Beebe amends for fumble with TD as Vikes top Panthers 28-27
Chad Beebe caught a 10-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds left for Minnesota shortly after he muffed a punt that let Carolina pad its leadNOVEMBER 29, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
BISI JOHNSON
Gets start as No. 2 WR Johnson will start as the No. 2 wide receiver Sunday against Carolina with Chad Beebe working as the No. 3 slot receiver while Adam Thielen remains on the COVID-19 list, Andrew Kra...
Impact Johnson has just five receptions this season and has been outplayed by Beebe, who moved ahead of him for the No. 3 role when Thielen was healthy. However, it looks like Johnson will get increased playing time and opportunities against Carolina.
NOVEMBER 29, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Rare reception Sunday Johnson had one reception for nine yards in Sunday's loss to Dallas.
Impact It was his first reception since Week 5 and he played just four snaps on offense. Meanwhile, Chad Beebe played 17 snaps on offense despite not getting a target. Despite the catch, there isn't any change in Johnson's role as a deep reserve and fourth receiver. However, he could have a larger role this week if Adam Thielen misses time after landing on the COVID-19 list.
NOVEMBER 23, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Targeted once on MNF Johnson did not haul in his lone target during Monday night's 19-13 win against the Bears.
Impact Johnson has not recorded a reception since Week 5, though he did at least break his skid of three consecutive outings without a target Monday night. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen continue to dominate the wide receiver workload, combining for 12 receptions, 178 yards and two touchdowns against Chicago, while Chad Beebe got involved with two catches and 16 yards of his own. Heading into a Week 11 matchup against the Cowboys, Johnson remains a depth option among perhaps the most top-heavy receiving corps in the NFL.
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
No receptions on limited workload Johnson was not targeted on any of his eight offensive snaps during Sunday's 34-20 win against the Lions.
Impact Johnson has been sparsely involved as Justin Jefferson continues to emerge as a Rookie of the Year candidate, collecting just one reception for 13 yards since Week 3. The 23-year-old receiver started Minnesota's first two games of the season while fielding a combined 75 offensive snaps, but he has compiled just 45 total snaps on that side of the ball over his past six appearances.
NOVEMBER 10, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Cooking with Dalvin: Vikings ground game going strong
Dalvin Cook showed up for his postgame interview in Green Bay wearing dark shadesNOVEMBER 3, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
No targets in Week 8 Johnson wasn't targeted in Sunday's 28-22 win over Green Bay.
Impact Kirk Cousins threw only 14 passes compared to 34 rushing plays, and none of those attempts went Johnson's way. Johnson caught three passes for 56 yards in the season opener but hasn't posted a multi-catch performance since.
NOVEMBER 2, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Just one reception Sunday Johnson had one reception for 13 yards on his only target in Sunday's loss at Seattle.
Impact Johnson played just eight snaps on offense, as he's been reduced to a minor role as the fourth receiver with the emergence of Justin Jefferson.
OCTOBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Targeted once in win over Texans Johnson recorded no receptions on one target during Sunday's 31-23 win against the Texans.
Impact Johnson collected four receptions for 80 yards Weeks 1 and 2, but as rookie Justin Jefferson has come to the forefront with 278 yards and a touchdown the past two games, the Colorado State product has seen his offensive role shrink. Johnson was on the field for a combined 75 offensive snaps Weeks 1 and 2, but he has been granted just a total of 16 the past two weeks. Operating within an offense that fed Jefferson and Adam Thielen a combined 15 of 22 team targets during its first win of the 2020 season, Johnson appears destined for a bit role barring some sort of injury ahead of him on the depth chart.
OCTOBER 7, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Has minimal role Sunday Johnson didn't have a pass thrown his way and played just five snaps on offense in Sunday's 31-30 loss to Tennessee.
