SANTA CLARA – Tarell Brown spoke in the media tent on Wednesday. He discussed how to cover Calvin Johnson and what “the look” from Aaron Rodgers means. Here’s a transcript.
Q: How do you prepare for Calvin Johnson?
BROWN: He’s a great player and he does a lot of great things for their team. I think the biggest thing for us is just to go out there and play our game. Our coaches definitely get us ready for that.
Q: Watching film, are they doing anything different with Johnson?
BROWN: Same thing – they’re getting him the ball. He’s their featured guy. The biggest thing for us is just to play our style of football: Go out there and be physical, go out there and get our hands on him, try to slow that guy down. He’s going to make catches, but we want to limit his yards after the catch, and go out there and compete for every jump ball, every time he’s thrown to.
Q: How do you think you fared against him last year?
BROWN: I feel I fared well. We played a lot of different coverages, tried to change things up.
Q: What’s the key to covering Johnson?
BROWN: You want to take the focus off the quarterback and put it more on (Johnson), and kind of see what his types of stems are, types of routes he likes and how he bends or breaks out of his cuts. That’s the biggest thing, and I think a lot of that comes from film study.
Q: Johnson is 6-5. You’re 5-10. Technique-wise, how does a shorter man cope with a big man like him?
BROWN: You want to get in to him, be aggressive with him at the line of scrimmage. When the ball’s in the air, we’re both going to compete for the ball. He may have the height advantage, but if I get off the ground quicker than him, I feel like I’m taller than him.
Q: So it’s a matter of timing?
BROWN: Timing, and getting in and out of your breaks quicker than him. With a guy like that, the hardest thing is the jump ball. But like I said, if you jump off the ground quicker than he gets up, you’ll be OK.
ME: Chris Culliver said that Aaron Rodgers was giving him “the look” throughout the game – making eye contact with him before the play and raising an eyebrow. Did he do that to you?
BROWN: Yeah, we got a couple of those looks. I think those were just him trying to read the defense. He wasn’t getting a good tell off the safeties so he was looking at the corners seeing who would give him a key or a tell as to what kind of coverage we were in.
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Now I heard that Calvin Johnson is out with a foot injury. Could be just pregame rhetoric, but still great to hear.
@ Matt – He will play in the game…for sure! They are just resting his foot.
We are going to crush them. I’ll be watching from Erie PA , hope to see a Sea of Red, in the stands! at the Stick. Do us proud fellas” 49ers players”. We can literally beat them with a stick if we use the Stick to our advantage
We don’t take trespassers in our End Zones so plan getting your apps kicked , your going to earn every inch Lions.
Plus were going to school on some offence :)
Tarell Brown 2007 NFL combine results:
Vertical leap: 33.5 inches.
http://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Tarell&l=Brown&i=7616
Calvin Johnson has a 45 inch vertical.
Tarell better jump really really early.
Crab,
45 inch vertical?!! Come on, really? Where did you see that?
Crab,
I had the same thought.
If the 49ers can somewhat contain Megatron, they’ll be fine.
xgolfer – http://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-lions/2011/10/22/2507088/sports-science-calvin-johnson
Thanks, Crab. Though, I’m not sure the veracity of that report, though. I wonder who measured those stats?
BTW, I can drive a golf ball 575 yards, all carry. The roll is extra.
Crab,
If that’s true, his 45″ vertical jump puts him among the highest vertical jumps ever recorded at the NBA combine. That’s crazy.
Agree seems crazy. Maybe someone else can research it, any more stats I might pass out.
Crab,
It’s possible, mind boggling, but possible. CJ is just a beast.
We need to have Kevin Durant, cover Calvin Johnson, we really should pay him for this one game, Yes Kevin Durant needs to be a Niner this week, for this one game. Come JH , you need to think outside the box. Who has it better than us. !!
Neal,
Durant would have that length to deal with CJ, but what would he do when CJ crumples him up like a sheet of paper and stuffs him in a ball bag?
@ Ex golpher,
lol good one, he can call a foul.
Calvin Johnson is going to get his receptions. The important thing for our DB’s to do TACKLE HIM after he makes the reception….don’t run into him and try to ‘blow him up’. You ain’t gonna ‘blow up’ Calvin Johnson when you’re 5’10″ and 190lbs….
Most of our defenders are pretty smart and disciplined. They wrap and don’t worry about the highlight reel kill shots. The only guy I worry about is Dashon.
Detroit Fan here! Calvin is a force of nature, but can be and has been taken out of games. The 49ers are one of, if not the best team in the league. Detroit has to come out and score quick to set the speed of the game, otherwise it will be the same result as GB since they are similar style teams.
Good Luck to you all!
Over/Under on handshake discussions and replays during the coverage? Gotta be over 4 replays and 10 references.
Pre-Draft Measureables Calvin Johnson:
Ht: 6′ 5″
Wt: 235lbs
40 yard dash: 4.35
Vertical: 43.5″
Standing Broad Jump: 11′ 7″
Source Wikipedia
@Faso891
Greetings. You, sir, come across as a football-savvy gentleman. It will be an honor to root against you. And make no mistake, the Niners know they’ll have to buckle up against your Lions! Stafford seems to have his 4th Quarter juju again this year.
Hey, i’ll be watching from Erie, PA also. I see quite a few 49ers fans here around town. Go 49ers!!!
Didn’t Culliver cover Johnson most of the game last year?
I believe the Lions will come out running and then do some quick strikes. They will try to make us put as many men in the box to set up the throw.
49ers 31
Lions 24
Larry – Nobody forces Niners to stop the run (stack the box).
Good to have you here though Larry, welcome. Keep posting.