Will Calvin Johnson Be the First WR Since Jerry Rice to Win NFL MVP?

Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions were again scrambling back from a deficit in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. It seemed nearly impossible they would pull off a miraculous victory for a second week in a row. 

However, for the second week in a row it was Johnson who came down with two second-half touchdowns to boost the Lions to 4-0.

That's now eight touchdowns in just four games for Megatron. Not many of those have been in single coverage. In fact, as it was against the Cowboys, some have even been in triple coverage. 

Calvin Johnson is simply unstoppable. It's as easy as that. You can put four guys on him, but Matthew Stafford just needs to throw a jump ball and Johnson will out-jump everyone.

He's not just big with a huge vertical, though. He runs goods routes. He can take a screen to the house. He's fast. He's physical.

As a receiver, Calvin Johnson is the whole package. We've been hearing this his whole career but he finally has a good offensive line and a healthy quarterback to get him the ball. It's scary to think what kind of numbers he can put up.

Well, we are already seeing what "scary" can look like.

Johnson is on pace for 96 catches, 1,284 yards and 32 touchdowns. Thirty-two. Touchdowns. In one season.

Okay, okay. We've established that Megatron is seriously talented, but does he have any chance of winning MVP?

Everything has to go right if a WR is going to win the coveted award. The team has to be dominant. No one else around the league can have amazing seasons and the receiver has to do something special.

Jerry Rice won the Pro Football Writers Association NFL MVP back in 1987. He was the last receiver to win (no WR has won the AP MVP). During that season, Rice pulled in 65 catches for 1,078 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Those aren't eye-popping numbers in the catch and yards department, but the 22 touchdowns were an NFL record. 

Randy Moss later broke that record, but his quarterback, Tom Brady, won the award with his own record-breaking season.

Megatron isn't likely to put up anything over 100 catches or 1,300 yards. Those numbers aren't what will win him an MVP award. The touchdowns will do it.

If the Lions get to 12 wins and Johnson breaks Moss's record of 23 receiving touchdowns, he should win the MVP.

In all honestly, it will still be tough because the passing game is getting out of control in the NFL. Brady and Aaron Rodgers are putting up huge numbers as well. 

Still though, Brady and Rodgers have tons of weapons around them. No one else has a Megatron-type of effect on their team.

It's not an easy task for Calvin Johnson to win MVP. But he's the type of player who can perform non-easy tasks.

Like pulling down touchdowns in triple coverage.