Would Calvin Johnson first wide receiver to win the MVP the NFL?
You may find it hard to believe, but the wide receiver has ever won the NFL MVP award. Detroit Lions wideout Nate Burleson certainly had no idea.

"Really? I did not know that," Burleson said. "I look at it, when you have a wide receiver that picks up the ridiculous numbers that the award will go to a lawyer because he was throwing to him."

The numbers a bit hard to find, but it seems like the closest receiver came to winning MVP was Jerry Rice during the strike shortened 1987 season.

In just 12 games this year, Rice set the NFL record with 22 receiving touchdowns. That was enough to earn him MVP honors a number of other organizations, including Sporting News and Pro Football Writers, but Associated Press, the reward is officially recognized by the NFL.

Rice finished second in the vote to John Elway of the season. The final vote count was 36 for John Elway, 30 for rice and 18 years for Joe Montana.

To add some additional perspective, when Randy Moss later broke up a rice-planting season record, the carriage 23 in 2007, he received no votes MVP. Tom Brady, with his own single season record-breaking performance, captured 49 out of 50 votes this year. This certainly backs up the hypothesis in Burleson.

Five years have passed since the defender had not received the award. It was a staggering 25 seasons since he was a player who played a position other than defense or running back.

The question becomes, can ever make the receiver enough to win? Through four games, Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson, the star on pace to challenge the conventional wisdom, but he certainly can not be bothered to think about it.

"Oh man, it's too early in the season," Johnson said. "That's four games in. We are not even in the middle of our schedule, so a lot of football left to play."

This is a reasonable response. No player should think about the awards this at the beginning of the season.

But that's okay, if only for the purposes of discussion, we look forward.

Johnson now has eight touchdowns, putting him on pace for 32. Obviously, it's ridiculous to think that he can argue that the pace, but it is not absurd to believe that he can challenge the single season mark Moss. To set a new bar, Johnson would need to catch 16 more touchdowns, or four times in three weeks.

Go ahead, look to the future in accordance with the schedule in Detroit. They faced some struggles rest of the way secondary. Denver, Oakland, San Francisco, Chicago and Green Bay currently ranks are at the bottom of the league in yards and touchdowns passes air.

But even if Johnson catches 24 points, with catches of 90-100 and 1200-1400 meters, would be enough?

Other NFL record could easily fall into this season. Six defenders currently on pace to best Dan Marino 5084 yards passing. Tom Brady, who heads the league with 1553 yards, can erase the number.

Another defender, Green Bay Aaron Rodgers, also put up big-time numbers, but with much greater efficiency than its peers. Through four games, Rodgers has 1325 yards, 12 touchdowns and just two steals in completing 73.1 percent of his passes.

And since we started this conversation about the wide receivers, we can not ignore the remarkable start of New England to Wes Welker. With 40 receptions and 616 yards, he is well ahead of pace to break the single season record in both areas.

Not surprisingly, Burleson would still give the edge Johnson.

"I think that for this type of play that Calvin does, how he makes them, and when he does them", Burleson explained, "that will surely guarantee him to be the leader of the league - at least one quarter through the season - for this award ".

Right now, it's all silly speculation. Four weeks into the future, we could have a completely different set of favorites. Maybe Brady Rogers, Welker and Johnson will be NFL historians are ready - ready to write a book - or all of them can give way to the law of averages, fading back to the pack.

Johnson fired in a special period. We should enjoy the ride. Whether he will merit a closer look at the MVP at the end of the season remains to be seen, but if history tells us anything, do not be surprised if they give awards counsel, regardless of how bright his final numbers end up.