NFL Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson is Key to Detroit Lions’ Week 10 Win

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By @DaveCuff

Calvin Johnson Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins play a big game this Sunday in Detroit. The Lions are 6-2, have won three-straight games and are coming off a bye week. They will look to keep their lead in the NFC North over the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins are 5-3 and also come into the matchup with three-straight victories. There are a lot of guys who will look to step up Sunday, but Calvin Johnson is the key to a Lions’ victory.

The Lions were without Johnson during their three-game win streak and struggled mightily at times to put points on the board. Golden Tate has stepped up huge, but quarterback Matthew Stafford needs more than just one reliable pass catcher. Johnson is the best wide receiver in the NFL and he is coming back at the perfect time. Miami has gotten to their 5-3 record in large part due to the play of their pass defense, which ranks second in the NFL.

Last week, the Dolphins shut out the San Diego Chargers in Miami and made Philip Rivers look like a struggling rookie. They are led in the secondary by corners Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan. They have also been helped greatly by former Detroit safety Louis Delmas.

While those guys have done their part and played better than expected, what’s really helped this defense against the aerial attack is a fierce pass rush. They currently rank third in the league in sacks behind standout players Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.

Miami, however, has not played anyone like Johnson this season. Megatron is a man amongst boys and his combination of size and speed is nearly unstoppable. The fact that Tate has been so good for Detroit lately means Miami may not be able to double-team Johnson as much as they’d like. So if the Lions’ O-line can keep the pass rush at bay, that could lead to a longer than normal day for the Dolphins’ secondary.

The return of Johnson is huge for Detroit. They have fought through a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but none bigger than the loss of Megatron. He has the ability to turn the Lions’ offense around and will need to do just that against a great Miami pass defense. It will take a team effort for Detroit to win Sunday, but Calvin Johnson is the key.

David Cuff is a University of Michigan Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveCuff, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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