted. While Johnson showed improvement in Week 12, his performance took a sharp decline on Black Friday.
As a result, Johnson played just 13 defensive snaps, while Williams saw 53.
Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson Benched for Joshua Williams
After playing 90% of the defensive snaps in Week 10, 100% in Week 11, and 94% in Week 12, Nazeeh Johnson’s snap count dropped to just 19% on Friday. Meanwhile, Joshua Williams, who had not played any defensive snaps in recent weeks, ended up with the second-most snaps at cornerback.
This change was necessary. Jakobi Meyers had most of his production against Johnson, and for the Chiefs to complete their three-peat, improvements in the secondary are crucial. Johnson has allowed a 101.2 passer rating when targeted, a figure too high for an elite defense.
While there’s still time for Johnson to bounce back and regain his form, he may not be fully suited for a starting role against top-tier offenses. The departure of L’Jarius Sneed was always going to create some challenges, and losing Jaylen Watson to injury only exacerbated the situation, forcing Johnson into a role he wasn’t ready for.
With an important game against the Chargers coming up on Sunday Night Football, it’s expected that Williams will start alongside Trent McDuffie.
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