Madden 13 Cover: Breaking Down Ways the Curse Will Try to Destroy Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson is going to be on the cover of Madden NFL 13.

This means the man they call "Megatron" needs to watch where he steps, and do his best to avoid walking under ladders and breaking mirrors. And just to be safe, he should sleep with one eye open.

He is officially a target of the dreaded Madden curse.

Megatron became a target of the curse the second it was announced that he had beaten Cam Newton to earned the coveted (and feared in some circles) honor. He will now attempt to break the curse, something few players have managed to do.

He better be ready. Here's a look at the different ways the curse will try to take Megatron out.

Injury

This is the easiest way the curse can take Johnson down, and injuries also happen to be the curse's favorite method of attack.

Among the Madden cover boys to be hit with injuries are Garrison Hearst, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Shaun Alexander, Troy Polamalu and, to a certain extent, Peyton Hillis. Players on the Madden cover just never know when they're going to get hurt, or how badly.

Is Johnson in danger? You bet he is. He managed to play in all 16 games in 2011, but keep in mind that he had to deal with a nagging Achilles injury for a better part of the season. It wasn't anything series, but it's something that was definitely a problem.

Achilles injuries are scary, as many NFL players can testify. Even a player as big and as brutally strong as Johnson could easily fall prey to a more serious Achilles injury.

That's where the curse could strike, but it could just as easily go for Johnson's knees. The curse has been known to do that.

Extra Coverage

It's no secret around the NFL that it's a good idea to put more than one body on Megatron in a given play. He's used to facing double and triple coverage.

Johnson is never overmatched, no matter how many guys he's being covered by. However, we should all keep in mind that there was a period of a couple weeks during the 2011 regular season when Johnson's production dropped, and extra coverage had a lot to do with it.

I'll give Matthew Stafford credit for not being afraid to force passes to Johnson, as he knows that Megatron is perfectly capable of making catches in traffic. This is something he's not going to have to do as regularly in 2012, as he's going to have the benefit of an improved rushing attack, and he should feel a lot more comfortable throwing the ball to Titus Young after he finished the 2011 season strong.

In other words, Detroit's offense will be a little more well-rounded in 2012. Stafford isn't going to have to force as many passes to Johnson as he did in 2011, meaning Johnson's production could see a significant drop.

Injury to Stafford

Johnson is a great player, but the reason he put up incredible numbers in 2011 wasn't so much because he did anything different. It had more to do with the fact Stafford was finally able to stay healthy.

Given Stafford's history, it cannot be taken for granted that he will stay healthy for a full season again in 2012. Detroit's offensive line is not impenetrable, and Stafford is not indestructible.

Johnson showed in 2010 that he can still be productive with somebody other than Stafford throwing to him. But if Stafford does go down again, he's going to be nowhere near as productive as he was in 2011, when he was the single most dominant wide receiver in the NFL.

If Stafford goes down, Johnson's numbers will go down.

Off-Field Distractions

This is something the curse tried with Peyton Hillis, and it worked to perfection.

As you'll no doubt recall, Hillis' 2011 season was marred by a contract dispute that had a negative effect on his play out on the field. Hillis practically boycotted his own team, leading to some apparent ugliness within the Browns' locker room. 

The good news for Megatron is that he doesn't have to worry about lobbying for a new contract. I'm assuming he's perfectly happy with the eight-year, $132 million extension he signed earlier this offseason. If he starts moping around as part of an effort to get more money, he'll officially be the greediest dude in sports.

But you never know. Perhaps something damning about Megatron's personal life will come out, or maybe reports will surface about he and Lions teammates carrying out bareknuckle boxing matches outside Ford Field. 

If the curse can't ruin Megatron on the field, it will look to ruin Megatron off the field.

Miscellaneous

An alien abduction.

Poltergeists in Johnson's locker.

A conveniently placed banana peel.

Locusts.

With the curse, you really can't rule anything out.