Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be inactive for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson is dealing with an ankle injury that has bothered him for a few weeks. He came into Week 6 listed as doubtful on the injury report, and did not practice all week, so this doesn't come as much surprise.
Calvin Johnson injury: Lions WR out vs. Vikings
Megatron won’t play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Johnson is one of the toughest receivers in the game and the fact that there was even a chance he could play is impressive. Then again, Johnson was used primarily as a decoy the last time out, and that ended up making his ankle injury even worse as he suffered a setback. Taking time to heal is crucial to the rest of the season, especially given that Johnson hasn’t looked like himself outside of Week 1 this year.
Johnson caught seven passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns against the New York Giants in Week 1, but his production dropped off from then on. He hasn't caught another touchdown pass and he's had a total of three catches for 19 yards in his past two games.
But the Lions are in good hands even with Johnson on the sidelines. Golden Tate has played exceptionally well this season, and he leads the Lions with 31 receptions for 451 yards. The only issue is that he's only found the end zone once. In fact, Matthew Stafford, typically one of the most-productive quarterbacks in the league, only has six touchdowns (against four interceptions) thus far.
The loss of Johnson hurts the team, but if it means getting healthy in time for upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, then the missed time is worth it.
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