Detroit speedster is next challenge for Griffin

Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin said it's no great mystery why Calvin Johnson is one of the toughest wide receivers in the NFL to defend.

"He's 6-5, 235 and [runs] a 4.3. Just think about that," he said. "That's tough for anybody to compete with."

One of the few bright spots on a Detroit Lions team that has lost 18 consecutive games, Johnson will draw plenty of attention from Griffin and the Vikings defense Sunday. In his third NFL season Johnson has become one of the league's top deep-threat targets and a focal point of the Lions offense.

Johnson caught 78 passes for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

"He's one of the best receivers in the league right now," nickel back Benny Sapp said. "Coming into a game like this, he's the target, he's the guy. He's their man. When you see this guy on film, he's everything you would probably want in a receiver."

The Vikings are fully aware of Johnson's talent. He has 12 catches for 247 yards and three touchdowns in four games against them. That's certainly a respectable showing by the defense, but Johnson also beat Griffin for a 70-yard touchdown catch in the Vikings' 20-16 victory at Detroit last season.

"He's going to catch some balls. That's a given," safety Tyrell Johnson said. "I guarantee that. But you can't give up the big plays. The big plays are what kill you. The 40-, 50-yard bombs that go for touchdowns. Five, 10 yards, we can handle that. But 40-, 50-yard bombs can't happen."

Said Griffin: "He's going to make his plays. He's a tremendous athlete, great talent. All we have to do is eliminate the deep balls."

The Vikings defense and Griffin in particular were able to neutralize Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards in the season opener last week. Edwards caught only one pass for 12 yards and was quarterback Brady Quinn's target only five times.

Detroit rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted Johnson 13 times last week and completed three of them for 90 yards against the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings expect a similar game plan Sunday, if not more throws to Johnson.

"You know he's going to get the ball," Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield said.

Griffin will draw the primary assignment. Griffin's cover skills have improved considerably since the start of last season, and he dedicated himself even more this offseason. He was rewarded with a strong performance last week by bottling up Edwards while also finishing with four tackles, one interception, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

"He has worked so hard on improving his ball skills and then working as hard as he has on improving his cover ability," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "It's showing up in his play. He does a much better job in our man coverage than he once did and his confidence level is extremely high.

"He came to training camp like another Cedric, just a different guy. His weight was down a little bit, he seems quicker, he seems faster. But a lot of it goes back to he's playing with a lot of confidence. To hold Braylon Edwards to one catch for 12, when you know that that's the guy they are going to try to get the football to in the passing game, that's quite an accomplishment. And I take my hat off to him, and he'll have a tremendous challenge this weekend with Calvin Johnson, but I kind of feel he'll be up to the task."

Griffin won't be the only one charged with tracking Johnson. The Lions move him around to different spots -- even in the backfield -- hoping to create confusion on the defense. Vikings coach Brad Childress referred to it as a "Where's Waldo type of deal."

"They put him in a couple different places, I think, so you can't get a bead on him because he is such a special talent," middle linebacker E.J. Henderson said. "But we're going to do a good job of looking him up, recognizing where he's at and do what we do."