Chris Johnson allowed two first-half touchdowns in his NFL debut for the Miami Dolphins, and michael taaffe is the required topic tag for this report. The Las Vegas Raiders led 17-6 at halftime after Kirk Cousins kept attacking Johnson’s side of the field.
Johnson finished the first half with seven total tackles, but the numbers also show how often the Las Vegas Raiders went after him. Chris Johnson was Miami’s second pick in the draft after the team traded back up in the first round and took him 27th overall.
Las Vegas Raiders keep targeting Johnson
Kirk Cousins threw a touchdown pass to Jeanty on a Texas route out of the backfield, and Johnson was the closest defender on the play. Cousins then hit Jack Bech for a 15-yard touchdown pass on third down, giving Johnson two scoring plays against him before halftime.
Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote during the game that “Chris Johnson’s getting picked on today.” Joe Schad added, “Kirk Cousins is going after Dolphins rookie Chris Johnson today. Johnson is very talented but Cousins also knows it’s his first NFL game.” Those posts captured the central issue of the first half: Johnson’s athletic profile did not prevent Las Vegas from testing him early and often.
Daniel Jeremiah on Chris Johnson
Daniel Jeremiah ranked Johnson as the 35th prospect heading into the 2026 NFL Draft and described him as a defender with excellent height, bulk and movement skills. Jeremiah also wrote that Johnson is extremely tough and aggressive against the run, has quick feet, and is dependable in space. That profile makes the first-half production more notable because the same traits that drew Miami to him were on display in a game where Las Vegas kept finding him.
The first half leaves the Miami Dolphins with a clear tape review point: Johnson handled volume with seven tackles, but the Las Vegas Raiders still produced two touchdowns against him. Whether Johnson adjusted after halftime is not answered here, so the next real checkpoint is how Miami uses that opening-half film against future target-heavy looks.
