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Over the past few months, the Chicago Bears have transformed their receiving corps from one of the NFL's shortest to arguably the tallest. They've reunited the key players from the Denver Broncos' dynamic 2008 offense and they've fended off questions -- including some from their quarterback -- about their offensive line. But to me, the most intriguing thing happening in Chicago at the moment is the development of a mysterious package of plays for receiver/kick returner Devin Hester, the latest in a long line of attempts to harness Hester's Hall of Fame speed and skills for their offense.

General manager Phil Emery hinted at the new approach shortly after the draft. Offensive coordinator Mike Tice and receivers coach Darryl Drake offered some morsels to reporters during last weekend's rookie minicamp, and all that's left now is to see if it actually works.

Part of me wants to roll my eyes and cringe, as we did recently on the blog, as the Bears once again refuse to accept what Hester is and isn't -- at least what he hasn't been yet. They remain unsatisfied with him simply being the best kick returner in NFL history. And another part thinks this attempt could prove to be the most productive balance the Bears have tried yet.

Drake might have best explained the plan last weekend by suggesting the "Hester Package" will limit snaps but elevate targets to make more efficient use of Hester's time on offense.

"The talent has always been there," Drake told reporters. "It's just a matter of not having him play 70 plays and throw to him twice. Play him 15 [plays], let him touch it 13 [times.] In order for him to be effective, we don't need to have him out there playing that many plays. If he's out there, put the ball in his hands. We need to have that package, and Mike Tice -- I promise you -- he's going to do it."

On the surface, it makes sense. Hester's combination of speed and open-field running ability is rare and awfully tempting to expand on. And when you look at the chart, you see what happens when a team doesn't have or utilize the speed to stretch a defense vertically. The 2011 Bears, for instance, had one of the least efficient short passing games in the NFL last season.

But running a full game's worth of pass routes probably takes the edge off Hester's energy in the return game. There is reason to think he could have a similar impact in 15 plays designed to involve him than he could in 70 plays that spread the ball around the field.

That appears to be the starting point for a tweak that appears to have emanated from, or at least endorsed by, Emery himself.

"I want to make sure that we have a special plan for Devin," Emery said last month. "We have the 'Devin Package' -- packages of plays as a receiver. You never know where he's going to line up. I don't want to get too far ahead of that in terms of letting other people know what we're going to do with him, but he will have a package of plays that we feel can bring out his dynamic ability to the forefront and if not only as carrying or catching the ball, but sometimes that's a decoy.

"Devin's speed vertically is something that has to be accounted for. So if that pulls people from coverage, to handle that vertical ball, you've got other people; we've got some awfully big targets to hit."

On the other hand, of course, it's not as easy as it sounds. You better believe that opposing defenses will notice when Hester is on the field, especially now that the Bears have announced they want to get him the ball often in the relatively brief period of time he plays offense. I don't think it will make teams leave, say, Brandon Marshall wide open to account for Hester, but his appearance isn't going to surprise anyone, either.

The "Hester Package" has already conjured comparisons to the "Randy Ratio" that Tice used after taking over the Minnesota Vikings' head coaching job in 2002. As you might recall, a study of the Vikings' 2001 season showed they won every game they targeted receiver Randy Moss on at least 40 percent of their throws. Tice announced he would make that goal a centerpiece of his offense.

The "Randy Ratio" wasn't a schematic adjustment as much as it was Tice's attempt to cajole the notoriously anti-authoritarian receiver to buy in as a team leader. It backfired on a number of fronts, and Tice himself acknowledged over the weekend that it "came back to bite me in the [rear end]."

Turning serious, Tice said: "Devin is going to be on the field. If he's not on the field, then they should fire me."

That final line speaks to the extent the Bears have prioritized Hester's potential contribution. You know the old saying: If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- After getting our list of compensatory draft picks Monday, I decided to hold off on posting the NFC North's full list of 2012 draft picks until the NFL reconciled its own records and released an official list.

So it here is, broken down by each team in all its glory, courtesy "Marathon" Brett Longdin of the ESPN.com blog editing team. Below it I'll have a few notes.

