“JUST THROW IT UP TO CALVIN!”
If you’re like me, that’s probably something you screamed at the television at least once from the years 2007 to 2015.
Calvin Johnson was an NFL cheat code, and one of the easiest plays for him was the goal-line fade, or the “jump ball” in the end zone. Johnson’s freakish stature—6-foot-5—combined with excellent hands made it one of the easier plays for the Lions to score on when near the goal line.
Johnson holds a distinction when it comes to the goal-line fade. According to a Pro Football Focus article from 2018, among receivers who have seen at least 10 attempted fade routes since 2013, only Johnson caught more than half.