Pat yourself on the back if you had Devonta Freeman and Chris Johnson as the NFL's top two rushers after seven weeks.
Johnson moved into second place Monday night, thanks to a third-quarter, 62-yard run in which the Ravens' defense assumed the runner was down.
Johnson rolled into nose tackle Brandon Williams' lap, losing momentum but never touching a knee or elbow to the ground. When the officials opted against ruling the play dead, Johnson popped back up and raced down the sideline, ultimately getting caught from behind by safety Will Hill.
After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he "got no explanation" as to why referees chose not to whistle the play dead before Johnson got back on his feet.
"Forward progress was stopped," Harbaugh said. "If you hit him in that situation, you are going to get fined and penalized ... He declared himself down. He's sitting there. We shouldn't have hit him then. It would have been a dangerous play."
Justin Forsett, Johnson's counterpart Monday night, can't be blamed if he experienced deja vu on the play.
Back in 2012, Forsett was credited with an 81-yard touchdown when officials missed his elbow and knee touching down on what would have otherwise been a mundane 8-yard run. Then-Lions coach Jim Schwartz was infamously penalized for attempting to challenge a play that was not reviewable at the time.
Johnson has revived a Cardinals' ground attack that was ranked dead-last at 3.3 yards per carry last season.
Along with over-30 teammates Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and new pass rusher Dwight Freeney, Johnson is partying like it's 2009.