• The Bears used the third-round pick they received for tight end Greg Olsen last summer as part of their trade to acquire receiver Brandon Marshall earlier this month. That leaves them with their original third-round pick, No. 79 overall.
• The Lions lost their sixth-round draft pick as part of their 2010 tampering case with the Kansas City Chiefs. It rose from a seventh-round pick because they made the playoffs.
• One of the Lions' seventh-round picks came from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade for Tyler Polumbus in 2010.
• The Packers got an extra seventh-round pick, the No. 224 overall, in a trade with the New York Jets for offensive lineman Caleb Schlauderaff last summer.
• The Minnesota Vikings got an extra sixth-round pick, the No. 175 overall, as part of its 2010 trade with the Cleveland Browns for defensive end Jayme Mitchell.
• The Vikings also got a seventh-round pick, No. 223 overall, as part of its acquisition of receiver Randy Moss in 2010.

Receiver Randy Moss' late-night contract agreement with the San Francisco 49ers puts him on track for one more tour through the NFC North. Because the 2012 schedule matches us up against NFC West teams, Moss and the 49ers will play at the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings while hosting the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.

When Moss first announced he would come out of retirement, we spelled out a series of criteria necessary for any team serious about signing him. The 49ers have most of them. They have a strong and established coaching staff led by Jim Harbaugh, along with and an assistant head coach/special teams in Brad Seely who has personal experience with Moss during their time with the New England Patriots. You wonder if quarterback Alex Smith has the arm strength and mental toughness to handle Moss, but rare is a team that has all of its Moss-related bases covered.

Having covered Moss at various points in his career, I wish the 49ers — and especially Harbaugh — the best of luck. It hasn't ended well for Moss at any of his previous five NFL stops, and it was interesting that CSNBayarea.com columnist Ray Ratto suggested Harbaugh is strong-minded enough to pull the plug on Moss if necessary. That's the easy part. Coaxing a positive combination of production and relative harmony, while living with the inevitable challenges to authority, is the hard part.

It isn't a good sign that Moss blamed the "world-wide media" for giving him "a bad rap" during a conference call with Bay Area reporters Monday night. There is no doubt that Moss has had plenty of bad things written about him, almost all of which he earned through his pathologically contrarian behavior. Any true change in Moss' attitude must start with ownership of his shortcomings.

But with that said, we should consider ourselves fortunate that the NFC West and NFC North will match up in 2012. Moss is one of the best receivers in the history of the game, and we'll get at least one more chance to see him play. He is nothing if not entertaining.

ESPN.com's blog editors have put together a comprehensive chart of the 21 franchise players for 2012. That's a high number, but it still leaves dozens of high-quality players to hit the free agent market next week.

I'm sure we'll discuss a number of them over the ensuing days, but for now I think we should recognize that San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson is highly regarded by multiple NFC North teams. The Chargers did not franchise Jackson, making him one of the top prizes of the free agent market.

It got overshadowed by subsequent events, but the Minnesota Vikings pushed hard to acquire Jackson via trade in 2010. Rebuffed near the trade deadline, the Vikings turned instead to talks with the New England Patriots and Randy Moss. I'm sure you remember what happened next.

Jackson is two years older and the Vikings are in a different place now, but they are just as bereft of receivers now as they were in 2010. General manager Rick Spielman has spoken often this offseason of getting quarterback Christian Ponder more help from playmaking positions.

Jackson isn't believed to be eager to leave San Diego, where he has excelled in Norv Turner's offense and has a good relationship with quarterback Philip Rivers. He might not be ready to start over with a young quarterback, but he wouldn't have to if another NFC North team pursues him.

The Chicago Bears have a significant need at receiver, and Jackson could team with quarterback Jay Cutler to make an instant impact. The Bears' plans under new general manager Phil Emery remain unclear from a public perspective, but given the state of the position, it's easy to envision the Bears making a serious run at Jackson next week. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

On Thursday, we outlined the options the Detroit Lions have in for retaining free agent defensive end Cliff Avril, who is heading toward a payday after a career-high 11 sacks in 2011. One possibility we didn't discuss was Avril taking a discount to remain with the team that fostered his success, and there was a good reason for that: Players rarely agree to one.

