Rams rookie safety John Johnson shines in (surprising) first NFL start

LOS ANGELES — The Rams picked quite a time to show their trust in rookie John Johnson.
With starting safety Lamarcus Joyner, out of the lineup Sunday with a hamstring injury, the Rams chose to bench their other starter, Maurice Alexander, and replace him with Johnson, a third-round draft pick.
Like many bold moves, it worked. Alexander had been increasingly unreliable, both on pass defense and in run support. Johnson broke up a pass early in the game and then, five minutes into the second