Stevie Johnson praised by Kyle Arrington
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson made some strong comments against the New England Patriots secondary yesterday, and most of what he said was bravado and talk that can’t be taken too seriously. I mean, he implied that Patrick Chung still plays for the Patriots, which is definitely not something to take seriously. The Patriots secondary will have their hands full against Stevie Johnson, Robert Woods, T.J. Graham, and maybe even speedster Marquise Goodwin, but those are manageable threats. It’s not like the Bills wide receivers are as good as the ones fielded by the Denver Broncos, and it’s not as if the Patriots secondary is as bad as the 2011 version (although Stevie Johnson seems to want people to believe that, which might be why he named Chung).
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson (13) catches a pass in front of Washington Redskins safety Jordan Pugh (32) at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Arrington isn’t going to take stabs at Johnson, and the classy corner decided to turn down the question about Johnson’s comments and instead praised Johnson during his appearance on Mut & Merloni today, “Extreme talent. Very, very talented. One of those all-around talents that we see. He’s not only fast, not only just shifty, not only great hands, not only possession, run after the catch. We have a great challenge on our hands. We’re getting ready.”
Arrington isn’t the only member of the Patriots organization to praise Stevie Johnson, as Bill Belichick called Johnson and C.J. Spiller two playmakers that the Pats will have to watch for. Johnson is definitely the prime candidate for a big game against the Pats, and I would be surprised if he didn’t have a huge game. The Bills are doing something that might catch on around the league, and it’s something the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having a great deal of success doing with star wideout Vincent Jackson. In an effort to gain more mis-matches to boost their offensive prowess, the Bills are kicking Johnson into the slot in three-wide sets, and thus he figures to get plenty of looks against Arrington. I love Arrington and view him as a solid slot corner, but that’s a mis-match just waiting to happen, unless if Devin McCourty can effectively help Arrington, who would be at a size disadvantage against Johnson (four inches).