Madden 13 Cover: Calvin Johnson Will Defy Madden Curse

Detroit Lions fans have a lot to fear next season, but it has nothing to do with their team. It has to do with star receiver Calvin Johnson landing the Madden '13 cover on Wednesday.

We all know about the Madden Curse. It makes the immortal become mere mortals, and threatens the very livelihood of stars around the NFL.

Since Madden 2001, every cover athlete has had a down year except Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald. That includes Eddie George, Daunte Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, Shaun Alexander, Vince Young, Brett Favre, Troy Polamalu and Peyton Hillis.

But Calvin Johnson will reverse the dreaded curse in 2012.

Johnson is coming off a career season in which he racked up 1,681 receiving yards (best in the league), 16 touchdowns (second-best) and 93 catches (third-best). He also has a rising quarterback in young Matthew Stafford, who passed for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns last season en route to the playoffs.

Beyond that, the Lions have a budding defense, which means the Lions offense will likely have the ball more in 2012, especially if they draft a defensive player in the first round.

This has all the makings of another spectacular season for Johnson, arguably the NFL's best receiver. He's on an up-and-coming team, paired with a top quarterback, and the Lions averaged 29.6 points last season (fourth in the NFL). What's not to like?

And while several prior cover athletes fell to injury, Johnson has missed only three games in his first five seasons in the NFL. He played in all of the Lions' 17 games in 2011.

The Madden Curse is real, but Megatron tends to power through any obstacles in his way.

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