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Calvin Johnson On Top Of List Of Deep Pass Targets For 2010

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There was a belief from some last season that the Detroit Lions weren't looking at Calvin Johnson with the deep ball very often, but that was not the case. He was tied for first on ProFootballFocus' list of deep pass targets with Brandon Lloyd. Each was targeted with 41 deep balls, four more than Larry Fitzgerald and Mike Wallace, who tied for third.

On the list of how many receptions the receivers had on deep balls, Johnson only finished tied for sixth. He caught 12 passes on deep balls, whereas Lloyd was the leader with 17 receptions. Wallace and Greg Jennings each had 15 and DeSean Jackson and Kenny Britt each had 13. Reggie Wayne and Mario Manningham, like Johnson, had 12.

Because Johnson only caught 12 of 41 deep balls that were targeted for him, his catch percentage didn't place him in the top 10. He was also not in the top 10 in yards on deep passes. Interestingly, though, Johnson finished tied for first in producing touchdowns on deep balls. He and Wallace each had seven touchdowns, meaning he reached the end zone on more than half of the deep passes he actually caught. That is a pretty good percentage and speaks to how explosive Johnson can be once he has the ball in his hands.

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