Image via Complex Original
While he was rumored to be on his way out of the game for several months prior to his announcement, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson called it a career on March 8, 2016, after nine outstanding seasons. To say his career was decorated would be quite the understatement; despite hanging up his cleats at age 30, Johnson is in the top 30 all-time in receiving yards. He has amassed more yards over his first nine seasons in the league than all but two receivers in history. He also owns the single-season record for receiving yards.
It’s safe to say that a player with his combination of size (6'5'', 240 pounds) and speed (a 4.35 40-yard dash coming out of college) is a once-in-a-generation talent and one we should take the time to appreciate now that he’s called it quits.
As you might have guessed, Johnson produced his fair share of highlight-reel catches. Lion’s quarterbacks looked to him in the games’ biggest moments throughout his career, and time and time again Megatron delivered. Whether it was during the regular season or playoffs, you could always count on No. 81 to pull off something absolutely spectacular. As we reflect back on his Hall of Fame-caliber career, here is a look at Megatron's 10 Greatest Catches.
We only included his highlights from his NFL career. But in case you were wondering, he could do things like this in college, too.
10. Get Off Me
Date: Dec. 6, 2010
Opponent: Chicago Bears
Game Stats: 3 REC, 66 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 6
This catch was the perfect showcase of what Johnson could do on the field that most other receivers simply could not. Not only did he have the strength to stiff arm 200-plus pound Bears safety Chris Harris, but he then had the speed to get to the sideline, unleash another stiff arm, and then get into the end zone before being chased down by another defensive back. The touchdown was Johnson's 12th of the season, making him the first receiver in Lions history to record more than two seasons of 12 TD catches. He'd go on to collect another two 12-plus TD seasons in 2011 and 2013.
9. Not Quite a TD, Still Amazing
Date: Oct. 25, 2015
Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Game Stats: 5 REC, 86 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 6.5
Sometimes the strangest of circumstances brings out the best in a player, and clearly when a play breaks down you can trust Megatron. In a game this past season against the Vikings, Johnson turned a wobbly, possible interception from Matthew Stafford into a near-touchdown as he hauled in the pass on the goal line, despite being swarmed by three defenders. While Johnson clearly deserved a touchdown for this ridiculously clutch play, the Lions were unable to punch the ball into the end zone in a display of offensive futility that perfectly encapsulated their 2015 season.
8. Twinkle-Toes
Date: Sept. 20, 2015
Opponent: Minnesota Vikings
Game Stats: 10 REC, 83 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 7
Playing the Vikings brought out the best in Johnson, apparently. In an early-season tilt last year against the Lions' NFC North rival, Megatron showed that in addition to speed and power, he's got some incredibly nimble feet as well. This slick grab, with a man draped all over him, helped bring the Lions within a score of the Vikings just before halftime of their Week 2 matchup.
7. Giving Thanks for Megatron
Date: Nov. 27, 2014
Opponent: Chicago Bears
Game Stats: 11 REC, 146 Yds, 2 TDs
Rating (out of 10): 7.5
Johnson always came to play on Thanksgiving, and this past year he became the all-time leader in Turkey Day touchdown receptions with 11. His best catch came in a 2014 game against the Bears, where he managed to sneak in between two defenders, leap, and then pull in a Stafford bullet before either could knock the ball away. While Johnson (as usual) made it look easy, the athleticism and size required to pull this catch off brought the degree of difficulty through the roof.
6. One Hand? No Problem
Date: Dec. 2, 2012
Opponent: Indianapolis Colts
Game Stats: 13 REC, 171 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 8
Not every great catch has to be for a touchdown. Johnson's hands—or probably more accurately, hand—were on full display in this 2012 clash with the Colts. Despite tight coverage from cornerback Cassius Vaughn, Johnson was somehow able to haul in this pass, get both feet down, fall to the ground, and still maintain possession the entire time. For almost anybody else, a catch like this one would probably be the best play of their career; it speaks to Megatron's dominance that it doesn't even crack his top five.
5. Alley-Oop
Date: Oct. 3, 2011
Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
Game Stats: 8 REC, 96 Yards, 2 TDs
Rating (out of 10): 8
It can be a double-edged sword being 6 foot 5 in the NFL; for better or for worse, you're a big target. In this instance, it only helped Johnson when Matthew Stafford essentially threw the ball up for grabs in this 2011 game against the Cowboys. With his team desperately in need of a spark as they trailed by 13 early in the 4th quarter, Johnson got up and hauled in this 23-yard pass, despite being triple-teamed, to bring his team within a touchdown. He'd add a second TD grab late in the quarter to seal the victory—a game in which the Lions trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half.
4. Full Extension
Date: Sept. 8, 2014
Opponent: New York Giants
Game Stats: 7 REC, 164 Yds, 2 TDs
Rating (out of 10): 8.5
The sheer physics of catching a football make a play like this nearly impossible. The shape of the ball is such that it almost invariably bounces off the ground and wiggles around, rendering the pass incomplete. Megatron, of course, makes this catch look relatively simple, changing direction on a dime as the play breaks down, diving parallel to the ground, pulling the ball in, and holding on as his full 240-pound body hits the turf. Johnson's two early TD grabs set the tone for this opening night beat down, in which the Lions took an easy 35-14 win over the Giants to get their season off on the right foot.
3. Walking the Tightrope
Date: Dec. 3, 2015
Opponent: Green Bay Packers
Game Stats: 3 REC 44 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 9
While injuries slowed Megatron down last season, he demonstrated early on in this NFC North clash with the Packers that he still was one of the game's elite receivers. With the sideline of the end zone making this catch seemingly impossible, Johnson managed to leap, pull the ball in one with one hand, tap both toes on the ground, and then hold onto the ball while falling down to complete one of the best touchdown catches of the season. This remarkable play, however, has largely been forgotten; as you may recall, Aaron Rodgers completed a game-winning 61-yard Hail Mary into the end zone to stun the Lions on their home field as the clock hit 00:00.
2. Going Parallel to the Ground
Date: Nov. 22, 2012
Opponent: Houston Texans
Game Stats: 8 REC, 140 Yds, 1 TD
Rating (out of 10): 9.5
Perhaps the best part of this catch—and there are a lot of amazing aspects to choose from—is the incredible level of concentration it requires. It's not just that Johnson had to jump backward, twist his body, catch the ball, and then hold onto it as he hit the ground; he did it all with a hand right in his face, clearly obstructing his view, and even jostling the ball a bit as it arrived. It would be difficult to overstate how many things Johnson does right on this play just to give himself a chance at pulling the ball in, never mind actually completing the catch and giving his team the lead heading into halftime.
1. Hail Mary? More Like Hail Calvin
Date: Oct. 20, 2013
Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
Game Stats: 9 REC, 155 Yds, 2 TDs
Rating (out of 10): 10
This play is just peak Megatron, pure and simple. It's got it all: A leap over one defender, concentration as he's getting hit by another, and incredible strength and control as all three defenders who attempted to cover Johnson try to rip the ball out while they all fall to the ground. Quarterback Matthew Stafford called it "One of the best catches I have ever seen," and it would be hard to argue for any other conclusion than that.
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