As the season is nearly unwrapped, it is now obvious to anybody who watches “America’s Game” that Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are the best pitch-and-catch combo in the NFL.

The dynamic duo has connected 85 times for 1,437 yards through the air, good for second best in league. More importantly, 15 of those receptions went for touchdowns, best in the NFL.

Like Crockett & Tubbs changed the way young men viewed pastel shirts and canvass loafers, Stafford and Johnson have changed the way defenses guard the aerial attack.

Before this season, had you ever seen two defensive backs in bump coverage, facemask to facemask on the same receiver at the goaline? Never, but they do it for Calvin.

Furthermore, outside of the Raiders trying to single-cover Calvin, most teams are bracketing Johnson with under coverage and help from the safety. Even with the extra defender, Stafford is finding Megatron at a record pace.

Calvin’s 15th touchdown reception, a Christmas Eve laser that beat double coverage, tied Cloyce Box for the most in Lions’ history with one game still to play. It was a throw few quarterbacks can make, as Stafford beat the safety help with velocious velocity, just another example of the rarified talent that has become routine in Detroit.

With nearly 78 percent of their connections going for first downs and a league leading nine receptions of 40-plus yards, no combination is more explosive—a far cry from the “check-down” offense that permeated Ford Field for years.

Their ability to stretch the field more than any other pairing has earned Calvin All-Pro recognition and the second consecutive year of being lei’d in Honolulu. Greg Maddux was right, “Chicks dig the long ball.” 

Stafford’s arm is allowing Calvin to mushroom into the best receiver this league has ever seen. On the other hand, many feel Calvin’s circus-like catches and abuse of smaller cornerbacks throughout the year have inflated Stafford’s statistics as well. That may be true, but Calvin didn’t have a career year with Kitna did he?

To steal a line from AC/DC, “Who made who?” Does it really matter? Did Joe Montana make Jerry Rice or did Rice make Montana? Likewise, did Bill Walsh make them both?

What I am certain of is that together, they have become the league’s most feared combination and are mutually responsible for the success the Detroit Lions have enjoyed this year.

It’s like a perfect cut of beef tenderloin and fresh king crab from the Bering Sea. Separately they are both delicacies; but together, with béarnaise, they create the perfect New Year’s Eve entrée of steak oscar.

Who are some of the other great batteries in the NFL? Let’s pop the tops off a six-pack of other tandems and see if you agree.

Begin Slideshow

As the season is nearly unwrapped, it is now obvious to anybody who watches “America’s Game” that Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are the best pitch-and-catch combo in the NFL.

The dynamic duo has connected 85 times for 1,437 yards through the air, good for second best in league. More importantly, 15 of those receptions went for touchdowns, best in the NFL.

Like Crockett & Tubbs changed the way young men viewed pastel shirts and canvass loafers, Stafford and Johnson have changed the way defenses guard the aerial attack.

Before this season, had you ever seen two defensive backs in bump coverage, facemask to facemask on the same receiver at the goaline? Never, but they do it for Calvin.

Furthermore, outside of the Raiders trying to single-cover Calvin, most teams are bracketing Johnson with under coverage and help from the safety. Even with the extra defender, Stafford is finding Megatron at a record pace.

Calvin’s 15th touchdown reception, a Christmas Eve laser that beat double coverage, tied Cloyce Box for the most in Lions’ history with one game still to play. It was a throw few quarterbacks can make, as Stafford beat the safety help with velocious velocity, just another example of the rarified talent that has become routine in Detroit.

With nearly 78 percent of their connections going for first downs and a league leading nine receptions of 40-plus yards, no combination is more explosive—a far cry from the “check-down” offense that permeated Ford Field for years.

Their ability to stretch the field more than any other pairing has earned Calvin All-Pro recognition and the second consecutive year of being lei’d in Honolulu. Greg Maddux was right, “Chicks dig the long ball.” 

Stafford’s arm is allowing Calvin to mushroom into the best receiver this league has ever seen. On the other hand, many feel Calvin’s circus-like catches and abuse of smaller cornerbacks throughout the year have inflated Stafford’s statistics as well. That may be true, but Calvin didn’t have a career year with Kitna did he?

To steal a line from AC/DC, “Who made who?” Does it really matter? Did Joe Montana make Jerry Rice or did Rice make Montana? Likewise, did Bill Walsh make them both?

What I am certain of is that together, they have become the league’s most feared combination and are mutually responsible for the success the Detroit Lions have enjoyed this year.

It’s like a perfect cut of beef tenderloin and fresh king crab from the Bering Sea. Separately they are both delicacies; but together, with béarnaise, they create the perfect New Year’s Eve entrée of steak oscar.

Who are some of the other great batteries in the NFL? Let’s pop the tops off a six-pack of other tandems and see if you agree.

Begin Slideshow