In an interview with KRLD-FM on the Tuesday following the Detroit Lions' comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys where Calvin Johnson had 14 catches for an NFL record 329 yards (in a non-overtime game), Jerry Jones was asked whether he thought Deion Sanders could "shut down" Calvin Johnson.

 

Jones answered, "Yes I do. That's just it. Deion has such catch-up speed and he had real good center-field ability, and I mean that ... in [a] football sense. He could really play the ball, and he had such ability to get into position to play the ball."

 

"Now, you're talking about the greatest cover guy maybe that's played this game. I've seen where he's been declared the greatest cover guy. Hall of Famer. But I do think he could do a real good job on Johnson. Johnson's going to get some probably, but I think he could do a great job. Deion's a great player."

 

 

Do you agree or disagree?

I would agree. Deion was not a run stopper but the guy could flat out cover anybody and do it by playing off the guy and closing on the ball. Johnson would still catch some balls but if there were anyone I would want to cover him it was Deion in his prime.

I'm getting a lot of play out of this one since most people I go to school with are big-time Cowboys fans. I say that, yes, I think Deion could get the better of Johnson.

 

I think that if they were matched up 10 times, Deion would probably come out ahead one or two more times than Johnson. If they were matched up head to head 10 times with all other things being held constant, I think each would have a decisive victory once or twice, and that 2-4 of the contests would be a push. In the remaining match-ups, I would see Deion winning out.

 

Obviously, what constitutes 'shut down' is a matter of what constitutes this phrase in your lexicon. Do I think he would hold him without a catch? No, especially not under today's rules limiting what the defensive backs can do.

 

Do I think he would neutralize him? Yes. I think he'd do better or at least just as well as anyone else could.

 

Apparently, I'm in the minority on this one, as even my friends who are diehard Cowboys' fans seem to favor Johnson.

 

What do you think?

Disagee. Deion was amazing, however the physical ability of some of these receivers are like nothing that he really had to play against. Calvin Johnson is just fast, stronger, and bigger and also plays the ball great in the air. If it was true straight man on man coverage with no help over top I think Calvin would have a field day. Now if Deion played man but had safety help over the top, then I think he would be able to slow Johnson down some. However if it was a true one on one matchup, then I would have to disagree with Jerry.

...and yes LaDainian Tomlinson could run the ball better than anyone he has now. Who cares, it is not relavant at all. That's how he should have responded. Deoin isn't here, it doesn't matter.

Only if Deion were 6 inches taller.

Shut down no. But he isn't getting 329 yds on deion . Deion could neutralize him

Deion could have covered him where there would have been no space had he wanted to. No CB in the league before or since ran like Deion. Would Deion win a jumpball? No. Deion baited QB's into making throws, closed and picked it.

 

OF course that's just my opinion, maybe there are some sabremetric analyses we can go over to rule that out.

No one is truly capable of shutting Megatron down, but if anyone could, Deion would be the one. Guy was flat the best cover corner there ever was.

Yes he could. When Deion played he took away the half of the field he was on. That's another way how he shut people down.

Deion struggled more with bigger receivers of his day like "The Playmaker", Megatron is a bigger faster version of Irvin.

 

Of course if Megatron made the catch it's over, because we all know Deion aint getting paid to make tackles...:lol2:

Deion ran a 4.21 at the combine...Man he could fly

Deion ran a 4.21 at the combine...Man he could fly

 

Don't know if this is true or not and have too much homework to catch up on to try to verify it, but a friend of mine in Texas posted on my Facebook that Deion ran a high 4.5… backpedaling.

 

Just the fact that this isn't really something you dismiss as outside the realm of possibility says enough about it to me.

I was at game where Deion went 1st to home on a ball cutoff in the gap. It was unbelievable. Cover Megatron? Not sure

Don't know if this is true or not and have too much homework to catch up on to try to verify it, but a friend of mine in Texas posted on my Facebook that Deion ran a high 4.5… backpedaling.

 

Just the fact that this isn't really something you dismiss as outside the realm of possibility says enough about it to me.

I've read that too...he was a speed freak...probably could have been an Olympic Sprinter if had focused solely on that.