When NFL Network polled a panel of football experts two years ago to name the Top 100 players in NFL history, Jerry Rice came in first. So when a player breaks a record owned by Jerry Rice, that player has done something special.
On Saturday night, Calvin Johnson did something special.
Johnson broke Rice’s all-time single-season receiving yardage record, a record that Rice set in 1995, when he gained 1,848 yards. Johnson entered Saturday night’s game with 1,667 yards on the season, and in the fourth quarter against the Falcons, Johnson broke Rice’s record. Saturday night’s game has been a masterful performance from Johnson, who topped 100 yards before halftime and also broke the NFL record for consecutive games with at least 100 yards.
Amazingly, not only did Johnson reach a yardage total that no NFL player has ever totaled, but he did it in just the 15th game of the season. Next week, Johnson can turn his attention to a new goal: Becoming the first NFL receiver to gain 2,000 yards.