"Andre Johnson has been described as the model for NFL wide receivers. The Ravens are inclined to agree with that claim.

As the Ravens prepare for Monday night's showdown with the Houston Texans, many of the defensive players are well aware of what awaits them in the form of Johnson.

"He has everything you look for when you're thinking about a prototype wide receiver," cornerback Josh Wilson said. "You want a big, tall, strong, fast guy, and that's him to a 'T.' He makes plays on the ball, and he makes great runs after the catch. He's definitely — if not the top guy — one of the top two receivers in the league."

The 6- foot-3, 223-pound Johnson ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards (1,018) and tied for fourth in catches (71) despite drawing opponents' top — and sometimes top two — defenders.

Johnson's accomplishments are even more surprising considering that he has been forced to play on a high right ankle sprain suffered in a win against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 19.

The pain has forced him to sit out two games and even undergo cortisone shots during contests, but Johnson hasn't complained, according to Texans coach Gary Kubiak.

"He doesn't really practice except for one day a week and has had to take some shots during the course of games to play, but he just keeps giving up for his team," Kubiak said during a conference call with Baltimore media Thursday. "It's been pretty amazing to me, but that's him. Andre is a warrior, doing whatever he can do for his football team to win."

Since Houston made him the third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Johnson has averaged 5.82 receptions per game, which puts him behind only the Ravens' Anquan Boldin, who is averaging 6.0 catches per game over that same time span."