Former Kentucky wide receiver Stevie Johnson has been a fantasy football terror lately for the Buffalo Bills. He had career highs with eight catches for 158 yards and scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game. Stevie is propelling himself into a top flight receiver in the NFL and the local Buffalo paper has taken notice.
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One of the biggest question marks confronting the Bills entering this season was who would emerge as the No. 2 receiver opposite Evans. After the Bills chose not to re-sign Terrell Owens and Josh Reed, it left Johnson as the best option.
But Johnson has stepped up in ways few could have imagined. He leads the Bills in catches (25), yards (372) and touchdowns (five) this season.
“We lost some guys last year and I felt like if not now, when?” he said. “When will I be able to take my role as a playmaker in the NFL? I feel like this is my opportunity and I’m trying to take advantage of it. When you’ve got a quarterback like Fitz [Ryan Fitzpatrick], he makes it easy for me. It’s all him putting the ball in the right areas. All I have to do is put my hands up and catch it.”
Fitzpatrick had plenty of receiving options Sunday. Evans had his first 100-yard game of the year (105 on six catches) and set a Bills record with his second career three-touchdown game. Roscoe Parrish had a big day with a career-best eight catches.
Even undrafted rookie David Nelson added a pair of clutch catches, including one on fourth down that helped the Bills get in position to kick a field goal to force overtime.
“In the NFL there’s a lot of talent and Lee’s not going to be able to do it on his own,” Johnson said. “We have guys like Roscoe, who’s already shown what he can do. We have David Nelson. He’s stepping up. Stevie, it’s your turn. You have to do something, too.”
“It’s big seeing those guys step up,” Evans said. “You really can’t say enough about it. Those guys do a nice job of running routes and catching the ball. But as well, Fitz trusts them.”
Fitzpatrick’s trust in Johnson goes back to last year when they were backups. Working together extensively in practice with the second-team offense, they developed a chemistry that is manifesting itself on Sundays. Since Fitzpatrick became the starter in Week Three, Johnson has 19 catches for 301 yards and five TDs.
“He’s been my guy since I got to Buffalo,” Fitzpatrick said of Johnson. “It’s nice to see him be able to get out there and have an opportunity to make plays. He’s a tough guy to cover. You can’t cover him on the line. If you’re going to try and press him, no matter what the coverage is, he’s going to get open.”
The Ravens had no answer for Johnson, who used his 6-foot-3, 210-pound body to outmuscle cornerbacks and get separation in one-on-one matchups. Johnson beat cornerback LaDarius Webb off the line of scrimmage and ran past him for a 33-yard touchdown.
He showed off his speed and run-after-the-catch ability by breaking a couple of tackles on a 43-yard completion in the second quarter. Ironically, this was a play he had trouble executing in practice last Friday.
“It’s a slant I’ve dropped all week, and Fitzpatrick still had confidence to go to me in the game a few times,” Johnson said. “Even with the coaches, I’ve dropped that pass like two or three times during the week, and coach [Chan Gailey] still has me there, so I just thank him and thank Fitz and keep rocking with it.”
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Of course every Kentucky football fan will always remember when Stevie first got loose for the most memorable catch of his Kentucky career. I’m sure Louisville fans remember it too.
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