The Facts:
Buffalo’s new coaching staff has been adamant that despite a new scheme, they will continue to put their players in position to succeed. According to WRs coach Ike Hilliard, Johnson will be afforded the same freedoms he had in the past in new OC Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. “I think first and foremost Stevie is a dynamic player,” Hilliard said. “We’ll have to find ways to get him the ball and other guys in our receiving corps. Stevie has a game that’s unique. He’s had a lot of success with it. We have a system in place that we’re going to implement and we’re all going to learn at the same time, and he’s going to be able to have the freedom to play his game within the system.”
Reported by BuffaloBills.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
An unconventional route runner, Johnson has been successful in large part because he's been afforded the freedom to improvise in his route assignments. Johnson uses a stuttering route running to keep defensive backs off balance. It makes it hard for cornerbacks to anticipate where Johnson is headed and that leads to consistent separation. Under the previous coaching regime top Johnson posted a franchise record three straight 1,000-yard seasons. His stop-and-start route running style was tolerated as long as he got to his designated spot in the route at the proper time on a given pass play. Hilliard has been around this offensive system almost his entire career both as a player and coach. He knows the freedoms it affords. For now however, the focus will be on building the offense as a unit. Maximizing the talents of playmakers like Johnson will come later. But make no mistake: The new staff knows what they have in Johnson.
Profile
Home
