Lions WR Calvin Johnson: Nerve injury has made it tough to grip ball

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:Freep.com

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson said he suffered nerve damage from two big hits he took in the Lions’ 20-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in September, which has made it tough for him to grip the football since.

Johnson, who missed practice all of last week and hasn’t practiced this week because of lingering knee soreness, said the nerve problems have subsided, though he’s still dealing with some aftereffects.

“Taking those hits, they’re real violent,” Johnson said. “They definitely have a lot of lingering impact on whether it be your neck or your head in (Jahvid Best’s) case. It can do a lot of stuff.”

Johnson took two big hits in the Vikings game. He dropped a potential touchdown late in the first half after safety Harrison Smith popped Johnson in the upper chest with his right shoulder. In the fourth quarter, Johnson incurred a helmet-to-helmet hit from linebacker Chad Greenway that knocked him temporarily from the game.

Johnson said he suffered a concussion on the Greenway hit, though Lions coach Jim Schwartz said for the second time today that wasn’t the case.

Greenway was fined $21,000 for the hit.

The Lions had a bye week after the Vikings loss, but Johnson dropped at least three passes over the next three games, including a crossing route in a Monday night game against the Chicago Bears that hit him right in the hands.

While some wondered whether those hits made Johnson reluctant to go across the middle, Johnson said today that wasn’t the case.

“No, actually had some nerve damage, so that was kind of messing up my grip a little bit,” he said. “Not to blame it on that, but I think that the concussion maybe could have had something to do with some of that damage I had going on.”

Johnson said the nerve injury was like a stinger in which he had “just stuff shooting down your arm.”

Asked whether it’s still affecting him now, Johnson said, “It’s definitely coming back, feeling a lot better, but it’s the middle of the season.”

Schwartz said the nerve damage has not been a contributing factor to the knee injury that Johnson has been dealing with the last two weeks.

In last week’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Johnson said he was limited to certain routes because he couldn’t push off his sore left knee without pain. He took painkillers before the game and finished with a team-high seven catches for 129 yards.

“He’s, obviously, been effective regardless," Schwartz said. "He’s had a bunch of different things come up this year, particularly his knees, but he goes out and affects the game the way that he does. That’s no different than (Vikings running back) Adrian Peterson coming off an ACL and still finding a way to be effective. Great players can do that."

It continues!!!

 

[Pugz]

hes still playing through all this which makes the curse not so believable.

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

Still believable, look at Fitz. He played all 16 games, team missed the playoffs and he didn't play in the pro bowl due tp a rib injury. CJ is playing with nerve damage in his hands, had a serious concussion and now has knee problems.

 

[Pugz]

youre the only believer

 

[Big Bid'Ness]

youre the only believer

 

[Pugz]

those eyebrows lol

 

[RipCity32]

Makes sense. Not sure how true it is though. Hopefully he continues the production from last week.

 

[Lake Louise]

Well, whatever is happening, doesn't seem to be stopping his production.

 

[BwareDWare94]

Yeah, still a beast. Kind of dumb for Schwartz to compare it to AP's ACL, though. They are in no way similar.