Avril confirmed just that in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, saying in essence that he wants to return to the Lions but that business is business. Avril, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "There's no such thing as a hometown discount in the NFL. Once you can't play anymore, they're going to let you go, so you definitely have to strike gold when you can. That said, if they and another team present the same thing, I'd definitely stay with the Lions."

It's true that players sometimes turn down a slightly higher offer from a team they don't want to play for. But usually the difference is a small percentage of the total package. In a few years, when it comes time for the Lions or whatever team Avril signs with to end his career, that team won't think twice about cutting him. Business is business.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Receiver Randy Moss would not fit in with the Lions, writes Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
• The Chicago-based Indoor Football League team that has offered Moss a contract is coached by former Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune has more.
• Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey on free agency, via Brad Biggs of the Tribune: "The bottom line, and Phil [Emery] knows this, if there is someone we want -- and it makes sense -- money is not going to be an issue."
• I didn't think this was even a question, but it garnered headlines nonetheless: Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman acknowledged the team doesn't have an interest in bringing back Moss for a third tour of duty. More from the Associated Press.
• The Vikings aren't expected to raise ticket prices this season, writes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Star Tribune: "A deal to build a Minnesota Vikings stadium next to the Metrodome neared completion Thursday, as stadium planners worked late to put the finishing touches on an agreement among the state, the team and Minneapolis."
• The Vikings haven't changed their outlook on the future of cornerback Chris Cook, notes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Oakland Raiders have signed former Green Bay Packers defensive back Brandon Underwood, notes my AFC West colleague Bill Williamson.
• Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports explains how renowned reporter Anthony Shadid came to be an obsessive Packers fan. Shadid died on assignment in Syria, apparently because of an asthma attack.

As far as I'm concerned, Cris Carter has always been a knowledgeable and honest source of analysis on Randy Moss, his one-time teammate and protégé when both played for the Minnesota Vikings. And once again, I think Carter nailed his take on Moss' plans to return to the NFL in 2012.

Appearing Tuesday morning on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike in the Morning," Carter predicted that Moss would be "in fabulous shape" after a full offseason of training and reiterated his suggestion that Moss could still run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds. But Carter accurately identified an important issue NFL teams will need to address before seriously considering his acquisition.

"The one thing you have to address with Randy Moss is not a conditioning thing," Carter said. "It's not an age thing. It needs to be addressed. I believe it's the elephant in the room. It's that thing called quit.

"And Randy, not like any other superstar I've met, he has more quit in him than any of those other players. So I need to address that. That's what [New England Patriots coach Bill] Belichick did when he brought him over from Oakland. He told him he wasn't going to have it.

"But Randy, when things don't go well, like no other player I've ever been around or associated with, he has a quit mechanism in him that's huge. That needs to be addressed before he signs with any team."

Tuesday morning, Moss used his new verified Twitter account to send what appeared to be a response to Carter's twitter account. Although he did not specifically reference Carter's comments, Moss tweeted: "its sad how u stroked ur own ego when u were suppose to b my mentor!then u wonder why karma bites u in the [expletive]! #goodlukwhof"

Ouch. I can tell you from experience that Moss is a first-class hurler of insults. He knows what gets at people, and it's probably safe to assume that Carter's annual exclusion from the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a sensitive subject. It's also an unfair shot. There is no disputing that Moss has quit at various points in his career, while it's hard to connect Carter's past attempts to take credit for Moss' success as a reason he hasn't been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Moss later tweeted: "Cc no matter I still luv u bruh," but I think we all know how damaging the "quitting" issue will be as Moss sells himself to NFL teams this offseason. At his best, Moss is one of the best receivers in the history of the game, one who would be able to play at a high level even if he has lost a step or two. But at his worst, he is a 35-year-old receiver who is two years removed from his last productive season, one who carries the baggage of four messy departures from three different franchises and whose desire and effort continue to be a matter of public discussion. Stay tuned.

