In the Brown's third preseason game, Duke Johnson suffered a concussion when he was hit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Mike Jenkins.
This was Johnson's chance to impress the coaches and gain some reasonable playing time. Now the Browns find themselves in the same position that they were in when Johnson was out earlier in the preseason, without a playmaking running back. Johnson missed the first two Brown's preseason games with a hamstring injury that has plagued him since he has signed with the team. Johnson had 1 carry and a reception which does not tell head coach Mike Pettine exactly what Johnson can actually contribute. Coach Pettine stated,
''We have seen what he can do in practice and that is important. That is why we were so positive and optimistic about it. Football is about availability. He hasn't been available for much of the preseason. While we are hopeful about the potential, at the same time, it is discouraging to not have him out there.''
The Browns are going to need to return to a running back by committee for the early part of the season before a true lead back emerges. It appears Johnson has the upper hand on every running back on the Brown's roster considering that he is their third round pick.
