Stopping Lions’ receiver focus of Steelers’ defense
Calvin Johnson
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called Detroit’s Calvin Johnson the best receiver in the NFL.
The Steelers’ defense will have its hands full against Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson Sunday.
PITTSBURGH – Five, six, seven defensive backs. The Steelers have a lot of defensive alignments they employ in an attempt to slow opposing passing attacks.
They might have to come up with a new one Sunday when they play Detroit (6-3) at Heinz Field.
Maybe they can call it the Megatron defense.
Megatron is the nickname for Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, a 6-5, 236-pound monster who runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and has made a habit of destroying opposing defenses.
In his last three games, Johnson has caught 29 passes for 567 yards and five touchdowns.
The only thing that has slowed Johnson, who had 122 receptions for 1,964 yards last year, is a knee injury he dealt with early in this season.
The Steelers (3-6) have to figure out exactly which of their defensive packages will give them the best opportunity to slow Johnson and inch closer to .500.
“We won’t try anything that hasn’t been tried, and he’s still about 100 yards per game and a touchdown per game,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s a great player. We’ll do the best we can.”
The Steelers regularly face Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, who along with Johnson, Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Atlanta’s Julio Jones, are considered among the NFL’s best at the position. And they’ve typically done a good job against Green – one 100-yard game in five matchups – by having cornerback Ike Taylor follow him all over the field and doubling him at times with a safety.
Tomlin is not so sure that will work against Johnson.
“There is no comparison,” Tomlin said. “This guy is probably 235 pounds. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast. He’s a big dog.”
Tomlin did compare Johnson to another big receiver of a decade ago.
“It’s young Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings-like scary,” Tomlin said. “He’s a special player.”
The matchup could force the Steelers to get more creative with their defensive schemes. When inside linebacker Larry Foote was lost to a ruptured biceps in the regular-season opener, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau broke out a defense that included three cornerbacks and three safeties.
More recently, they have employed a defense that puts three outside linebackers – LaMarr Woodley, Jason Worilds and rookie Jarvis Jones – on the field at the same time, and even played some defenses that took free safety Ryan Clark off the field, replacing him with cornerback William Gay.
Tomlin said that rookie Sharmarko Thomas, who has been playing well as the third safety, will not play this week after suffering a high ankle sprain Sunday in a 23-10 win over Buffalo.
That could mean more playing time for veteran safety Will Allen, who was re-signed Oct. 10 after being released by Dallas. That’s the same Dallas defense that Johnson torched for 14 receptions and 329 yards in a 31-30 win Oct. 27.
“You can talk about ways to minimize his impact on the game, people, coverages, but all of that has been (tried) through nine games,” Tomlin said. “We are going to take our swing at it and do all the above in terms of working to minimize his impact on the game, coverages, people, etc.”
Thomas was the only player ruled out this week by the Steelers. … Woodley (calf), defensive end Brett Keisel (foot), guard Ramon Foster (ankle) and center Fernando Velasco (knee contusion) could be limited in practice. … Tomlin said he does not plan to investigate who the “Steelers sources” were that leaked what the team and Ben Roethlisberger both say were erroneous reports that the quarterback will seek a trade in the offseason.