Some necessary ingredients must be in place for a team even to consider signing receiver Randy Moss in 2012. It needs a strong and established coaching staff. A rifle-armed quarterback, with experience in handling high-maintenance receivers, is a must. And it needs a personal advocate who knows Moss, understands him and can serve as an internal facilitator/translator.

There is an NFC North team that fits every aspect of that description, and the minimal chance of a deal highlights how difficult it will be for Moss to get a job for 2012, as he said Monday he wants to do. And that assumes Moss, now 35, can still play at a reasonably high level.

Lovie Smith is one of the NFL's longest-tenured coaches and his locker rooms rarely, if ever, display the type of discord Moss has caused in his various stops. Quarterback Jay Cutler throws one of the NFL's best deep balls, and his long-standing friendship with receiver Brandon Marshall is an example of his social flexibility.

And offensive coordinator Mike Tice was Moss' coach for three seasons when both were with the Minnesota Vikings. Tice lived through the best and worst Moss has to offer, coaxing 217 receptions and 24 touchdowns in their first two seasons together while also dealing with Moss' arrest for nudging a traffic officer with his car and his decision to leave the field early in the 2004 regular-season finale, among other episodes.

So in the Bears, you have a team with an established head coach, a quarterback who could handle Moss on the field and off, a longtime connection in Tice and a clear need for a downfield receiver. So are the Bears a front-runner for Moss' services?

Here's what I know: The same reasons that make Chicago a logical landing point also suggest the Bears won't pursue him.

One of the reasons Smith's locker room has been peaceful is the type of people he has brought into it. You don't have to worry about Brian Urlacher loafing on a play or Olin Kreutz insulting his teammates or Lance Briggs publicly questioning coaching decisions.

Cutler's connection with Marshall is based in part on the receiver's well-known work ethic. Marshall has demonstrated some unstable personality traits, but his effort on the field has never been questioned. A quarterback can count on Marshall's doing his best.

And it's only fair to point out that Tice shed no public tears when the Vikings traded Moss to the Oakland Raiders in April 2005. Too much of Tice's tenure had been devoted to Moss and his ancillary issues.

In short, the Bears are in a good position to understand what Moss is -- and what he probably isn't. For lack of a better term, Moss has been a pathological contrarian for his entire NFL career. He has undermined every coach he's played for, and to think otherwise now would be to suggest he has made a 180-degree personality change.

And as Cutler and anyone else associated with the Bears could attest by watching film, Moss took an obvious step back on the field in 2010 and was a shell of his former self. Defenses still devoted extra attention to him, but that attribute wasn't enough for three different teams to give up on him that season.

In most situations, the Moss-Bears connection would make a whole lot of sense. But this is an entirely unique scenario. Moss is one of a kind. And if it doesn't make sense for the Bears, who would it make sense for?

» NFC Wrap-ups: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Arrow indicates direction team is trending.

Final Power Ranking: 8
Preseason Power Ranking: 16

Biggest surprise: The Lions didn't think enough of tailback Kevin Smith to offer him a contract this summer. They had drafted bruising tailback Mikel Leshoure in the second round and planned to pair him with 2010 first-rounder Jahvid Best. Smith went home, worked out and waited by the telephone. Leshoure ruptured his Achilles tendon in training camp, Best was sidelined by a pair of concussions and the Lions brought Smith in for a look-see during their bye week. They signed him on Nov. 7, he made his season debut six days later and has provided the Lions a credible backfield presence ever since. Smith produced 535 yards from scrimmage, scored seven touchdowns and is expected to start Saturday night's wild-card playoff game at the New Orleans Saints. I'm not sure that many people thought any of that was possible five months ago.

Biggest disappointment: Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh appeared set for superstardom after a rookie season that included 10 sacks, a Pro Bowl invitation and first-team All-Pro nod. He was one of the NFL's most visible public pitchmen during the offseason, appearing in television commercials and countless national interviews. But Suh ended his second season in a much different place, thanks to a year-long debate on his aggressive play and a poorly-timed stomp of Green Bay Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith on Thanksgiving Day. Worse, Suh's play slipped and he finished the season with four sacks and 36 tackles. You can't always judge a defensive tackle by such statistics, but Suh's peers limited him to alternate status in Pro Bowl balloting. Suh has some on- and off-field repair work to do this offseason.

