The New England Patriots headed toward Raymond James Stadium with veteran reinforcements.

The organization elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and linebacker Darius Harris from the practice squad on the eve of Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Johnson, 29, has now gotten the call-up for consecutive games after signing in Foxborough at the end of October. The vested running back debuted back deep on five kickoff returns last week versus the Atlanta Falcons. He did so while rounding out an active backfield depth chart led by rookie TreVeyon Henderson and recent 53-man roster promotion Terrell Jennings.

A South Florida alum who went undrafted in 2018, Johnson set out with the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos the following year. The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder

See Full Page