Lions' Johnson takes swipe at media

I talked to Lions receiver Calvin Johnson on a conference call this afternoon. The call was in such high demand in the Twin Cities that all of ONE person showed up to participate. Two, if you count Calvin, who sounded about as excited to participate as I'll be Sunday morning driving to the Metrodome.

Johnson is a man of few words, some of which couldn't be understood considering I'm pretty sure he was 15 feet from the speaker phone while wearing a bucket on his head and scotch tape across his mouth. 

Calvin is an outstanding receiver. Too bad he's stuck in Detroit. I'd like to think he and rookie QB Matthew Stafford will go on to become a great passing combo that one day wins the NFC North and takes on the AFC Champion Browns in a Super Bowl. But this is Detroit. Chances are extremely good that nothing good will come of anything the Lions do forever and ever. Amen.

Anyhoo, here are some of the, um, highlights from the chat with Calvin:

. On whether he feels the Lions are getting better:

"The record doesn't indicate it, but we're making progress. At times, it getting better. Timing and really everything [is getting better] when it comes to the offense. If your timing isn't right, then everything else is out of whack as far as the passing game goes."

.  On his chemistry with rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford:

"We're doing fine. There's definitely areas that we need improvement. But it's fine."

. On whether he's surprised that a big deal was made about the TV cameras catching an uncomfortable exchange between him and Stafford during Sunday's loss to the Seahawks:

"No. That's the media's job, to make a big deal out of nothing. It happens all the time. It wasn't nothing to it. They just happened to catch up with an ugly look on our face."

. On the Lions' 16-game road losing streak:

"It's all just about execution."

(At this point, Calvin starts talking to someone else on his end of the line. Finally, we're able to distract him long enough to return him to the conference call).

. On  how his knee is doing. He missed two games because of a knee injury before returning last week and catching two passes for 27 yards:

"It's getting better. It's progressing week by week."

. On what kind of advantage he would have if Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield (foot) isn't able to play on Sunday:

"Shoot, Winfield is a good player. He's made a lot of tackles. He's their leading tackler sometimes for their team so that's big for us to get one of those big tacklers out of there."

. On last year's 12-10 loss at the Metrodome and how tough it was to take considering the questionable pass interference penalty late in the game that set up the Vikings' winning field goal:

"Yeah, they got us with that penalty at the end there. That one sucked. But that one is history right there."

. On how they match up with the Vikings, considering they generally play them pretty well. The Lions led 10-0 in the first meeting this year before losing 27-13:

"I don't know. It's just happened that way. Guys are getting more comfortable playing guys in our division because we see them and we know what to expect from them. That could be part of it."

. On the players' feelings about the job rookie coach Jim Schwartz is doing:

"He's running the squad. You got to feel [like the team is going in the right direction]."

. On the overall mood of the team and whether it's encouraged or discouraged by how the first half of the season went:

"I feel encouraged. Definitely."

. On playing at the Metrodome:

"It's fun to me. It's one of those places we play at once a year. It's real loud. A real festive environment. I like playing away sometimes just to see different stadiums."

. On whether he feels he's become one of the better receivers in the league:

"Yeah. I definitely feel I have things to work on. The numbers don't show it this year. But definitely, that's how I feel about it."