Biggest need: Smith's emergence aside, the Lions will have to take a hard look at their backfield this offseason. Best's history of concussions will make it difficult to depend on him for the long term. Early indications are that Leshoure will be ready for training camp, but he suffered a serious injury that will at least need to be tested before he can be considered a reliable contributor. So will the Lions prioritize this position for the third consecutive offseason? It's not out of the question. Meanwhile, general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz will have to take a hard look at left tackle, where veteran Jeff Backus is headed for unrestricted free agency. Will they try to ride Backus, 34, for a few more years? Or do they look for his replacement?

Team MVP: Calvin Johnson had one of the best seasons for a receiver in NFL history, catching 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns. The only receiver to match that across-the-board production in a single season was Randy Moss for the Minnesota Vikings in 2003. But Johnson needed someone to feed him the ball, and Matthew Stafford elevated himself into the upper tier of NFL quarterbacks with a monster season that was more responsible for the Lions' success than any other single factor. A late-season surge pushed Stafford to a stunning 5,038 passing yards, fourth-most in NFL history. Most important, he started all 16 games and was the calm backbone behind four comebacks from deficits of at least 13 points.

Breakout: The least-discussed member of the Lions' starting defensive line might have had the best season of them all. Left end Cliff Avril finished with 11 sacks, forced six fumbles and scored two defensive touchdowns on returns. A pending unrestricted free agent, Avril made himself some money -- from the Lions or someone else -- this season. The Lions would surely like to have him back but have a fair amount of money tied up in their defensive line, from Suh to 2011 first-rounder Nick Fairley to veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

MegatronWatch was fun while it lasted. For most of the first half of this season, Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson was catching touchdown passes at a historic pace. Alas, Johnson won't break the record of 23 touchdown receptions set by Randy Moss in 2007, but Johnson has still put himself in elite company with two games remaining in the regular season.

The chart shows the seven other players in NFL history who have matched or exceeded Johnson's across-the-board production this season; it currently stands at 81 catches, 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice did it four times, while Moss, Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens each did it twice.

NFL passing games have grown more prolific over the past two decades, making it difficult to compare gross numbers over various time periods. But that's not Johnson's fault. Even if he doesn't catch a pass for the rest of the season, I think we can say that Johnson has had one of the most productive seasons by a wide receiver in NFL history.

» Midseason MVPs: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Here are my picks for midseason most valuable player for each team in the division:

Chicago Bears: Matt Forte

How good of a season is Forte having? His 1,241 total yards from scrimmage (rushing plus receiving) leads the NFL and puts him on pace to approach the league's all-time record. (Chris Johnson combined for 2,503 total yards in 16 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2009.) Forte has accounted for more than 45 percent of the Bears' total offense, has taken 77 percent of their carries and has caught nearly twice as many passes (41) as any of his teammates. The Bears have built their offense around him, and no one -- not even quarterback Jay Cutler -- has played a bigger role in their 5-3 record.

Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson

Johnson spent the first half of the season on a record-breaking scoring pace. His 11 touchdown receptions lead the NFL and project him to finish one short of Randy Moss' record for touchdowns in a season. Johnson has also caught the NFL's second-highest number of passes of 40 or more yards (five) and is one of three players averaging more than 100 yards receiving per game. Most important, his acrobatic scores have come in crucial situations. They made the difference in at least two victories, over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Without those plays, the Lions would be a .500 team.

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers

The runaway league MVP at the midpoint, Rodgers has put together one of the best first halves in NFL history. He's the first player to combine at least 2,600 passing yards with 24 touchdowns in the first eight games of the season, and is the only quarterback ever to finish eight consecutive games with a passer rating of 110 or greater. Along the way, Rodgers has led the league in completion percentage (72.5), passer rating (129.1) and yards per attempt (9.9) and has thrown only three interceptions. All for an 8-0 team. That should about do it, right?

Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson

Peterson ranks second in the NFL with 798 rushing yards and has scored 10 of the Vikings' 19 touchdowns. Five of those touchdowns have come in the only two games the Vikings have won this season. Peterson has been as much of a single force for the Vikings as Forte has been for the Bears. Defensive end Jared Allen, who has a league-leading 12.5 sacks, is a close runner-up.

As the Detroit Lions head into their bye week, we'll probably take a week off from our traditional MegatronWatch post. Most of you probably know by now that Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has 11 touchdowns in eight games this season, most recently a 56-yarder in Sunday's 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos, and is making a run at one of the NFL's all-time best scoring seasons.

We've exclusively examined how Johnson compares to record-holder Randy Moss (23 in 16 games in 2007) as well as Jerry Rice (22 in 12 games in 1987). But from an NFC North perspective, it's worth noting how Johnson stacks up to the best-ever eight-game start in NFL history.

As the chart shows, that distinction goes to Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Don Huston, who caught 14 touchdowns in the first eight games of 1942. Hutson, who doubled as a safety before the era of free substitution, finished the season with 17 touchdowns in 11 games and was named the league's MVP.

Hope you got all that. There will be a quiz later this week.

DENVER -- Some thoughts on the Detroit Lions' 45-10 demolition of the Denver Broncos:

What it means: As forcefully as possible, the Lions turned the page after a two-game losing streak. They head into their bye in excellent position at 6-2.

Defensive dominance: The Lions had two defensive touchdowns for the second time this season. (The first was in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.) Defensive end Cliff Avril forced a Tim Tebow fumble and returned it 24 yards for a score in the third quarter and Chris Houston had a 100-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Houston now has a career-high four interceptions this season. Tebow had a miserable game in his own right, but the Lions' pressure (seven sacks, including two from Avril) had something to do with that.

Offensive dominance: Quarterback Matthew Stafford showed no ill effects from a right ankle injury, completing his first seven passes and throwing for 269 yards and three touchdowns over three quarters. Again, the Broncos' incompetence should at least be noted. Rookie Titus Young didn't have a Broncos defender within 20 yards of him on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. But Stafford threw a beautiful, 56-yard scoring pass down the left sideline to receiver Calvin Johnson and made a nice personal comeback after two down weeks. Stafford appeared shaken up in his final series, but with a bye week looming, he has plenty of time to heal from this game.

MegatronWatch: Johnson's touchdown, one of six receptions he made for 125 yards, was his 11th of the season. Johnson joined Randy Moss (2007) as the only player since the 1970 merger to catch 11 touchdown passes over the first eight games of the season. Frank Clarke had 12 touchdowns through eight games in 1962 for the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Tebowing: Two Lions players "Tebowed" after big plays, setting off at least a few NFC North blog Twitter followers who considered it a disrespectful attempt to mock Tebow. I'm not sure about that but am open to your thoughts. Linebacker Stephen Tulloch struck the pose after a sack and tight end Tony Scheffler incorporated the move into a touchdown celebration. I guess it technically mocked Tebow's prayer post, but I'm not sure if we need to launch a congressional investigation about it.

What's next: The Lions return Nov. 13 at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.

Our investigation is complete. Yes, it's true. Calvin Johnson did not have a touchdown reception in the Detroit Lions' 25-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, his first scoreless game of the 2011 season.

We will give him a pass, especially after catching an NFL record nine touchdowns in the Lions' first five games. For those interested, Johnson remains on pace to challenge the NFL record for touchdown reception in a season, as the chart shows.

So what happened Sunday against the 49ers? According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Lions didn't target him on a single pass in the end zone after doing so nine times in their first five games, the second-highest total in the NFL over that span. And only one of the nine passes they threw his way came in the red zone.

First, we should be reasonable in our expectations. The pace Johnson set early this season was historic and, quite frankly, impossible to maintain. Randy Moss went three games without a touchdown in his record-breaking 2007 campaign, and we should be careful not to consider it a failure for Johnson to go scoreless.

He was an afterthought Sunday because, frankly, the 49ers made sure of it. Watching the game live at Ford Field, it was quite obvious the 49ers were not going to give him an easy opportunity in single coverage for one of his patented jump balls.

