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Lions receiver Calvin Johnson has struggled in his career against Chicago, although broke free of safety Kevin Payne for this catch during a 2009 game. (Associated Press)

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions have lost nine of their past 10 games against the Chicago Bears, and Calvin Johnson has struggled more against the Bears than any team in football.

It's enough to make even the mild-mannered Johnson dislike Chicago.

"It's easy to have a dislike for them," he said. "It's not hard at all."

The numbers tell the story.

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson catches a touchdown pass over nemesis Charles Tillman in 2008.

Johnson is 2-9 against the Bears since entering the league in 2007, and averaged 72.8 receiving yards against them. He set an NFL record with 1,964 yards receiving last year, but had just 34 and 72 yards in games against Chicago.

Put that another way: Johnson averaged 53.0 yards per game against Chicago, and 132.7 against the rest of the NFL.

Why have they been so successful in thwarting Megatron?

One reason, certainly, is the excellent cornerback Charles Tillman.

Tillman, though, was timid this week when asked what his secret was to collaring the game's greatest wideout.

"He's so damn big. He's like the LeBron James of wide receivers," Tillman said. "He's like that Madden character that you can create in the game. He's tall, he's fast, he can catch. He's got quickness, he's got the speed, he's got the agility, the leaping ability, the extra boost. He's 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10."

Johnson said he appreciated the shout-out, but is more so concerned with how to solve the Chicago puzzle.

"Can't stand 'em," he said. "They're filling up the stadium a lot. A lot of Bears fans, so that's one reason we can't stand em. But we're going to have a good showing this week. We've had two good practices this week so far, guys are focused in.

"Like I said, we don't like those guys. It's going to be a good little showdown."