The Lions had wide receiver Calvin Johnson in the lineup on Sunday, although you’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice.
Johnson had just two catches while playing on an injured ankle that curtailed his playing time and kept him as a decoy for much of the afternoon. Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he thought Johnson was running at about 90 percent, a number that Johnson said was too high despite the fact that he felt better as the week progressed.
“Went out there. It was tough but I figured from moving around [on Saturday] that I’d be able to get on the field a little bit,” Johnson said, via ESPN.com. “It’s good to be out there with the fellas. It sucks to be on the sideline and not be able to play at all. It sucks to have injuries, too, but that’s just part of the game.”
Johnson didn’t suffer any setbacks and he expects the ankle to continue improving this week, which would likely lead to a more familiar role against the Bills in Week Five. If things don’t progress as hoped, the Lions can at least feel confident after Sunday in their offense’s ability to move the ball without big help from Johnson.