I can't account for every play on the Lions' four trips to the red zone, but he routinely faced a second and sometimes third defender near the end zone. Lions receiver Nate Burleson told reporters the 49ers were "masters of bracketology," meaning they consistently bracketed Johnson with multiple defenders.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford found Burleson and tight end Brandon Pettigrew for touchdowns on two of the red zone trips, but the Lions settled for short field goals on the other two. Coach Jim Schwartz lamented one deep pass that Stafford threw out of bounds in the direction of Johnson, but otherwise said: "There were a lot of other ones where there was probably a better place to go with the ball."

Schwartz added: "We want to get the ball to Calvin. We were moving him around a lot. A couple of those passes where he was getting glances inside of a corner, he's playing a position that he normally doesn't play. [Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan] was moving him around a lot to try and get him open. … We all need to do a better job of getting open and winning one-on-ones when teams take that approach with Calvin."

Calvin Johnson's 73-yard touchdown reception Monday night made him the first player in NFL history to catch nine touchdowns in the first five games of the season. It also provided further fuel to MegatronWatch, keeping the Detroit Lions receiver on pace to shatter the league record for touchdown receptions in a season.

I'm not sure if it's reasonable to expect Johnson to keep scoring at his current pace of 1.8 touchdowns per game. But he doesn't have to in order to break Randy Moss' record. At this point, Johnson needs 15 touchdowns to set a new record of 24. That's an average of 1.36 touchdowns over the Lions' final 11 regular-season games.

I realize those are some big numbers, but the key point of MegatronWatch is to track how Johnson's pace compares to the history before him. Moss had seven touchdowns after five games in 2007 for the New England Patriots. Jerry Rice, meanwhile, had six after five games in 1987. Rice finished that 12-game season with a stunning blitz of 16 touchdowns over the 49ers' final seven games to finish with 22.

One interesting development for Johnson has been his right-handed success this season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Johnson has caught eight of his nine touchdowns outside the right hash mark. Overall, 65 percent of his receptions have come on that side of the field in 2011.

It makes sense that Johnson would have most of his success on the outside. And most right-handed quarterbacks will look to the right side of the field instead of across their bodies to the left. I don't see any great schematic clues here. To me, it's just a testament to offensive coordinator Scott Linehan's beautifully transparent scheme.

Linehan isn't trying to trick opponents. When he has a player who can win in any matchup, be it Moss in Minnesota or Johnson with the Lions, he'll line him up in a favorable place and get him the ball. The rest is up to the player. So far, so good for Johnson.

You might have heard by now that Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has eight touchdown receptions in the first four games of the season. That output ties an NFL record for that stretch, and it gives us (well, me) justification for tracking Johnson's progress relative to the best scoring seasons for a receiver in NFL history.

As long as Johnson keeps scoring, we'll keep revisiting the chart accompanying this post. It provides a game-by-game look at how Randy Moss caught 23 touchdown passes over 16 games in 2007. It also shows the incredible 12-game run of former record-holder Jerry Rice, who caught 22 touchdowns in 12 games in 1987. (He lost four games due to the NFL players' strike.)

As you can see, Moss had seven touchdowns through four games. Rice had five. Just sayin'.

At least one player can provide an insightful bridge between Moss and Johnson. Lions receiver Nate Burleson played with Moss in 2003 and 2004 when both were the Minnesota Vikings, and I asked him last weekend for an off-the-cuff comparison between the two.

"I can't pick one or the other, but they'll both go down as a couple of the biggest threats in NFL history," Burleson said. "They're very different. Both great playmakers. Big hands. Can track down the ball extremely well.

"But the one thing I can say about Calvin is that he runs with the ball in his hands. He's trying to create a collision once he catches it. And he blocks. That's what makes him special. That's what separates him in my eyes from the other elite receivers in this league right now. On any given play, whether he's got the ball or not, he's going to make an impact."

In the end, that level of physicality probably gives Johnson an edge on the kind of jump ball touchdown he's perfected this season. Moss knew how to outreach and out-position defenders for the ball, but Johnson's bigger body -- he's an inch taller and about 30 pounds heavier than Moss -- gives him an additional advantage.