Along with being two of the best players in the league, the Houston receiver and the Oakland cornerback are also among the most quiet.
The pair might keep lips zipped on the field, but the mild-mannered Johnson couldn't help but tease his friend about the three-year, $45.3 million contract he signed in the offseason.
"I asked him for a loan when he signed his new contract," Johnson said. "I called him and asked him if he could loan me a million dollars."
Both enjoy the challenge of facing each other. Asomugha and the Raiders came away with a 27-16 win in last year's meeting when Johnson finished with a season-low 19 yards receiving. Asomugha had something to do with that, but Texans coach Gary Kubiak says rainy weather played into Johnson's performance.
"We didn't throw the ball well against Oakland," Kubiak said. "I wouldn't say Andre struggled against Oakland last year. We got down there and we got down in the second half. We didn't protect very well, didn't throw the ball very well out there in the rain."
They're both looking forward to meeting again in the perfect conditions under Houston's retractable-roof Reliant Stadium.
"He's been one of my greatest challenges that I face," Asomugha said. "You know you're going to have a battle any time you're going to have to play against that type of a receiver."
Both teams look to bounce back this week after losses that gave them 1-2 records. While their records are the same, their problems are different.
Houston hasn't had any trouble scoring points the past two weeks, but its defense ranks last in the league.
"I see us playing hard, we're just not playing clean, and we just need to keep our effort cleaner and hopefully get a few balls bouncing our way," Kubiak said. "But we got to get better and it's everybody. It's not one person."
The Raiders have more trouble on offense and are gaining the second-fewest yards in the league with quarterback JaMarcus Russell struggling. He's thrown one touchdown with four interceptions.
