Andre Johnson

Week Seventeen Analysis: After getting trounced by the Vikings last weekend, the Texans are still playing for home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, meaning that there will be no rest for Andre Johnson. Johnson tallied his 100th catch of the season last week, making him only the fifth player in NFL history to have 100-plus catches in four seasons. Two weeks ago against these same Colts, he toasted Indy for 11 catches, 151 yards and a score.

Week Sixteen Analysis: While Calvin Johnson has set the NFL ablaze with his yardage totals over the last month or so, it may surprise you that another Johnson, Andre, is leading the league in receiving yards over the last five weeks. The Texans' Johnson is averaging just under 153 yards per game, has had eight or more receptions four times and scored twice in the last five weeks. This week the Texans host a Minnesota team that has struggled against the pass. In their last six games, the Vikings have allowed multiple touchdowns to wide receivers in four contests and have allowed two wideouts, Brandon Marshall and Calvin Johnson, to top 160 yards.

Week Fifteen Analysis: The 612 yards that Andre Johnson has gained in the last four weeks could have caused you to overlook the fact that Johnson has only scored once in his last 10 games. That single stat could have knocked you out of the playoffs alone, but if you're listening to me now, you're probably still alive, have Johnson, and have great confidence in his matchup with the Colts this week. Indy has ceded a 100-yard game to a wideout in five of the last six contests including 171 to Calvin Johnson and 143 to Kenny Britt in the last two weeks. Andre's recent history against the Colts is strong too, with scores in two straight to go with 95 and 106 yards.

Week Fourteen Analysis: After reading the tea leaves, here's the prediction: Andre Johnson will have seven catches for 85 yards, but fail to score this weekend in New England. Here's why. Johnson has topped 75 yards in five out of his last seven games, but scored in only one of those contests. Similarly, his opponent this week, the Patriots, have allowed at least 84 yards to a wide receiver in four consecutive weeks. However, in the last six weeks, only four wideouts have managed to score a touchdown against New England. So, at a minimum you're looking at an above average yard total this weekend, but the touchdown may be a coin flip.

Week Thirteen Analysis: According to the good folks at Elias, Andre Johnson's 461 receiving yards in the last two games are the most yards in back-to-back games in NFL history. What makes that stat better is the fact that he gained 461 yards in five days. Somehow that stat gets even more astonishing when you factor in that 158 of those yards were after the catch, and in the previous nine games Johnson had only recorded 209 yards after reception. He's finally healthy, and he goes up against a Titans team that he's scored on in five of his last seven meetings. Tennessee has given up over 60 yards and a touchdown to a wideout nine times this season.

Week Twelve Analysis: Andre Johnson's massive 14-catch, 273-yard game against the Jaguars last week was impressive. What has not been impressive is Johnson's follow-up performances to his huge outputs. In Johnson's last three regular season games with more than 100 yards, he's answered the following week with no more than four receptions and 36 yards. The fact that the Lions have only allowed one wide receiver to top 65 yards in the last four weeks doesn't bode well for Johnson either. But there are a few bright spots. The Lions have allowed a touchdown to a wide receiver in six consecutive weeks. Not only that, in their last three Thanksgiving games, Detroit has allowed an average of 14 receptions, 227 yards and two scores to opposing wideouts.

Week Eleven Analysis: Weather, Peanut Tillman and Tim Jennings negated Andre Johnson's fantasy value last week. But don't sleep on what he has done recently. Johnson has had eight-plus receptions and 75 or more yards in each of the three games prior to last week. This week he's not going up against the Bears, but the Jaguars aren't a half bad pass defense. It's interesting to note that Johnson has been held to 22 yards or fewer in each of his last two games against the Jags, but was being used sparingly due to injuries in both matchups. In his previous three healthy matchups against Jacksonville, Johnson has averaged 110 yards and had a touchdown in two of three games.

Week Eight Analysis: It's tough to stomach the fact that Andre Roberts has more receptions, yards and touchdowns this season than Andre Johnson. But quietly, Johnson is regaining preferred Andre status. While Johnson hasn't scored since Week 3, in the last two weeks his production has seen a significant increase as he has averaged 11 targets, eight and a half receptions and 80 yards. Unless Matt Schaub doesn't need to bother passing because of a blowout, Andre should find the end zone this week against the Bills. Buffalo has allowed 12 touchdowns to wideouts in seven games, the second most in the league this season.

