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Stevie Johnson Trash-Talks Patriots, Thinks Patrick Chung Still Plays For New England

BOSTON (CBS) -- It's only Week 1 of the NFL season, but Bills receiver Stevie Johnson is kicking the trash talk into high gear right off the bat.

Johnson spoke to the media on Monday, and he was not short of confidence.

"I don't think they have anybody to stop me. For real," Johnson said, according to ESPN.

Johnson, the 27-year-old who's entering his sixth season in the NFL, then offered his scouting report on the Patriots' defensive backfield, but in doing so he made a pretty significant mistake.

"I haven't played against Aqib Talib yet. I've checked him out on tape -- long, athletic, tries to play with vision," Johnson said, per the Buffalo News. "I got a lot of respect for [Patrick] Chung. I know him personally."

While it could be true that Johnson knows Chung personally, it's indisputable that Johnson does not know where Chung is paid to play football. That would be Philadelphia, where Chung signed as a free agent in the offseason. Chung definitely won't be able to stop Johnson on Sunday, but if Johnson is watching film of Chung to prepare for the Patriots, he might be surprised as what he sees when he takes the field.

As for the validity of Johnson's initial claim, he has somewhat of a point. He's caught 29 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns in seven games against the Patriots, averaging four receptions and 55 yards each game. In two games vs. the Patriots last season, he caught eight passes (on 19 targets) for 109 yards and no touchdowns.

He did stop himself against the Patriots once as well, when he lifted his jersey on Jan. 1, 2012, to expose a T-shirt that read "Happy New Year!" after scoring a touchdown. He was benched after the play by then-head coach Chan Gailey.

With new head coach Doug Marrone in his first year at the helm, Johnson's letting it be known that he's going to bring confidence to the field this year. He just might have to do a little more homework.

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