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Another year, another disappointing season for the Detroit Lions. Granted, there’s been quite a bit more buzz and positivity surrounding the Lions this year. You can credit head coach Jim Schwartz for slowly but surely changing the ‘culture’ of the organization in his first two years in Motown. Then there’s the fact that they’ve hung tight in most of their losses. But at the end of the day, you are what you are, and the Lions are a 2-9 football team. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson continues to play sensationally, despite the tenuous quarterback situation. Whether or not his production continues with Drew Stanton at quarterback now that Shaun Hill has been injured remains to be seen, but he’s always found a way to do more with less since being drafted by Detroit back in. Johnson joined 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit to talk about what it would take him to snap like Andre Johnson did last Sunday, his teammate Nate Burleson guaranteeing a win over the Bears despite the massive disparity in the two teams’ records, getting another shot at the Bears after being robbed of a victory against them earlier this season, getting the Bears shot this Sunday as they try to inch closer to clinching home-field advantage in the NFC Playoffs, and what Drew Stanton brings to the table that gives him and his teammates reason to believe Detroit can pull the upset.
On what it would take for him to snap like Andre Johnson did last Sunday when he punched Cortland Finnegan:
“What he was doing there. Okay you’re jamming, jamming is part of the job. But when you’re jamming and you go to the face like he did, that will get you to snap real quick.”
On what his teammate Nate Burleson was thinking guaranteeing a win this weekend by the 2-9 Lions:
“That’s just him being confident in us that if we have a positive impact, we’ll win the game. And just the good vibe we’re having this week, the practice we’re having. I mean, we’re 2-9 but we’re still competing.”
On playing a Bears team this Sunday that they were robbed of a victory against earlier in the year and on how they feel they can hang with Chicago:
“We all feel that way; everybody feels that way here, and that’s the mentality that we have, that’s why Nate came out and said what he said because of how we did last game. Yeah we still have some things to correct, but we’re still a better team than we were from that point to now.”
On getting the Bears’ best shot as they try to move closer to home-field advantage in the playoffs and one of the NFC’s top seeds:
“No, whatever they bring we’ve got to match it and go a step above, you know? And if you don’t do that, you’re just laying down to the competition.”
On what Drew Stanton brings to the table, who will start this weekend for the Lions:
“Well, one, Drew has a strong arm. One thing Drew has when things aren’t open down field, he can move with his legs, and move well with his legs at that. So I look forward to him getting us out of some bad situations, and say, on 3rd and shorts, or some short-yardage plays getting us some first downs. So those are some things that he can bring to us. And then, he’s been studying this the whole time that Matt and Shaun’s been going at it, he’s been right there right beside them on the sidelines the whole time. So he’s got a pretty good feeling for what we’re doing.”
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