[vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]There might not be a lonelier place in the NFL — even in a stadium with more than 73,000 people — than the island that is a one-on-one match-up with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson.Even if there is help to come, for a moment, there’s just a cornerback and Megatron, and during the Panthers win Sunday, Antoine Cason and Melvin White were often the first line of defense against the 6-foot-5 superstar. But they embraced the challenge, even welcomed the opportunity to go against against a guy many consider the best wideout on the planet.“I love it,” said Cason, who matched up with Johnson when he lined up wide to the right. “I’m a competitor. To go against that guy and compete with him is huge. I accept the challenge. I accept the challenge all day, every day. Let’s do it again. I know who he is, I know who I am, I’m confident in me. To get out there and just play like that, with confidence on the corner, is huge.”The Panthers didn’t shut down Johnson, but they held the four-time Pro Bowler in check, with help from a front seven that did its part pressuring quarterback Matthew Stafford.Johnson finished with six catches for 83 yards, including a few that belong on his already-lengthy highlight reel. The Lions moved him around, looking for advantages in coverage. Stafford targeted his star receiver 13 times, including a stretch in the second quarter where he threw to Johnson on five straight plays — not including a field goal attempt.“When he lined up against me, I just knew the ball was coming,” said nickel Bené Benwikere, who matched up with Johnson in the slot.Johnson made an over-the-shoulder grab for 25 yards in the first quarter and tip-toed the sideline on a third-quarter 10-yard out. He just missed securing a low second-quarter Stafford pass in the end zone, as safety Roman Harper converged to help Cason.But looking Johnson’s way did not always produce positive results. An underthrown Stafford deep ball in the fourth quarter was deflected by safety Thomas DeCoud and intercepted by White, an example of the collective effort it took to defend and limit No. 81.“It’s a team sport,” said Benwikere. “It wasn’t an individual process. We didn’t design one person to go and follow him everywhere, so we had to communicate. That was the good thing.”Harper said the performance of the Panthers defensive backs against Johnson only solidified the confidence that’s already there. Cason agreed.“You definitely have to respect the guy because of what he’s done, and everyone knows who he is,” said Cason. “However, we were confident in us, I am confident in me and all those other guys are confident in themselves as well.”[vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]