Someday, Calvin Johnson will slow down and let opposing cornerbacks have a chance. This is not that day, no matter how un-Megatron he has looked at times this season.
Johnson, who had just one 100-yard game and one touchdown since Week 1 coming into Detroit's traditional Thanksgiving game, put on a show against the Bears. He had 11 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns and the Lions won 34-17, rallying after a poor start to keep the pressure on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. Johnson became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards, doing so in his 145th game.
The Lions are a different team with a healthy Johnson, obviously. He's one of the greatest receivers of all time, even though an ankle injury slowed him for much of this season. He looked just fine on Thursday.
Playing against a Bears secondary that often let him have a free release off the line, Johnson was dominant. His first touchdown came on a seam route in traffic. The other was an acrobatic grab in the end zone in which he managed to get in bounds. He moved very well and looked strong. He made Matthew Stafford look pretty good, too. Stafford had 391 yards. This performance from Johnson should give the Lions hope that their offense, which has been one of the least productive in the NFL this season, is ready to turn it around.
There's nothing turning around for the Bears. Chicago had a strangely conservative game plan, often calling short passes. They didn't even try to establish the run against the Lions' front. At one point before a meaningless final drive Cutler had 217 yards on 42 attempts, a very low number for a quarterback like him. Perhaps the Bears are tired of watching Cutler lose his mind and throw deep downfield into double coverage. He still managed to make a few of those incomprehensible throws, including one on a fourth quarter interception when the Lions led 31-17. That pretty much put the game away.
The Bears are done this season, but the Lions have some life. They play three straight losing teams before a Week 17 showdown at Lambeau Field. If Johnson keeps playing like he did Thursday, maybe that will determine the NFC North champs.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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