Calvin Johnson Getting Lost in Winless Shuffle

Remember this guy? The 6'5" freak of nature who was faster, stronger, jumped higher, and ran harder than anyone else at the 2007 combine?

Meet Calvin Johnson.

I'm sure you have all been acquainted before, you may have just forgotten. I remember some of you were lamenting at draft time because Matt Millen took another first-round wide receiver.

Then there were those who said he couldn't carry the load as a No. 1 receiver (yet), that he was only putting up numbers because Roy Williams took the pressure off.

The rest of you have either quietly been wearing your No. 81 jerseys, or stopped talking about him altogether.

The only nouns uttered around the league in reference to the Detroit Lions this year are "Millen," "Rod Marinelli," "Drew Stanton," "winless season," "draft picks" and, most recently, "Daunte Culpepper."

I understand. It's hard to look at bright spots when you love a team this much that plays this bad. Or when you're an objective sports fan who could care less about a team this bad.

Does that mean we can't celebrate one of our only hits in the draft this decade?

(Ernie Sims, keep him company up there)

Whether anybody knows it or not, Calvin Johnson is putting up what is very possibly a Pro-Bowl season.

Don't believe me? Because everything about the Lions is bad, right? Not quite. Here are the facts, brought to you by ESPN.com.

After 10 weeks, Calvin Johnson is

- Fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 774 (on only 39 receptions, leading to my next point)

- Third in the NFL in yards per reception at 19.8

- Tied for second in the NFL in receiving touchdowns with six

- Owner of the league's longest reception this year at 96 yards

These stats are not Hall-of-Fame-caliber, nor do I mean to induct him, but if this pace keeps up, the only thing standing between him and a Pro Bowl bid will be the insignia on his helmet.

Now, why stop there? Those are only stats. Why not examine his circumstances as compared to the receivers ahead of him on the leader board?

How many leading receivers in the league have been thrown to by four different (not very good) quarterbacks in the same season?

Zero.

How many of those receivers are in their sophomore season?

Zero.

How many of those receivers play on a team where they can be considered the team's only legitimate offensive threat?

This is arguable. I would say one, and throw Andre Johnson a bone. Kudos to the other Johnson. If I weren't a Lions fan, much of this article would apply to him.

I'll bet you a Coke and a smile Andre Johnson will be a lock to the Pro Bowl, though.

With Calvin Johnson on pace for nearly 1,400 yards and 10+ touchdowns, he should be too.

If he gets snubbed, we have only 0-9, 0-10, and 0-11 to blame.