Tackle Roderick Johnson has been dependable for the Houston Texans.
The former Cleveland Browns 2017 fifth-round pick has played in 10 games for the Texans in 2020, and started for the club at left tackle when Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil missed the Week 11 contest with the New England Patriots with an illness.
Opportunity is knocking again for Johnson as right tackle Tytus Howard will spend the final two games on injured reserve.
“It’s all about opportunity and it’s knocking,” Johnson said. “I just have to make the best of it. Plain and simple.”
Johnson is no stranger to playing right tackle for the Texans. In 2019, when Howard was placed on injured reserve in Week 13, Johnson was part of a shared role at right tackle along with Chris Clark. Houston finished 10-6 and defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card. Such success instills confidence in the 6-6, 306-pound tackle.
“Confidence is good, always good,” Johnson said. “It starts in practice, of course, you know that. It’s just having a good week of practice and stacking those good days together. They don’t just come on game day. Being willing to put that work in day-in and day-out and stacking those good reps and good plays.”
The Texans are hopeful Johnson has a stack of good plays he can showcase against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday afternoon in Week 16 as Houston closes out the regular season with a two-game homestand.
“They have great technicians and great disciplined guys who always have high motors and make plays and things like this,” Johnson said. “So, it won’t be a light load to carry, of course.”