Impact Justin Jefferson started at wide receiver opposite Adam Thielen and had a breakout game with 175 yards receiving. Johnson began the season as the starter opposite Thielen, but he has moved to a reserve role and may not get many targets if the top two wideouts stay healthy. Johnson has even fallen to the No. 4 WR role as Chad Beebe had 22 snaps on offense and was used as the slot receiver Sunday.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Struggling Vikings need rookie WR Jefferson to develop fast
Justin Jefferson is not used to losing, coming from college powerhouse LSUSEPTEMBER 25, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Just one reception Johnson had one reception for 24 yards on three targets in Sunday's loss at Indianapolis.
Impact Johnson played 42 snaps on offense compared to Justin Jefferson's 29 snaps, but Jefferson had three receptions albeit on a similar three targets. Minnesota's passing game couldn't get on track as Kirk Cousins struggled with a 15.9 NFL passer rating, so it's hard to read too much into Johnson's performance. He's still ahead of Jefferson on the depth chart but it seems only a matter of time before the 2020 first-round draft pick passes him for a more prominent role.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Three grabs in Week 1 loss Johnson hauled in three of four targets for 56 yards in the Vikings' 43-34 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Impact Johnson trailed both fellow wideout Adam Thielen and running back Alexander Mattison in receptions, but he made good use of his relatively few opportunities. The second-year wideout notably clawed his way to some relevance last season in an offense that often features a narrow distribution of targets, and with Stefon Diggs now in Buffalo, Johnson could improve on 2019's 31-294-3 line if he can continue hanging on to the second receiver job over rookie Justin Jefferson. Johnson will look to build on Sunday's solid effort in a Week 2 interconference road battle against the Colts next Sunday.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Thielen older: Vet WR guides young Vikes group without Diggs
For most of Adam Thielen’s career, he was widely viewed as an overachieving small-school wide receiverSEPTEMBER 12, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Listed as No. 2 WR Johnson is listed as the No. 2 wide receiver on Minnesota's initial unofficial depth chart, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Impact Rookie Justin Jefferson primarily worked with the first-team offense during scrimmages in the slot with Johnson as the No. 2 receiver opposite Adam Thielen, so this listing isn't a surprise. Still, Jefferson could overtake Johnson quickly in the offense to become the No. 2 receiver. A larger issue may be how often the Vikings use a third receiver, as the team had limited use of three-receiver sets last season. However, that could change slightly under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Vikings put LB Gedeon on PUP; 9 draft picks on active roster
The Minnesota Vikings have placed linebacker Ben Gedeon on the physically unable to perform list as part of their roster paring for the regular seasonSEPTEMBER 5, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Works as No. 2 WR in scrimmage Johnson worked as the No. 2 receiver on the outside with the first-team offense in Friday's dress rehearsal scrimmage at U.S. Bank Stadium, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Pr...
Impact Johnson had three targets for 17 yards in the two quarters played in the scrimmage, according to Arif Hasani of The Athletic. Justin Jefferson worked with the first-team offense in the slot, and it's still a question of whether Johnson or Jefferson will start opposite Adam Thielen in two-receiver sets. The Vikings had limited use of three-receiver sets last season, though that could change slightly under offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. While Jefferson, as the 2020 first-round draft pick, may emerge as the No. 2 receiver, Johnson could begin the season with the most snaps opposite Thielen.
AUGUST 29, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Zimmer, remodeled Vikings defense not buying regression
Defense has largely fueled Minnesota’s success since Mike Zimmer was hired as head coachAUGUST 27, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Working ahead of rookie Johnson has been working with the starting offense as the No. 2 receiver at training camp, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.
Impact The difference between being the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver is particularly important in Minnesota, where TE Kyle Rudolph, TE Irv Smith and FB C.J. Ham combined for 1,759 offensive snaps last year. Development from Johnson and rookie first-round pick Justin Jefferson could inspire OC Gay Kubiak to use 11 personnel (three-wide) a bit more often this year, but the Vikings would likely still rank near the top of the league in usage of both 12 (two TEs) and 21 (two backs). Despite his modest 31-294-3 receiving line as a rookie last year, Johnson has managed to stay ahead of Jefferson in the early days of training camp, relegating the rookie to No. 3 status for the time being.
AUGUST 21, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
