Sean McDermott compares Bills' 100-yard receiver to 3-time Super Bowl champ

Buffalo Bills' third-down running back Ty Johnson has a special 'trait' according to the head coach.

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Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) carries the ball / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills' leading receiver in their Week 15 win was none other than third-down running back Ty Johnson.

Catching all five of his targets, Johnson recorded 114 yards receiving and five first downs in a 48-42 road win that ended the Detroit Lions' 11-game win streak.

Staying in sync with quarterback Josh Allen during multiple scramble drills, Johnson made catches gaining 33 and 24 yards on Buffalo's game-opening touchdown drive. His third reception went for 31 yards on a 4th-and-2 play in the second quarter.

"Ty is showing up in some other areas, one of which has been the passing game. I love the fact that he's embraced some of that and really working hard on being elite in that category," said head coach Sean McDermott.

Those three first-half receptions marked the first time in more than 32 years that a Bills' running back made at least three 20+ yard catches in the same game. Hall-of-Famer Thurman Thomas made three such receptions in the famous "No Punt Game" against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks into the 1992 season.

Meanwhile, McDermott suggested that Johnson has the potential to make such performances routine. The head coach pointed to the advantage that three-time Super Bowl champion James White provided the New England Patriots for a number of seasons.

"Because when you have that type of trait, I mean, I met James White before the game out here [when we faced New England], and he was very tough to handle in the passing game. It can really help an offense when you have that type of player," said McDermott.

White will forever be known for his remarkable Super Bowl LI performance that helped the Patriots overcome a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons. The running back made a SB-record 14 receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 29 yards, two touchdowns and a key two-point conversion.

In his second season with the Bills, Johnson has become a reliable weapon out of the backfield. He's averaging 17.2 yards per catch and has made three TD receptions over 21 total targets. The 27-year-old Johnson totaled two catches for 55 yards one week ago against the Los Angeles Rams.

Johnson is the first Bills' running back to produce a 100-yard receiving effort since Fred Jackson in 2010.

Dec 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) is tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) / David Reginek-Imagn Images

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