Peterson looking forward to showdown with Calvin Johnson

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) puts the ball over the goalpost after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

“I think I am the best cornerback in the League right now,’’ Peterson said in a conference call on Wednesday. “I think I’m doing everything that I need to do to keep my name in consideration of the best cornerback.’’

Peterson, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, will get a huge chance to prove himself on Sunday when the Detroit Lions play at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

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No worries.

He can’t wait.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely going to be a fun matchup and a matchup I’ve been waiting for pretty much all year,’’ Peterson said. “You know, I want to see how I match up against one of the top guys in the League. Going against Calvin Johnson, he’s a complete receiver, you know, he has the size, he’s physical and he has speed. So, it’s going to be a fun matchup that I can’t wait for.’’

Peterson said he’s had the game marked on his calendar all season and calls it the biggest matchup of his young career.

Peterson (6-feet, 220 pounds) certainly respects Johnson (6-foot-5, 236) who needs to average 100.7 yards over each of the next three games to reach the NFL single season receiving yards record set by Jerry Rice in 1995.

And yet Peterson has boatloads of confidence in himself. He said that he and Johnson are the same caliber of players.

“You know, just he’s a receiver and I’m a DB. He likes that physicality, he likes the physical aspect of the game and, you know, that’s something I like to do as well,’’ Peterson said. “I’m going to challenge him at the line. I’m sure that that’s something that Calvin likes to do and likes for cornerbacks to do with challenging him at the line because he’s so big and strong.’’

He’s counting on success which he thinks will elevate his notoriety in the NFL.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz was asked two separate questions Wednesday on what makes Johnson and Peterson so special.

His reply for both started with the word “Everything.”

“(Peterson’s) got great size, he’s got great speed, he’s got great ball skills; good punt returner,’’ Schwartz said. “There was no surprise to anybody. He was drafted high. He played that way in college at a really high level of competition so he’s certainly one of the best young corners in the NFL.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt obviously wouldn’t detail his game plan to stop Johnson. Peterson would love the one-on-one matchup — at least that’s what he says now. Usually Johnson is double- or triple-teamed.

“Honestly, I would like to go one-on-one as much as I can, you know? But I believe we have a pretty good game plan and I think we’ll be ready for whatever those guys throw at us on Sunday,’’ Peterson said.

The 22-year-old cornerback played against Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as a freshman when his LSU team got slammed by Stafford’s Georgia Bulldogs 52-38 and Stafford threw for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Matthew Stafford, he’s definitely one of the better quarterbacks in this League, having a strong arm, having all those different throwing motions. I think that’s what makes Matthew Stafford so unique and different from a lot of quarterbacks,’’ Peterson said.

Some Lions fans would disagree and critique Stafford’s mechanics. Not Peterson. He thinks it makes Stafford more dangerous.

“I believe he just started this baseball throwing in the League. I had an opportunity to play against him in college, like I said, when he played for Georgia. But I’ve never seen a quarterback that had this many throwing motions as Stafford has,’’ Peterson said. “But it can be a good thing. He can throw the ball submarine style and probably still get it there. He’s just an incredible athlete and a better quarterback.”

Peterson and the Cardinals have lost nine straight and are coming off a 58-0 shellacking by the Seattle Seahawks.

That has not put a dent in Peterson’s confidence or weakened his swagger.

He seems so certain that he’ll have success against Calvin Johnson that he’d like a souvenir after the game.

“I’m definitely hoping if he wants to trade off, we can trade off jerseys because I’m definitely looking for this to be probably the best matchup as far as a receiver versus a DB in the NFL this year,’’ Peterson said. “I think it’s going to be a fun matchup. I definitely would love to have his jersey up in my trophy room at my house.”

Will he still feel that way after matching up with Johnson all game long?