Chan Gailey Impressed With Stevie Johnson's Mental Toughness

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson needs just one touchdown reception in the Bills' final two games to tie Bill Brooks' franchise record of 11 receiving touchdowns in a season. In his first year of extended playing time, Johnson has been a revelation, ranking 13th in the NFL with 72 receptions, 14th with 943 receiving yards, and tied for fourth with 10 receiving touchdowns. For a guy that had 12 receptions in his first two pro seasons and at one point was benched for Roscoe Parrish this season, that production is remarkable.

Yet his break-out campaign will still be remembered for one play (and one subsequent tweet): Johnson dropped a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chan Gailey was asked about Johnson's response to that drop during yesterday's conference call with New England media, and Gailey talked about Stevie working to get back from that letdown.

"He’s handled it pretty well," Gailey said. "He had a drop the next week. The last couple of weeks, he’s started to get back to the old Stevie. It was not easy on him. Like I said earlier, if you care then it hurts and it hurt him badly to drop a pass like that. That’s part of the game. It’s like the pitcher that gives up the home run ball in the bottom of the ninth - no one wants to go through that, but you walk back up on the mound the next and time and here we go. That’s what he had to do - he had to just get back out there and go play because he’s a very, very good receiver and is going to be for quite a few years. He’s got to handle the highs and the lows. You’ve got to handle both of them very well."