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DETJOHNSON81

Calvin Johnson

Retired

Detroit Lions · WR

Calvin Johnson recorded 135 indexed regular-season NFL appearances across 9 rostered seasons with Detroit Lions.

▶Best highlights

86.1

rec yds/gm

1.2

rush yds/gm

2

playoff games

135

career games

Five defining games

Start here

A researched consensus introduction to Calvin Johnson's defining games.

Editorial methodology and sources

Cross-checked Johnson's Hall of Fame record, Lions and opponent game reports, league receiving records, playoff history, and verified archive box scores. The list joins his regulation-game yardage masterpiece and single-season record night with Detroit's first playoff appearance of his era, a signature triple-coverage catch, and the comeback that first showed the Stafford–Johnson partnership at full force.

  1. #1. Johnson caught 14 passes for 329 yards—the second-highest receiving total in league history and the regulation-game record—setting up Matthew Stafford's last-second winning sneak. Cowboys: Calvin Johnson's 329-yard game · Pro Football Hall of Fame: Calvin Johnson
  2. #2. In Detroit's first playoff game in 12 years, Johnson caught 12 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, setting the franchise postseason receiving record despite the loss in New Orleans. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Calvin Johnson
  3. #3. Johnson caught 11 passes for 225 yards and passed Jerry Rice's single-season receiving record, eventually finishing 2012 as the first player ever to reach 1,900 yards. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Calvin Johnson
  4. #4. Johnson caught two second-half touchdowns, including the famous grab between three defenders, as Detroit erased a 24-point deficit in Dallas and improved to 4–0. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Calvin Johnson
  5. #5. Johnson played through a knee injury to catch seven passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the 38–37 Cleveland comeback, the first classic produced by his partnership with Matthew Stafford. Pro Football Hall of Fame: Calvin Johnson

Reviewed through 2026-08-11

Regular Season
2013
DALLASCOWBOYS
DETROITLIONS
OCT 27, 2013

Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Oct 27, 2013

14 rec · 329 rec yds · 1 rec TD

Wild Card
2011
DETROITLIONS
NEW ORLEANSSAINTS
JAN 7, 2012

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints

Wild Card · Jan 7, 2012

12 rec · 211 rec yds · 2 rec TD

Regular Season
2012
ATLANTAFALCONS
DETROITLIONS
DEC 22, 2012

Atlanta Falcons vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Dec 22, 2012

11 rec · 225 rec yds · 0 rec TD

Regular Season
2011
DETROITLIONS
DALLASCOWBOYS
OCT 2, 2011

Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys

Regular Season · Oct 2, 2011

8 rec · 96 rec yds · 2 rec TD

Regular Season
2009
CLEVELANDBROWNS
DETROITLIONS
NOV 22, 2009

Cleveland Browns vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Nov 22, 2009

7 rec · 161 rec yds · 1 rec TD

Single-game peaks

Career highs

Position-relevant single-game records from Calvin Johnson's indexed NFL box scores.

Career highs: 329 receiving yards · 14 receptions

Regular Season
2013
DALLASCOWBOYS
DETROITLIONS
OCT 27, 2013

Dallas Cowboys vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Oct 27, 2013

14 rec · 329 rec yds · 1 rec TD

Career high: 3 receiving touchdowns

Regular Season
2015
PHILADELPHIAEAGLES
DETROITLIONS
NOV 26, 2015

Philadelphia Eagles vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Nov 26, 2015

8 rec · 93 rec yds · 3 rec TD

Career high: 20 targets

Regular Season
2012
INDIANAPOLISCOLTS
DETROITLIONS
DEC 2, 2012

Indianapolis Colts vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Dec 2, 2012

13 rec · 171 rec yds · 1 rec TD

Career high: 2 receptions of 40+ yards

Regular Season
2015
CHICAGOBEARS
DETROITLIONS
OCT 18, 2015

Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions

Regular Season · Oct 18, 2015

6 rec · 166 rec yds · 1 rec TD

Career chapters

Franchise eras

Follow the team eras that shaped Calvin Johnson's career, in chronological order.

Earliest → latest

Franchise era

1999–2008

01
DETJOHNSON81Calvin Johnson
DETHANSON4Jason Hanson
DETWILLIAMS11Roy Williams

A painful rebuild reaches rock bottom

Detroit Lions · From Barry's exit to 0–16

Sanders retired abruptly and years of poor roster construction culminated in the league's first 0–16 season.

Read the era story →

Franchise era

2009–2020

02
DETJOHNSON81Calvin Johnson
DETSTAFFORD9Matthew Stafford
DETSUH90Ndamukong Suh

Spectacular talent fights organizational instability

Detroit Lions · Stafford and Calvin

Stafford and Johnson powered explosive offenses and three playoff trips, but Detroit could not turn their peak into a postseason victory.

Read the era story →

Career accomplishments

Pro Bowl selection · 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015First-team All-Pro · 2011, 2012, 2013NFL receiving yards leader · 2011, 2012NFL receptions leader · 2012NFL receiving touchdowns leader · 20089 NFL seasons135 career games167 career rushing yards1 career rushing touchdowns732 career receptions11,624 career receiving yards83 career receiving touchdowns17 career solo tacklesCollege: Georgia TechDrafted by: DETDraft pick: 2Jersey: 812 playoff appearancesFirst appearance: Sep 9, 2007Most recent: Jan 3, 2016

Official awards via ESPN · Pro Bowl and All-Pro counts via NFLverse with selection years cross-checked against Wikipedia · league leads verified from indexed regular-season stats

Team history