Buffalo Bills: Why "Stevie" Johnson Is an Elite NFL Receiver

In his first two NFL seasons, Steve "Stevie" Johnson, the former Kentucky Wildcat, had a total of 112 receiving yards. Not too hot at all. 

Things changed last season, however. The drought ended and the grass grew. In Steve Johnson's eyes, fate arrived in the form of Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

The Harvard grad, who has a higher IQ than many professionals in the working world, took over in the third game of 2010 and really found his niche. Essential to his 3,000 yard, 13-game season was Johnson, who caught nearly a third of Fitzpatrick's completions. 

It is the relationship and trust that these two had in one another that turned each into unlikely offensive stars. The Buffalo Bills finished with a lowly record of 4-12, yet their games were often exciting, and the Bills' fans still had a reason to cheer. 

Fast forward to this season. The Bills are 3-0 and coming off a huge win over the mighty New England Patriots, in which they picked off Tom Brady four times and Johnson had eight receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. 

This season, Johnson has done exactly what great receivers don't and what average receivers do: disappear.  

Hundreds of receivers in the NFL have had breakout seasons surrounded by years of mediocrity. Johnson is proving to his team, the Bills' fans and the country that he is not a one-season wonder. 

The key to his success is no doubt his ability to get open. Despite having great downfield speed, Johnson has shown that he can be a possession receiver. He averaged just under 5.5 receptions per game last season and just over 6 receptions per game when Fitzpatrick was taking the snaps. 

The success of Buffalo so far is significant beyond the football field. Buffalo, New York is traditionally a blue-collar city that was hard hit by the economic recession. At one point, questions were even raised about whether the Bills could financially survive in the city. 

If there was any time in history that a team needed to be competitive, it was this year in Buffalo. Johnson, Fitzpatrick and running back Fred Jackson have created an exciting and explosive offense that shows no signs of slowing down. Buffalonians have a reason to cheer, and there is hope in the nippy Lake Erie air that the Bills could make a run.

With a star receiver like Steve Johnson, one can only assume that offense won't be a problem in Buffalo.

Johnson's on track for another double digit touchdown season, and there is no doubt in my mind that he is in the same class as the league's elite receivers.

If he played in a larger market, his hype would be much greater. He doesn't though, and he doesn't want to. He loves Buffalo and Buffalo loves him. If that's not a star, I don't know what is.

Follow him on Twitter too, he's pretty funny: @steviejohnson13