DETROIT -- Calvin Johnson certainly was an evil machine in the Indianapolis Colts' opinion Sunday.
The man otherwise known as Megatron had a career-high 13 catches for 171 yards and one touchdown during the Detroit Lions' 35-33 loss at Ford Field, moving him closer to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's single-season record for receiving yards.
"Oh my gosh, that dude's a beast," Colts defensive lineman Cory Redding said. "Every year as long as he's in the league, I don't care what he doing, he's got my Pro Bowl vote.
"The guy's an awesome kid. ... What he's doing now, I expect that because he's an unbelievable player and does great things."
Johnson has 1,428 receiving yards through 12 games, putting him 420 yards shy of Rice's 1995 record of 1,848.
Johnson tied an NFL record with his fifth consecutive 125-yard receiving game Sunday. Pat Studstill also accomplished the feat with the Lions in 1966.
In the second quarter, Johnson caught a 32-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford with one hand. Johnson made a diving catch on a 46-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter after breaking away from Colts cornerback Vontae Davis.
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Megatron simply was unstoppable.
"He's a heck of a player," Stafford said. "I even missed him on a couple. (He) could have had a really big day."
Colts coach Bruce Arians had an idea as to what his team would see from Johnson.
"We knew what he was capable of," Arians said. "He's a great player. He's one of a kind.
"I thought our guys covered him as well as he could be covered."
Johnson is hands-down the best receiver in the NFL, and it might not even be close. I expected a slight drop-off from the 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns he had in 2011. The touchdowns have been reduced, but he's on pace for 1,904 yards.
That's an astronomical number.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
