INDIANAPOLIS - Calvin Johnson earned one of the most prestigious NFL endorsements during the offseason when voted to grace the cover of "Madden NFL 13." Johnson passed out free copies of the video game to teammates, but has never played himself.
"I don't even play Madden, even though I'm on the cover," Johnson said during his teleconference Wednesday. "I ain't played since college."
The man nicknamed Megatron has been busy, so we'll excuse his Madden absence. He led the league in receiving yards in 2011 and was No. 2 with 16 touchdowns. Johnson is on pace for 1,828 receiving yards in 2012, which would be 20 shy of Jerry Rice's all-time single-season record.
Colts backup quarterback Drew Stanton, who played five years in Detroit, laughed when asked about Johnson's attributes.
"I don't think he has a bad attribute. Can you name one that he doesn't have?" Stanton said. "Obviously his size is what sticks out first and foremost. His size and speed and strength. But his football knowledge, too. His demeanor, his approach, all those things are professional. Some of it was God-given, other of it he's worked at it extremely hard. I don't know if there's a deficiency in his game. People have been trying to find it for a while.
"I think he's got a 42-inch vertical. And he's 6-6. You can put it in places where only he can touch. I know that firsthand. I don't know if there is a ball that's technically uncatchable for Calvin."
The Colts take on the task of trying to contain Johnson this week at Ford Field. Indianapolis ranks No. 19 against the pass with the No. 22 scoring defense. The Lions lead the league in passing yards and are No. 2 in total offense. Vontae Davis is back from injury, but the Colts secondary is still a work in progress.
Interim coach Bruce Arians remembers scouting Johnson during his final year at Georgia Tech.
"Plaxico (Burress) was big," Arians said. "Some guys are fast. Steve Smith's got great hands.
"This guy's got it all. He truly has it all."
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
