The greatest performance in NFL history? Calvin Johnson's 329-yard game
Has there ever been a wide receiver more fun to watch than Calvin Johnson? For someone who was not in the league for as long as you would think, he left behind quite a legacy. His 11,000 yards in nine years puts Megatron in the top 30 all time in receiving yards.
Detroit Lions fans have suffered miserably over the years, but they have icons like Johnson and Barry Sanders, who are two of the most exciting players ever.
Calvin Johnson's 329-yard, one-touchdown performance in a 31-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 27, 2013, remains the Hall of Famer's most iconic performance. He caught 14 balls on 16 targets.
#Lions WR Calvin Johnson's 14 catch, 329 yard performance in Week 8, 2013. Defenders just bouncing off of him left and right. pic.twitter.com/PCnODGUp80
An 87-yard completion from Matthew Stafford to Johnson should have been an early sign history would be made. Calvin Johnson finished that Lions drive with a touchdown for an early lead.
Megatron caught several passes to keep the Lions from punting, but Stafford could not get the points on the board, and the Dallas Cowboys led by three points at halftime.
Calvin Johnson's historic performance actually included a fumble, the only bad thing he did all day. It was really the fourth quarter, where the game become insane. A 26-yard pass set up the Lions in the red zone, but they could not convert and settled for three points. Stafford continued to turn to Megatron to set up a touchdown to keep the Lions in distance of the Cowboys.
Many may remember the 54-yard catch where Johnson stole a ball that he had no right to catch, a Johnson specialty. It's clear who Stafford would turn to down six points with 30 seconds left. Johnson made his final catch of the day to set up the game-winning score, a 1-yard rush by Stafford.
We have seen some receivers like Julio Jones break 300 yards in a game, but it should be a long time until Johnson's record is bettered. This may be the greatest individual performance of all time.
Calvin Johnson could have been the best wide receiver ever if he played longer
The Hall of Fame wide receiver was awesome, but he could have been the best. Calvin Johnson had the third-best average yards per game (81.6) in NFL history. Megatron had 1,964 yards in 2012, one of the best receiver seasons ever alongside Cooper Kupp in 2021, Johnson holds the record for most receiving yards in a season.
Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson did not frequent the playoffs, but they were one of the scariest duos in NFL history.
Megatron had three different seasons where he averaged over 100 yards per game, Johnson never played less than 13 games in season, so you'd figure if he played a little longer, he would have kept breaking 1,000 yards and may be standing alongside Jerry Rice and Randy Moss as GOAT receivers.