Week Seven Analysis: It may be the best time ever to face the Baltimore Ravens defense. Last week the Ravens lost future Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis and their only stud cornerback Ladarius Webb for the season due to injuries, and All Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata tore his MCL. And Terrell Suggs is still injured. So what was once a daunting defensive matchup for Andre Johnson, suddenly doesn't look so scary. Last year a hobbled Johnson with T.J. Yates at quarterback faced a healthy Ravens defense and put up eight catches for 111 yards, and without Ladarius Webb, Johnson will have favorable coverage all day.

Week Six Analysis: Andre Johnson continues to slide down the rankings as Owen Daniels continues to jump up the tight end rankings. It's got to be concerning to Johnson owners that Daniels has had 25 targets in the last four weeks to Johnson's 20. It's been said that the Texans are trying to keep the mileage low on Johnson this season, but show me the CARFAX, because this receiver's been in more body shops than the General Lee. But, it all changes this week against the Packers. The Pack gave up 13 catches for 212 yards to Reggie Wayne last week and nine catches for 153 yards to Marques Colston the week before. They can't stop No. 1 receivers, and they won't this week.

Week Five Analysis: In Week 1, Andre Johnson had eight receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. Everyone thought that he was back to his old form and on his way to another top 10 finish among wide receivers. Since then, over three games, Johnson has only managed eight receptions for 149 yards, but the shocking part is that he's only been targeted an average of just under five times per game. That's flat out terrible. We'll see if Johnson can turn it around against a Jets team that just lost all-time cover corner Darrell Revis to a knee injury. He'll now draw Antonio Cromartie, which is a little easier, but still a chore. Last week, San Francisco's No.1 wideout, Michael Crabtree, managed just two catches for 15 yards against Cromartie.

Week Four Analysis: Andre Johnson only had two catches last week, but came up with 72 yards and a touchdown. His first catch was a 60-yard touchdown, but was held quiet by a pesky Champ Bailey for the remainder of the game. The disappointing part of Johnson's recent performances has been that he has only been targeted four times in each of the last two games. Houston may be handling Johnson with kid gloves to protect his brittle frame from incurring yet another injury. This week Johnson will likely matchup with Tennessee cornerback (and Princess Leia's home planet) Alterraun Verner. Verner has quietly been one of the league's best cornerbacks in this young season allowing only one reception to go for more than 11 yards and not yet allowing a touchdown.

Week Three Analysis: Denver Memorial Hospital is likely freshening up their linens in expectation of an Andre Johnson visit, but until then we'll just examine what he's done between the stripes. Last week Johnson put up a discouraging three catches for 21 yards against Jacksonville. This week he faces off against one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL, Champ Bailey and Tracy Porter. The Broncos secondary yielded only four catches and 14 yards to Julio Jones on Monday night, so it's obvious that they have the ability to shut down a wide receiver. The silver lining for Johnson is the fact that both Roddy White and Mike Wallace have scored against Denver in the last two weeks.

Week Two Analysis: Since 2006, no player has more 100-yard receiving games in the first two weeks of a season than Andre Johnson. He has recorded seven such games in 13 total attempts, so to say that he's a hot starter is a bit of an understatement. Of course, by week three, he's usually in an ICU somewhere. Johnson looked to be back in form against the Dolphins last week, grabbing eight balls for 119 yards and a score. His opponent this week, the Jacksonville Jaguars, have been a sneaky-tough defense against wide receivers. Jacksonville had a so-so performance against the Vikings last weekend, but did not allow a score through the air. Rashean Mathis has been attempting to guard Johnson for years now, but it hasn't been working out. In their last healthy matchup together, way back in 2010, Johnson exploded for nine catches, 146 yards and a touchdown.

Week One: Technically, Andre Johnson appeared in seven games last season, but it was really a three-game year for Houston's top receiver. In those three games, Johnson averaged seven catches for 105 yards and had two touchdowns. Those are elite averages, even if the sample size is puny.  The hamstring injury that basically ended his season has healed, but Johnson has been battling a groin strain and bruised ribs all preseason.  He will be okay for this matchup. One of his three healthy games last season happened to be against the Miami Dolphins, in which he grabbed seven receptions for 93 yards and a score. Miami recently shipped one of their better corners, Vontae Davis, to the Colts, giving one of last year's bottom ten pass defenses even fewer weapons to combat Johnson and other wideouts around the league.

NEXT: #22 LARRY FITZGERALD