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Calvin Johnson apparently doesn't know much about the New York Giants' cornerbacks. The Detroit Lions' superstar wide receiver struggled Wednesday to pronounce, or identify, the names of the Giants who will try to guard him Sunday.
Johnson said he was "bad with pronouncing the names." He wasn't bad, or shy, about pretty much dismissing the abilities of Prince Amukamara and Trumaine McBride to stop him.
"It looks like we might be able to free up some things in the passing game," Johnson said. "They're going to present some challenges for us, but I think we can find some openings there in the secondary and get the ball moving."
Reality is, who would the 6-foot-5, 239-pound three-time Pro Bowler worry about any of the Giants' corners? Johnson caught 122 passes last season and has 81 catches thus far in 2013. Unless he drops the ball, Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford is pretty much going to be the only person at Ford Field on Sunday with a real shot at stopping 'Megatron.'
Neither Amukamara or McBride seemed to take offense to Johnson's comments:
Prince and McBride are too polite to be insulted by Calvin Johnson. Too bad Megatron didn't dis Terrell Thomas.
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) December 18, 2013
"You can't really let what people say affect you on the field. I know as far as me, Prince, we go in every week with the same mindset regardless of who it is or what they say," McBride said.
Amukamara, clearly the Giants' No. 1 corner, told the Star-Ledger's Conor Orr does not expect to shadow Johnson on Sunday.
"I just look at it as a great opportunity," Amukamara said. "Whoever wants to be the best, they have to go against the best. Obviously, Calvin Johnson is one of the best receivers in the game right now."
McBride, all of 5-foot-9, is at a huge physical disadvantage against Johnson.
"I've been this small forever. Everyone I go against is always bigger. With me personally, I just have to find ways," McBride said. "With him being so tall, I can't jump with him. It doesn't make sense for me to try to jump with him. It makes more sense for me to play his hands when he's coming down and knock the ball out. That's one of the things that I could do possibly."
