Andre Johnson lets his play do the talking

ANDERSON — Andrew Luck scrambled out of the pocket Friday but kept his eyes downfield.

It's a classic look for the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, on the run, extending the play and looking for an opportunity.

Andre Johnson saw the passer on the move and turned back toward the line of scrimmage. He found a spot in the flat and sat down in his route, hugging the sideline.

But cornerback Vontae Davis was watching the play develop, too, and he anticipated Johnson's veteran move. Sprinting to the spot, Davis suddenly was right on Johnson's hip.

So the 6-foot-3, 229-pound wide receiver ever so subtlely created space. He boxed out a bit like a power forward preparing for a rebound and used his elbow to keep the defender at bay.

Then Luck rifled a pass toward the sideline, and Johnson effortlessly pulled it in before turning out of bounds for a comfortable gain.

This is vintage Johnson, a wide receiver who often is open even when he appears to be well covered.

"That, I think, is a big part of camp, is one-on-one drills and tight man coverage," Luck said. "You don't get that necessarily in OTAs, the offseason, with the rules on how physical you can be. You understand that what may not look like a wide-open route, with Andre it really is because he's so big. He's so physical and does such a great job contorting his body to shield the defender away or to put that ball in a safe place. So it's been fun to see how his body moves in that sense and see him go up and make some plays."

With Johnson, there's often more than meets the eye.


(newsandtribune.com)