Calvin Johnson's season got off to a slow start. As the Detroit Lions fell to the San Diego Chargers, the leading wide receiver had just two catches for 39 yards. That is not exactly the production fans expect to see from Johnson who is more accustomed to breaking records instead of getting just four targets. However, that is what the defense showed and everyone from Matthew Stafford to offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is stressing it will not happen again.
If the Lions are going to win, Johnson must be involved in the team. He is their biggest playmaker on the field and Stafford's best safety blanket. Heading into Week 2, the Lions are downplaying Johnson's lack of involvement last Sunday.
"We had 47 reps, 40 before the 2-minute drive," Lombardi said, per the Detroit Free Press. "We certainly had plays that he's the primary, and for whatever reason, the situation didn't work out where he was the guy to throw to. I think if we had our 60 normal reps, you would've seen the ball go to him a few more times."
Johnson's quiet day allowed tight end Eric Ebron to have a breakout game, something the second-year pro desperately needed. Ebron had 53 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers while Theo Riddick also had a nice 37 yards and a touchdown off two catches. Investing heavily in either player for fantasy purposes is risky. Ebron has yet to prove he can be a reliable threat on the field while Riddick's time is infrequent at best. Despite the low numbers, Johnson is the team's offensive leader along with Golden Tate.
The run gane will be another area that could drive fantasy owners crazy in Week 2. While Ameer Abdullah did everything right in his debut, Joique Bell is healthy and ready for a bigger workload. Head coach Jim Caldell told the media that he envisioned an equal rotation for the run game and that will be seen more in Week 2. Bell has no issues with splitting the backfield with Abdullah and he believes the rotation will make both players very successful in the future.
"We made a lot of adjustments in the run game this season, man," Bell said, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. "We added some new plays to our run game, and some more plays up front. A new fullback who actually played quite well for us. Like I said, our team is going to continue to grow."
