Bears Blitz

Published by Brett Lyons on October 5, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Bears fans thought the 5’9″ Steve Smith was tough last week when he caught eight balls for 119 yards?

Steve Smith is a cake walk compared to Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Johnson is on pace for a historical 2011 season. The lanky 6’5″ Georgia Tech product is producing at rates that would surpass Randy Moss’ 2007 and Jerry Rice’s 1987 record-setting campaigns.

Through four games this year, Johnson has grabbed 24 balls for 321 yards and eight touchdowns. He is the first player since Cris Carter in 1995 to catch two touchdowns in four straight games.

Johnson has also been a key component in another NFL first. Detroit became the first team to ever overcome 20 point deficits and win games in back-to-back weeks.

Johnson, a.k.a. “Megatron,” is out to prove that he’s the best receiver in the game right now. He’s taking no prisoners and is out to make a statement every week.

Believe it—the league is listening.

‘‘He’s probably the top receiver in the league right now, as far as just throwing the ball up and letting him get it,’’ Bears cornerback Charles Tillman said.

‘‘He’s the Goliath of receivers. We as a secondary will definitely have our hands full trying to contain him.’’

He’s an incredibly talented wide receiver who is capable of putting Darrelle Revis, Nnamdi Asomugha or any other elite corner on their own island.

Luckily, there are ways to stop Johnson from burning a secondary.

There are three keys to stopping any elite wide receiver from taking over an entire game.

Drawing a Double-Team

Having Johnson one-on-one with Tillman is a mismatch. In order for the Bears to limit his production, they need to have a safety floating on his side of the field at all times.

The obvious cost of this defense would be exposure to the run. Luckily for Chicago, the Lions don’t commit to the run—and who can blame them?

Getting a double-team on Johnson may not limit his catches. His vertical jump and strength is so phenomenal that he’s going to catch most targets. Having two defensive backs on him would end the play where the ball is caught.

Once Johnson has the ball and breaks the initial tackle, forget about it.

Defensive Line Pressure

This key is a bit more on the obvious side. How do the Bears keep Johnson from getting the ball? Eliminate the ball from ever being thrown.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has earned the reputation of a “China doll.” His shoulder is constructed of glass and craft glue. Getting him to the ground hard and forcing him to check down keeps the threat of Johnson from emerging.

This is a big week for Julius Peppers. The Bears defensive end struggled against a solid offensive line with the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. If he can get off the snap and cause the pocket to collapse, the chances of completing accurate passes significantly drops.

Committing to the Run

The easiest way the Bears limit the touches for the Lions offense would be to take possession of the pigskin and dominate the clock. Running the football with Matt Forte early, often and consistently will keep the Lions on the sideline relying on their defense.

Rushing the ball against Detroit is a major flaw in the Lions defense. Detroit is allowing 113 yards a game on the ground, which is 20th in the NFL.

Forte’s not going to have another 200 yard game, but he can pick up good chunks of yards and keep the offense from suffering another case of Mike Martzism and passing 80 percent of downs.

Even if everything goes right, defending Johnson is no easy walk in the park. The importance of this early season game means a whole lot for the Lions and even more for the Bears.

Brett Lyons is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials.

Follow Brett Lyons on Twitter @BrettLyons670.

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