Calvin Johnson to sit until healed

ALLEN PARK, Mich. --Calvin Johnson is still rehabilitating his high right ankle sprain, and the Detroit Lions wide receiver said there's no reason for him to play until he is healed and ready to compete at a high level.

"Like I said, there's no point in being on the field if I can't go out there and do what I got to do," Johnson said Wednesday. "Do what I got to do and do it to a high level that I'm used to doing it at."

Johnson missed his first game of the season Sunday against Minnesota, and both he and his coach, Jim Caldwell, have been noncommittal about whether Johnson will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The 29-year-old would only say, "just working to get this thing right," when asked whether he thought he would play this week, and he said he has been rehabbing daily to try to heal the ankle.

He did not practice at all last week and sat out the team's Wednesday and Thursday practices the two weeks before that. He said some pain is still "lingering there" and he wouldn't be surprised if the Lions took an approach to his status this week similar to their approach last week.

He did see benefit, though, in not practicing or playing last week.

"Not beating it up," Johnson said. "Not getting out there, rolling it again, it definitely helps you. More and more you can stay off that particular area, the faster it can heal."

Johnson has 22 catches for 348 yards and two touchdowns this season.