As the Cowboys prepare to play the Lions on Sunday, they’re saying that they may be watching film of the NFL’s best player: Calvin Johnson.
“Calvin Johnson is arguably the best player in the National Football League,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s bigger than everybody else. He jumps up and catches the ball over his head. He runs with it after the catch. He does all the big things and little things well. It will be a tremendous challenge.”
That’s something no one would have thought to say about a Lions player since Barry Sanders retired, but Garrett isn’t alone. Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh said Megatron poses a unique challenge in coverage.
“You always have to account for Calvin,” Sensabaugh said. “He’s been making those plays in this league for years. He’s a real tall guy, real athletic, able to go up and get the football. We have to make sure that he’s taken care of, make sure he is accounted for. Calvin is just in his own league with what he does. He’s super big, a lot of guys aren’t as big as he is. He has good hands and he’s able to make plays, especially those jump-ball catches that he seems to come down with all of the time.”
Johnson has caught two touchdown passes in each of the Lions’ first three games. If the Cowboys can let him score just once, that will represent progress for their defense.