Bears vs. Lions: Calvin Johnson Will Prove Why He Is NFL MVP In Primetime

There are a handful of early-season MVP candidates in the NFL right now, but all of them will pale in comparison to Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson after Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears.

This is the first time that the Lions have been featured on Monday Night Football since 2001, and the team is going to prove why it belongs among the elite teams in the NFL; Johnson will prove that he is the best player in the league.

The biggest reason for their success this season has been Johnson's play. The wide receiver, who is affectionately known as Megatron, has been terrorizing opposing defenses through four games. He has more touchdowns (eight) than any other skill position player in the league.

Johnson has completely changed the way teams defend the Lions. He is, by far, the best playmaker on the team. Opposing teams gear up to stop him, but they have no answer for him. He possesses a rare combination of size, speed and power.

The Bears are not good at defending the pass. They rank 30th in the league through four games. They have allowed at least one receiver to burn them for over 100 yards in each of their last three games played.

Johnson is doing things that have not been done since Randy Moss' first season in New England. But unlike Moss, Johnson has a real chance to become the first player since 1986 to win the AP MVP award playing a position other than quarterback or running back.

To win the award, you have to clearly be the best player on a team that makes the playoffs. The Lions are one of only two undefeated teams, so it is safe to say they are postseason contenders. And no one of the team comes close to matching Johnson's contributions.

Ndamukong Suh can make a case for being the best player on the Lions, but the player who affects the game the most for the team is Johnson. Matthew Stafford has been terrific this season, but his highlights have all been plays that go to Megatron.

The place where Johnson really separates himself from the pack is in the scheme that the Lions run. If you watch them play, they are not innovating the way offense is run. They are formulaic in their approach, but Johnson makes it work so well because he is that good.

Johnson is so good and so confident that he told opposing teams what is going to happen if he is left in one-on-one coverage.

“If we get that single coverage, it’s automatic it’s coming up to me,” Johnson said.

That is Johnson's way of waving the middle finger at opposing defenses that don't respect him enough to put more than one body on him. Even if the Bears put more than one body on him, they won't be able to stop him from dominating this game.

The rest of the NFL will have to take notice, because Johnson is going to prove that he is the Most Valuable Player on the biggest stage the league has to offer.