Calvin Johnson Discusses Ankle Injury, Possibility Of Defenders Targeting It
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said Monday he would strongly consider sitting wide receiver Calvin Johnson for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, and Johnson did not seem averse to that course of action when he talked Wednesday.
"Some of these things require some rest," Johnson said. "You can't keep on pounding on it and expect it to get better.
"Every week [I'm] just working to get back from this thing, in the training room, spending all my time - not all my time, most of my time there during the day," Johnson added. "We're doing everything in our power to get back on the field."
Johnson has not missed a game this season, but in the last two games, quarterback Matthew Stafford has targeted Johnson just three times total. On the one catch Johnson made Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, he was hit hard and re-injured his right ankle.
"I knew right then that it was going to be tough to come back from that one," Johnson said.
In the days leading up to the Buffalo game, Johnson had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury. He said he would not be surprised if defenders were targeting that area during games.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Johnson said. "Guys try to take guys out of the game if they know they can, so especially if you've got a playmaker, defenses will do that. That's just part of the game as well."
Johnson did not say whether he would play Sunday, and he declined to reveal how much input he has in whether he takes the field.
"The training staff, we work hand-in-hand with those guys," Johnson said. "They know exactly. They've seen all these injuries, whatever it may be. They've seen them. They've been here 30 years-plus. We've got guys that have been here that long. They know what the protocol is for different things like that."
Stafford threw to Johnson at least 10 times each in the first three games of the season, but his role has decreased dramatically as he had continued to play while dealing with the ankle injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Johnson was frustrated by having to play at less than 100 percent. Johnson said Wednesday he never told anyone he was frustrated.
"Not frustrated," Johnson said. "Any time you get injured, it's going to be tough, but I never mentioned that I was frustrated about anything.
"When you step in between those white lines, everybody's expecting you to be at 100, so you don't want to put yourself out there when you're not, but that's just part of the game," Johnson added later. "Guys play hurt all the time."
Johnson said he had been able to make progress in the training room in the week leading up to the Buffalo game, and he said the ankle had felt much better than it had the week before. Johnson declined to make a comparison between how he felt last week and how he felt Wednesday.
