DETROIT -- Calvin Johnson is used to looking down at defensive backs. The Detroit Lions 6-foot-5 wide receiver wont be able to do that against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle can match up cornerbacks Brandon Brower and Richard Sherman, both of whom are at least 6-3, with Johnson and can have 6-3 safety Kam Chancellor lurking nearby. "Thats like a junior college basketball team," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "Theyve got some length and some size." While preparing for Seattle, Johnson said the tall defensive backs remind him of New York Jets 6-2 cornerback Antonio Cromartie "Its like theyve got a bunch of Cromarties," Johnson said. Even smaller defenders, though, have slowed down Johnson and that has led to Detroit (2-4) going into Sundays against Seattle (4-3) desperate for a win. Johnson has scored one touchdown -- on a pass from backup quarterback Shaun Hill -- after scoring 16 last season during one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history. "You cant get too caught up in what has happened," Johnson said. "You just have to keep pushing when adversity comes knocking because an NFL season is a 16-game grind." Seahawks coach Pete Carroll thinks his big cornerbacks have a shot to keep Johnson in check. "Well, were closer to him than everybody else is," Carroll said. "They only have to look up a little bit. Itll be interesting to see how our guys do. I can only imagine when the corners that are 5-10 or 5-11 are looking up at him." Days before the game in Detroit, Sherman changed his name on his Twitter account to "Optimus Prime," a Transformers character going into his matchup with Johnson, whose nickname is "Megatron." Sherman, who leads the NFL with 11 passes defended, insisted that covering Johnson is the same as facing Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Smith or Brandon Lloyd. "Aint no different to me, I dont care who is out there," Sherman said. "Its the league. There is going to be a good receiver out there every week." The Lions are down a good receiver for the rest of the year in Nate Burleson after he broke his right leg in Monday nights loss at Chicago. Theyre hoping second-year pro Titus Young, rookie Ryan Broyles and tight end Tony Scheffler do enough together to make up for the loss. "I need to take advantage of every single opportunity Im given, especially when guys are focusing attention on Calvin and like we saw last week," Young said. "Guys are game-planning to shut down the best receiver in the NFL, and I guess Im the next guy up." Seattle will be without receiver Doug Baldwin, who has a high left ankle sprain and might be replaced by Charly Martin. The Seahawks, though, have one of the more promising young quarterbacks in the league. Russell Wilson, a third-round pick, leads his draft class of quarterbacks with four wins and is the first rookie QB since the merger to throw game-winning touchdown passes in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime. He did it against New England and Green Bay. Wilson has completed nearly 60 per cent of his passes with eight TDs and seven interceptions and has run for 119 yards on 35 carries. "I feel very, very comfortable," Wilson said. Matthew Stafford, meanwhile, is not coming close to the production he had last season in his first full year as a starter. Stafford has thrown fewer TDs (five) than interceptions (six) after throwing 41 TDs and 16 interceptions last year. Stafford connected nine times with Johnson in the end zone during a 5-0 start that set the team up for its first playoff appearance since the 1999 season. Stafford acknowledged teams have done a good job of keeping Johnson out of the end zone with their blanketing coverages and fewer blitzes from a year ago. "We have to just hurt them in other ways," he said. "And guys have to step up and make plays, including myself." Detroit started the season with a quest to put the franchise in consecutive postseasons for the first time since the mid-1990s. The odds are stacked against the Lions right now, and they would get worse with another loss. Since 1978, 18 of 208 teams that started 2-4 since earned a spot in the playoffs, according to STATS LLC, and four of 156 teams that lost five of their first seven games rallied to make the post-season. "If we lose, we go down," Lions cornerback Chris Houston said. "If we win, we still got a chance." cheap jerseys . -- Tim Tebow wont be playing for his hometown team. wholesale jerseys . A two-time MVP, Nash has spent the most dominant years of his career in the Phoneix Suns back-court. In 1,152 career NBA games with the Suns and Dallas Mavericks Nash has averaged 14. http://www.garotasnavan.com/ . The currently unnamed eight-team league will launch in the spring, U.S. Soccer announced on Wednesday. The clubs will be in Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, New Jersey, Portland, Seattle, western New York and Washington. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . That was more than Peyton Manning could say. During a stunning first quarter, Manning was picked off once, then twice, then a third time. nfl jerseys china .S. Cellular Field. That may be easier said than done, however, as the Jays havent broke the brooms out in Chicago since Sept. 4-6, 1989, at old Comiskey Park. And Toronto will be going up against righty Jake Peavy, who this season has resembled the pitcher who was an NL Cy Young Award winner for San Diego in 2007.VANCOUVER -- As bad as things have gone for the Vancouver Whitecaps during their inaugural Major League Soccer season, captain Jay DeMerit has never lost his belief in the club. An eternal optimist, DeMerit isnt totally surprised by the Whitecaps struggles. The U.S. international knew what he was getting himself into when Vancouver signed him as their first MLS player last November. "I knew the challenge that has been in front of me and this club," DeMerit said after the Whitecaps practised Friday. "I dont think anyone was under the illusion ... that things were going to be rosy and easy. "Sometimes I seem to enjoy the struggle and what comes along with it because, once we come out the back end of this ... then everyone will be better for it." DeMerit believes the Whitecaps have all the right parts to be a good team. They just havent been put together yet. "Ive played with a lot of different players before and I am confident enough to say this squad has a lot of very good players," said the 31-year-old central defender. "We just havent found the right formula. Whether its guys being fit, whether its the right guys on the field. We just have to try and make that individual talent work as a team on the field." The Whitecaps will be looking for their fourth win of the season Saturday when they play the Houston Dynamo at Empire Field. Houston is third in the Eastern Conference with a 8-7-11 record, but Vancouver can find some inspiration that the Dynamo have no road victories in 2011. "You have to try and get as many advantages as you can going into any game (and) that is certainly one of them," said DeMerit. "We know first-hand what its like to play on the road and not get your results. That comes along with getting out of the gate early and making sure we put them under pressure and possibly score ourselves." At 3-13-9 the Whitecaps have the worst record in MLS. Alll their wins have come at home and Vancouver tied a league record by going 14 games without a victory.dddddddddddd With nine games left on the schedule, Vancouver wants to avoid setting a MLS record for fewest wins in a season. The current low is four, set by Tampa in 2001 and matched by Chivas USA in 2005. The Whitecaps also have three road games remaining to avoid becoming the fourth team in league history not to win an away match. "Those are things we talk about," said DeMerit. "You dont want to set a precedent in a negative way. You want to try to avoid that as much as possible. "Just knowing if we get a couple of wins here, you can start to salvage a season." While the team has limped along this year, DeMerit has battled his own injuries. A groin-hip problem has resulted in him playing just 12 matches. Vancouvers 2-1 loss in Portland last weekend was DeMerits first full 90 minutes in two months. "To play about half the games has been frustrating," he said. "You sign up to be out there and to help lead and to be one of the role characters on this team. "When you cant do that, and you have to watch from the sidelines, that makes it even more frustrating." Saturdays match may also be the first time this season DeMerit and fellow defender Alain Rochat are teamed together. Injuries and roster juggling have prevented the two from working together. "It will be great to try and form a partnership with him and hold down the middle maybe a little bit stronger than we have," said DeMerit. The Whitecaps continue to draw large crowds despite losing on the pitch. Theres a fun atmosphere at games and a growing excitement over the teams pending move to the renovated B.C. Place Stadium in October. "Im here for the long haul," said DeMerit. "Hopefully with the right attitude and the right people around we can keep moving this train forward." ' ' '