The Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Detroit Lions might not sound that entertaining upon first listen, but certain matchups could make this Week 12 feature one to watch. The two teams feature the top wide receiver and one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Both will go head-to-head with one another for the second time in their careers.
Johnson and Revis faced each other back in 2010 when the cornerback was a member of the New York Jets. Revis held the receiver to a one catch for 13 yards. He went one-on-one with Johnson for almost the entire game causing the receiver to get just four targets in the game. Can Revis repeat the success? Johnson has continued to improve with each season and Revis is coming off a year where he missed most of the season with a torn ACL. Despite the circumstances, Revis said he is not losing sleep over the upcoming game and has plenty of respect for Johnson.
"One catch for 13 yards. I mean, what do you think? I'm not worried about even that stat or trying to better that stat. That was years ago, and we'll see. I got a lot of respect for Calvin and what he's been doing in the league, and I'm sure he has a lot of respect for me as well. I don't know what the outcome will be Sunday. I'm going to prepare the best way I can and be prepared for the game," Revis said, via USATodaySports.com.
Revis knows that Johnson is a much different player than that one matchup. The wide receiver enters with an NFL-best 1,083 yards and 11 touchdowns, looking like he is playing better than ever. However, Revis believes that deep down, Johnson is the same type of guy he faced before and is not concerned about struggling against him.
"Looking at him on film, he's still the same player to me," Revis said. "Nothing has changed. Him and (Matthew) Stafford have great chemistry. He's continuing to catch deep balls. I think he's averaging over 20 yards a catch or something. He's the same Calvin. His play hasn't been going down or nothing. He's still the same Pro Bowl wide receiver."
While Johnson may be better, some have criticized Revis as being worse. It is no secret that the cornerback has struggled since his injury. The veteran has been vocal about struggling in the Greg Schiano defensive scheme. Despite all of that, Lions head coach has nothing but respect for the cornerback and will make a game plan accordingly.
"When you watch him on film, he doesn't look like he's dragging his leg or hampered in any way," Schwartz said. "He's a good player. He's got great eyes for the football. He can play zone, he can play man, he can play press, and he can play off. He's one of the best corners in the NFL."
The faceoff between Johnson and Revis makes the Week 12 game one to watch. While the Buccaneers are certainly underdogs to the surging Lions, these two players will give each other a run for their money.
