As you might imagine, it didn’t take Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson to notice when somebody called him old.
And it took less time for Ravens safety Matt Elam’s teammates to light him up as well.
Elam got the ball rolling this week, claiming that Johnson was old, and thus susceptible to physical defense. To which Johnson replied by promising to show his old-man strength.
And then his teammates had their turn.
“You just kind of look at him and say ‘Dude, what are you thinking? It’s Calvin Johnson,’” Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said, on a conference call with Detroit reporters.
Flacco also said the Ravens took shots downfield at Elam all day in practice, to prepare him for what he’s likely to face Monday, when Johnson gets a chance to prove his strength in person.
It’s a good strategy, and perhaps Flacco can offer Elam advice on how to be dull at the right times.