EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The last time the Minnesota Vikings faced the Detroit Lions was the first time coach Mike Zimmer had cornerback Xavier Rhodes try to shadow one receiver. He asked Rhodes -- who'd played right cornerback all season -- to follow Calvin Johnson across the field. Rhodes stood his ground against the five-time Pro Bowler, giving up three catches in four targets for 49 yards when he was covering Johnson, according to Pro Football Focus.

Zimmer played coy when he was asked about Rhodes matching up on Johnson -- "I doubt it," he said on Thursday -- but the coach said the Vikings were unlikely to use the tactic last December, too. Rhodes said he wasn't sure if the Vikings would have him shadow Johnson on Sunday, but he's ready to do it if asked.

"I feel good," Rhodes said. "Not to say that's going to happen this year. Coach more than likely wouldn't let us know if that's the game plan or not. He wouldn't quite tell us everything in the game plan. But you've got to go each and every week, confident and feeling good."

After Rhodes stayed on Johnson during the Vikings' 16-14 loss last Dec. 14, the Vikings used the tactic at times the following Sunday, having Rhodes follow Mike Wallace around the field for portions of the Vikings' 37-35 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Then, in Week 17, Rhodes spent much of his day facing the Chicago Bears' Alshon Jeffery.

"With the techniques in our defense, it's pretty difficult," Rhodes said. "You've got to get used to it, do your job and no matter what, you've got to be ready for anything. It's letting me know the coaches believe in me."

For his part, Wallace -- who caught a touchdown pass and drew a key pass interference penalty against Rhodes last December -- said he prefers when a cornerback is assigned to him the entire day.

"I know that's the guy I'm going against the whole entire time," Wallace said. "Even when one guy may be better than the next guy at cornerback, when you have a matchup to go against the same guy, you can come up with different release plans, you can see exactly what he's doing. For me, I like it, just to know I'm going against the same guy. Even if one guy might not be as good as the guy who's always following somebody, he might do something different you might not like."

The Vikings have more cornerback depth than they did last year, but even though Johnson only caught four passes in the Lions' Week 1 loss to the San Diego Chargers, he could still represent the kind of special challenge that leads Zimmer to assign his best cornerback to him.

Regardless of the Vikings' plan for Sunday, Rhodes will likely see Johnson at some point. His ability to contain the receiver could be important for the Vikings on Sunday. "When you see a lot of receivers, they have one thing about them that's unique, that stands out," Rhodes said. "With Calvin, you've got the height, the size, the physicality. You have to play all out."