Chiefs got big days from Derrick Johnson, other defensive stars Sunday

One of the best things about being an 11-year NFL veteran is knowledge, and Derrick Johnson learned long ago to trust his instincts, which have been cultivated by those years of experience.

But in the Chiefs’ 23-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Johnson, 32, was happy to prove he’s still got some athleticism on his side, too.

Johnson, who missed almost all of the 2014 season with an Achilles tear, ended the first half with a leaping interception of Pittsburgh quarterback Landry Jones. Johnson jumped straight in the air and high-pointed a pass intended for receiver Antonio Brown.

“It’s one of those things where I saw the ball coming, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get up there,’ ” Johnson said with a smile. “I’ve still got a little lead in me.”

The interception, which was the 12th of Johnson’s career, set up a 54-yard field-goal attempt by Cairo Santos, which he missed. However, it was a positive sign for the Chiefs’ starting inside linebacker, who had gone five games — all losses — without a a sack, forced fumble or interception, and was hungry for a big play.

Over that period, however, several players noted that Johnson’s knowledge and experience has been invaluable, and Johnson got an opportunity to prove exactly why in the third quarter, when he contributed on a play that proved to be one of the biggest of the game.

With the Chiefs leading 9-3, Jones tried to sneak a strong throw past Johnson and over the middle to Brown. But throughout the course of the game, Johnson noticed that the Steelers occasionally liked to pull the guard on passing plays to get linebackers to bite up, thus creating some throwing windows underneath, so Johnson remained disciplined and anticipated a throw.

“I saw it a couple times throughout the game, so I didn’t bite on it,” Johnson said. “I stayed back, and he still waited to throw the ball. I tipped it and made a good play.”

The pass still fluttered to within Brown’s grasp, but safety Ron Parker ripped the ball out, and safety Eric Berry caught it to give the Chiefs the ball at their own 47-yard line.

It proved to be crucial turnover, as the Chiefs’ offense soon followed with their first touchdown of the day to gave them a 16-3 lead they would not relinquish.

It’s also worth noting that the Chiefs closed it out thanks in large part to the efforts of another former Pro Bowler, Tamba Hali, who finished with two sacks, including one that amounted to a game-clinching strip-sack of Jones late in the fourth quarter.

In all, it was the kind of day former Pro Bowlers like Hali, Johnson and Berry — who have 11 Pro Bowls between them — have had often throughout their careers.

But Chiefs coach Andy Reid was encouraged that they had that kind of day against a Steelers offense that may have been missing Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but still had all-pro running back Le’Veon Bell, who rushed for 121 yards on 17 carries.

“They did it against one of the best running backs in the National Football League — good players are going to make good plays, and he made a couple, but for the most part, we kept him contained,” Reid said. “That quarterback (Landry Jones) is the same quarterback that got after Arizona the week before, and Arizona is a pretty good football team. I know he’s a young guy, but it looks like he has a great future. I was impressed with some of the things he did today, but I was more impressed by the way we handled ourselves. We didn’t let off the accelerator at all for four quarters, and that’s important.”

Johnson credited the crowd’s enthusiasm and Reid’s positive reinforcement for contributing to the team’s solid effort level, despite a 1-5 start.

“It helps to be at home,” Johnson said. “Playing at Arrowhead, that’s definitely a treat. But all week, Coach Andy Reid, he’s been telling us — even when we lost the last few games — ‘we’re not far off, guys, we’re not far off.’ And you’ve got to believe it. Everybody’s all in, and if you get one more point than the other team, you’re doing a good job.”

Especially given the direction the season was heading in. The Chiefs now sit at 2-5, so the season is still in danger of getting away from them, but with a winnable game coming up Sunday against the Detroit Lions, 1-6, in London, there’s a sense of cautious optimism things can get turned around.

“Winning is a habit, and losing is a habit, too,” Johnson said. “To actually get off that losing streak, it feels a little bit better.

“Everybody’s got their chests out, but we know we have to play like our backs are against the wall every week, because we put ourselves in a deep, deep hole. We’re not oblivious (to that). Our record is 2-5, so we’ve got a long way to go.”

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Chiefs got big days from Derrick Johnson, other defensive stars Sunday."