Josh Johnson hadn’t started a game since 2011. He had never won a game.
Johnson was better than Cody Kessler for whatever that is worth, winning as a starter for the first time, winning the job for next week and probably winning a chance to catch on with somebody as a backup for next season.
“I’ve always had belief in myself that I can do things like this, but, I’ve never been one to talk about it because talking does nothing,” Johnson said in his postgame press conference. “I mean, you’ve got to really be about the action, and today, I was in the action. Just to have it go our way and be able to just have everything that has been building up in me for years and finally let it out, It was a relief. Honestly, it was. It was just a relief.”
Johnson was headed for a career in the Alliance of American Football before Washington lost both Alex Smith and Colt McCoy. Johnson got another NFL chance because of his experience in Jay Gruden’s offense, having played for Gruden in Tampa in 2008 and Cincinnati in 2013.
Johnson went 16-of-25 for 151 yards and a touchdown as Washington kicked a game-winning field goal on the final play after a Kessler interception. Johnson also ran for 49 yards on nine carries.
“I know every opportunity I get could be my last one,” Johnson, 32, said. “That’s just the reality of my situation. I just want to leave it all out on the field. I owe this game that much because I love it that much. I mean, I’ve put in this work; I’ve stayed around this game for this long. For me to go out there and not leave it all out on the field, I would be disrespecting it. So, at the end of the day, if I have an opportunity where I know I can make a play, I’m going to go do that. I mean, we ended up pulling out the victory, so it worked out for us.”