He's a playmaker in need of plays. He might be the only true difference-maker the Lions have.
So finally, in a slugfest against the Bears, receiver Calvin Johnson got a chance to show what he could do. It wasn't enough in the Lions' 27-23 loss, but it was enough to make everyone want to see even more.
Quarterback Dan Orlovsky, his job threatened by the arrival of Daunte Culpepper, was more aggressive throwing to Johnson, and although the results were mixed, the approach was important. Johnson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2007, caught a career-high eight passes for 94 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown.
Only two of those receptions came after the Lions built a 23-13 halftime lead, as the Bears' defense cranked up the pressure. But there were real signs the Lions are trying harder to use Johnson's size (6-foot-5, 239 pounds) and athletic ability.
"That was the focus, trying to get me the ball a little more,"
Johnson said. "We did, but in the end, we didn't pull it off."
Orlovsky was able to look for Johnson partly because the offensive line did an admirable job holding off the Bears. Orlovsky threw 47 times and was sacked only twice. He also spread the passes around, hitting Shaun McDonald six times, tight end Michael Gaines six times and Mike Furrey four times.
"Calvin's really easy to throw to,"
Orlovsky said. "One, he wants to be really good, he wants the ball. But there's nothing that can go on between Calvin and I until those five guys up front play well, and they did."
"Calvin had a good day, and he's going to be a really, really good player in this league. It got to the point, probably, on the interception that I was liking him too much, thinking he could do too much. It's one of those moments where you quickly learn if you step out of the box in this position, in this league, you get hurt. That hurt us big."
Orlovsky hadn't thrown an interception in his previous three starts, but tossed two to the Bears. The big one came with 12:49 left and the Lions facing a third-and-9 at Chicago's 19. Orlovsky tried to force the ball to Johnson in the end zone and safety Craig Steltz picked it off.
The positive news for the Lions is, Johnson is finding ways to be productive even after fellow receiver Roy Williams was traded to the Cowboys.
Johnson also ran an end-around that lost 6 yards, but hey, the attempt to use him is what matters. And Johnson has to keep working harder to get open.
"I don't know what I did because we lost, so it don't matter right now,"
Johnson said.
