Johnson Expects Bears To Adjust After His Dominance In Last Meeting
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - The Detroit Lions handled the Chicago Bears, 34-17, when the Bears visited Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson looked unstoppable, hauling in 11 passes for 146 yards and two scores.
Johnson often saw single coverage, and he made the Chicago defense - most notably teammate Corey Fuller's younger brother Kyle Fuller - pay dearly. Quarterback Matthew Stafford obviously liked the looks the Bears gave in terms of what they would allow Johnson to do; he targeted Johnson 16 times, the most he has all season.
Stafford, Johnson and head coach Jim Caldwell said they did not know for sure what the Bears would do to try to contain Johnson when the teams meet again Sunday.
"We'll see," Stafford said. "They've tried some different things to different guys, if you look at the tape, whether it be a Dez Bryant, a Calvin, a Jimmy Graham. We'll see. The Bears are confident in their scheme and play it well."
Johnson noted the Lions would not mind if the Bears went the same route the did on Thanksgiving.
"You expect to see some different things," Johnson said. "If that's how they want to play you, that's great for us, but you would kind of think that there would be some different things that they would throw in their game plan."
The Bears, like most teams, will certainly spend a significant amount of time considering how best to stop Johnson, but Caldwell said he did not know what tactics they might employ to do so.
"Not certain," Caldwell said. "With that particular staff - and [Chicago defensive coordinator] Mel [Tucker] is a heck of a football coach, and I've had a chance to work against him for a number of years. He does a tremendous job, and they'll come up with a way to try to get that accomplished."