“Tell Megatron, meet Optmius Prime” - When Cardinals coach hyped Patrick Peterson ahead of matchup against Calvin Johnson

Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson received the nickname "Megatron" from former Lion Roy Williams, courtesy of his machine-like dominance. Built like a tank at 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, Johnson was equipped with strength and agility alike as he could run 40 yards in just 4.35 seconds. When he played, he was almost unstoppable and invincible.

However, Johnson and the Lions were about to face the Arizona Cardinals and their cornerback Patrick Peterson, one of the league’s best, in a Week 2 game in September 2013. Fans were excited for the matchup between one of the league’s best offensive players against one of the best defensive players.

Almost 12 years after the epic matchup, a throwback fan-made video of the moment is going viral on X, attracting over one million views after it was uploaded on Monday. The clip features several moments between Johnson and Peterson from the game.

Ahead of the game, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians made it clear that the Cardinals wouldn’t provide much space for Johnson to play freely.

“Do we want to leave him out there one-on-one all day? No," Arians said. "But that's going to happen. He's going to have to win his share of the battles.”

However, the bigger question was, who would cover the league’s best wide receiver, Johnson? A year prior, Johnson recorded 121 yards from his 10 catches against the Cardinals. Thus, Johnson was a big threat ahead of the game.

“Probably, in my opinion, the best corner in the league is going against the best receiver in the league,” Arians said.

Before taking the field, Peterson received a special message from Arians: “Tell Megatron, Meet Optimus Prime.” It was a special coded instruction for CB Peterson to play man-coverage for WR Johnson.

Patrick Peterson up for the Megatron challenge from Calvin Johnson

Patrick Peterson, too, was excited for the matchup, as he said during his pregame interview:

"That's all I've been thinking about. I just want to go out there. I've been preparing well all week. I believe I have a good feeling of what he wants to do."

The rivalry featured several exciting moments for the fans, as Peterson kept Johnson from gaining yards several times.

Johnson had 116 yards on six catches, including a 72-yard-deep pass from Matthew Stafford. The Cardinals secured a 25-21 victory over Detroit, but fans remember the game for the exciting on-field matchup.