There weren’t many teams that figured out a good strategy to dealing with Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson last year, but the Bears were able to do it twice.
Johnson had eight catches for 106 yards and no touchdowns against Chicago in a pair of Lions losses last season, 27 yards less than he averaged per game when the Lions were playing anyone other than the Bears. That’s one reason one Johnson has less than fond feelings for the Bears.
“It’s easy to have a dislike for them,” Johnson said, via Carlos Monnarez of the Detroit Free-Press. “It’s not hard at all. Can’t stand them, one, because they’re filling up the stadium a lot with a lot of Bears fans. So that’s one reason I can’t stand them. But we’re going to have a good showing this week. We’ve had two good practices this week. Guys are focused in and, like I say, we don’t like those guys. So it’s going to be a good little showdown.”
It usually is when Johnson gets together with Bears cornerback Charles Tillman. This weekend shouldn’t be much different, especially with the Lions potentially needing more from Johnson than they’ve gotten in the first three weeks in the wake of Nate Burleson’s injury.
