DETROIT (AP) - Calvin Johnson is usually covered by a cornerback and a safety when he runs a route.
The Detroit Lions receiver expects to experience something unusual against the New York Jets. He’ll only need to beat one man _ All-Pro Darrelle Revis _ to get open.
“We haven’t seen a lot of that this year, so it’s definitely something that we’re looking forward to,” Johnson said. “I think that there’ll be a lot of opportunities for us come Sunday.”
The Lions (2-5) have a chance to win three straight games at home.
It won’t be easy because the Jets (5-2) have won six straight road games and they’re motivated to bounce back with a win after getting shut out last week against Green Bay. They might also have an answer for Johnson, who caught a career-high three touchdowns in his last game and has seven scores in four games.
The Jets’ top cornerback has developed such a reputation for coverage in isolation that his teammates joke that opponents get stranded on Revis Island.
“He plays one on one, that’s the only thing that means to me,” Johnson said. “He’s a physical corner. That does separate him from a lot of corners in the league.”
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Johnson _ nicknamed Megatron by former teammate Roy Williams _ stands out with a freakish combination of size, speed and skills.
“The kid’s got it all in one package,” New York coach Rex Ryan said.
The 5-11, 198-pound Revis doesn’t sound worried about matching up with Johnson.
“Why would I be concerned about somebody’s size?” Revis asked. “There are a number of guys that are big.”
Revis hasn’t put up big numbers this season _ no interceptions, five passes defended _ because teams don’t throw his way very often.
Johnson, meanwhile, had gaudy numbers against the NFL’s hottest cornerback _ Washington’s DeAngelo Hall _ by matching a career high with nine receptions for 101 yards and three scores that put Detroit ahead of the Redskins last week. He had a season-high 146 yards receiving and a score in his previous game against the New York Giants.
Some Lions said if they weren’t playing, they would pay to watch the Johnson-Revis matchup.
“Yeah, I heard them say that, too, myself,” Johnson said.
Detroit center Dominic Raiola will be busy blocking when Johnson and Revis are going at it, but can’t wait to watch them match talents when he gets home.
“I’m going to TiVo this one,” Raiola said.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez probably wants to burn the tapes from his last few games.
Sanchez threw two interceptions _ for the second straight game _ in the 9-0 loss to the Packers. He has completed just 48 percent of his passes has thrown only one TD the past three games, leading to a dismal 54.4 quarterback rating.
Jets offensive tackle Damien Woody fully expects Sanchez to respond well.
“It’s just not in his DNA to really pout about what happened, he’s a fighter,” Woody said. “He’ll put that game behind him, just like everybody else will and we’ll go out there and put together a good performance against Detroit.”
Sanchez’s statistics were lackluster in his rookie season _ 12 TD passes and 20 interceptions _ but in the bottom-line business of wins and losses he came out on top with an 8-7 record as a starter.
Clearly, the Jets are glad they aggressively traded up in the 2009 NFL draft to take Sanchez fifth overall.
“In this league, you’re not going anywhere unless you have a quarterback,” Ryan said. “This is a quarterback-driven league.”
The Motor City’s franchise finally has a QB it can count on, drafting Stafford with the No. 1 pick last year. He threw four go-ahead TDs last week, playing for the first time since his right shoulder was separated in the opener.
For a change, Stafford is eager to see Johnson line up with only one man to beat _ usually Revis, and sometimes Antonio Cromartie _ against the Jets.
“When you play the Packers, you get Charles Woodson, but you don’t get a whole lot of man coverage with them,” Stafford said. “These guys like to play man coverage and they’re confident in their guys. Those guys are great corners. It’s going to be an interesting matchup.”
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