Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson Sets Single Season Receiving Yards Record

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the man they call Megatron, lived up to his nickname with a record setting performance against the Atlanta Falcons on December 22nd.  Johnson needed 181 receiving yards to break Jerry Rice’s single season record of 1848 yards set in 1995.  In a stellar performance, Johnson caught 11 passes for a whopping 225 yards and broke the record. He now has 1892 yards, and has a real good shot at reaching 2000 for the season.  Detroit’s final game of the season is December 30th at home against the Chicago Bears.

It will be the final game of an enormously disappointing season for the Lions.  Despite Johnson’s big day, Detroit lost to Atlanta 31-18.  It was the team’s seventh straight loss and dropped its season record to 4-11.  There were great expectations in the Motor City going into the 2012 season after the Lions went 10-6 in 2011 and reached the playoffs for the first time in the 21st century.  Did they overachieve in 2011, or did they underachieve in 2012?  We think it’s the latter, but either way it will be back to the drawing board in the off season.  It certainly wasn’t Johnson’s fault the team as a whole was crap; in fact, it makes his performance this season all the more remarkable.

Congratulations, Megatron, and good luck going for that 2000 yards mark next week.