Every week there are a few matchups that catch my attention. I use PFF’s advanced statistics to give an in-depth look at possible fantasy starters and duds. This week I focus on four matchups that I think could provide interesting results. I had a bad week in my last article so I decided to go with four receivers I have yet to feature.
Calvin Johnson vs. Antonio Cromartie
This is the matchup I can’t wait to see Sunday. I think most casual fans think they will be seeing Calvin Johnson matched up against Patrick Peterson, but I think he sees more of Antonio Cromartie. Johnson is is the best receiver in the league and is a difficult cover for any cornerback. Johnson hadn’t played since week five but still posted seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. A healthy Megatron is an impossible cover one-on-one for any cornerback.
I have been one of the biggest Cromartie bashers over his career. For the most part he has been been often and added some highlight interceptions. This year, however, he has been arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. He had a bad game against Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but has been nearly flawless other than that game. I almost never say things like, “If you take away <insert game here> he has been really good”. With that said… let’s look at his numbers minus the Broncos game.
| Against the Broncos | All other games |
| Targeted: 15 | Targeted: 35 |
| Catches allowed: 7 | Catches allowed: 15 |
| Yards allowed: 221 | Yards allowed: 121 |
| TDs allowed: 2 | TDs allowed: 0 |
| Yards per target: 14.7 | Yards per target: 3.46 |
| QB rating against: 132.6 | QB rating against: 47.0 |
Bottom Line: If Johnson was going to face a cornerback who hadn’t allowed a single catch all season, would you bench him? I’m guessing you wouldn’t. I cannot give the advice to bench him regardless of the matchup, but this is going to be a tough game. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is fearless so he won’t hesitate to test both Cromartie and Peterson. When all is said and done I imagine Johnson gets his numbers.
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