Now, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Commanders have requested interviews with the Detroit Lions’ two coordinators: OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn.
The #Commanders aren't wasting time: They've requested interviews with #Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn for their head coaching job, per sources.
Johnson, 37, has been Detroit’s offensive coordinator since 2022 and helped turn the career of quarterback Jared Goff around. He is a former quarterback at the University of North Carolina. Johnson is one of the more coveted coaching candidates in this cycle and turned down jobs last offseason to return to the Lions.
Glenn, 51, was a first-round pick of the New York Jets back in 1994. He played 15 seasons in the NFL for five teams. He began his coaching career in 2014 and became Detroit’s defensive coordinator in 2021.
The Washington Commanders have requested head coaching interviews with Lions coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson
The Washington Commanders fired Ron Rivera this morning and it has taken them just a few hours to make their first interview requests. Both coordinators for the Lions, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, have been requested by the Commanders to interview with their group assigned to finding the new head coach.
Both men were expected to see their names in the mix for head coaching vacancies after the team won the NFC North and finished 12-5. Johnson has been a hot coaching name in circles all year as he morphed the Lions’ defense into something not many expected. For Glenn, the Lions’ break defense also garnered attention specifically with his development and usage of defensive linemen and edge rushers.
Washington is expected to be seen as the best coaching vacancy for potential new hires. The team is projected to have over $70 million in salary cap space, they also have the second overall pick in the NFL draft, and the new leadership group has brought renewed energy to the franchise.
If Johnson and Glenn do interview for the job they will do so with their group created by owner Josh Harris will include Magic Johnson, David Blitzer, Mitch Rales, Bob Myers, and former NFL general manager Rick Spielman.
Lions looking to ease C.J. Gardner-Johnson back onto the field and he’s not thrilled about it
Over the last two weeks, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been back at practice for the Detroit Lions. He worked his way back from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in Week 2 this season. Since then, the Lions have been searching for production from their safety position.
There was some positive play from Tracy Walker earlier in the season but defensively, he was benched in Week 14. Since then, he hasn’t played any defensive snaps. The most consistent safety the Lions have had has been Kerby Joseph and at times, the team will rotate Brian Branch back to play as a split-safety or even have Cover 3 responsibilities.
However, it seems like the player that has stepped up the most as of late has been Ifeatu Melifonwu. Since week 14, he’s seen a significant increase with his role on defense and has become a starter for this unit. During this time, Melifonwu has compiled 21 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Lions work Gardner-Johnson back into the fold with the consistency from Joseph and the spark that Melifonwu has provided. Especially when talking to reporters on Friday, Gardner-Johnson had this to say about a rotation, “Getting into a rotation, I’m cool with it, but how can I say this? I don’t want to sound like I’m selfish or an a******, but I ain’t get back early to be in a rotation. But I’m doing what I need to do as a team player to get my body going.”
Unfortunately, that might be the case for Gardner-Johnson this weekend against the Vikings. From the sounds of it, Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn will ease him back onto the field. When talking with the media, Campbell alluded to that, “It doesn’t mean that he has to like it, but he’s going to go out there and when he’s on the field, he’s going to give what he’s got.”
No question, all ideas will be on the Lions first defensive series to see if Gardner-Johnson is out there with the starters. If I had to guess, the Lions will look more into their dime packages with Melifonwu, Branch, Joseph and Gardner-Johnson all on the field at the same time. Branch and Gardner-Johnson would play more so over the slot and they wouldn’t have to worry about deep coverage unless they were in man coverage.
Either way, the Lions getting Gardner-Johnson back before the playoffs is huge. Despite only playing two games this year, he does have 13 tackles and two pass deflections. He’ll look to add to that and finish the season strong as he returns to Ford Field on Sunday as the Lions close out the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings.
One last shot. Can the offense help keep the Minnesota Vikings’ slim playoff hopes alive?
One last chance. The Minnesota Vikings have one last chance to cash in on their slim playoff hopes as they face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at noon CST.
The Detroit defense has been a solid unit, but not a dominant one. They are a good complement to their gound-and-pound offense with their physicality and focus on stopping the run.
Minnesota’s offense has been a whirlwind of change, starting three different quarterbacks in the last four games, including now-starter Nick Mullens, who was benched in favor of rookie Jaren Hall after the last meeting against the Lions. Now, with the season on the line, Mullens is back in charge and hoping to lead the Vikings to that final wild-card spot.
To do that, he will need to follow these four keys to success.
Injured CB Emmanuel Moseley still helping Lions despite not being able to play
On the field, the Emmanuel Moseley signing flopped badly for the Detroit Lions. Injuries limited the veteran cornerback to just two snaps in a Lions uniform in between torn ACLs.
Yet Moseley is still trying to be an asset for the Lions. Even though he barely practiced with Detroit after signing as a free agent and only inked a one-year deal, Moseley remains active with the team. He’s in meetings, helping the younger players and doing what he can to stay engaged even though his playing for the Lions is over due to his injury.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn certainly has taken notice of Moseley’s presence and leadership. Glenn talked about how much impact Moseley still has on the team during the coordinator’s press conference in Week 18.
“Man, let me tell you something, that player – that person, take the player out, that person is a really caring person. He cares about his teammates,” Glenn said enthusiastically. “He wants to see his guys do well. Man, you sit there and you watch him in the meetings and how he talks and how he interacts with everybody that, man you want that guy to be around because he’s a vet and he’s been around.”
Moseley’s experience playing on good teams with playoff experience in San Francisco is proving to be an asset for the young Lions.
“He’s been around winning,” Glenn continued. “He’s been around winning, and that’s huge for us, as an organization, to have guys like that around in the building even when they have these injuries. So, man, I’m so appreciative of that player always wanting to be around, and then imparting his wisdom into some of the young guys that we have.”
It’s easy to see why the Lions were attracted to Moseley as a free agent even though he had a torn ACL from 2022.
An NFL Players Association of anonymous players ranked New Orleans Saints assistant Darren Rizzi as a top-5 special teams coordinator:
An anonymous poll from the NFL Players Association surveyed more than 1,700 players, asking them to rate their offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators on a scale from 1 to 10 — and the NFLPA has already released the top-five at each spot, with the full rankings to come in the offseason.
Just one New Orleans Saints coordinator made the cut for the top-five: Darren Rizzi, their special teams coordinator. A longtime assistant with the Miami Dolphins before he came to New Orleans, Rizzi is respected for his ability to connect to his players and put them in position to win. Rizzi interviewed for the Saints head coach job when it became available in the wake of Sean Payton’s departure from the team, and he added the title of assistant head coach in 2022 under Dennis Allen.
So what were the exact items on this questionnaire? NFLPA president JC Tretter told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that these were qualitative ratings with “all encompassing” criteria. Pelissero quoted Tretter as saying “Guys in the Top 5 list pretty clearly appeal to almost everybody in their locker room.”
Another former Saints assistant was also recognized by his players as a great coach: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who came up on the New Orleans staff working with the secondary under Allen and Payton. He’s repeatedly received interviews for head coach openings around the league and he might be in line to run his own team in the near future.
Lions DC Aaron Glenn voted top coordinator in an NFLPA survey of over 750 players
Aaron Glenn isn’t always popular with Lions fans for his inconsistent defenses in his three years running Detroit’s defense. However, Glenn was the top-rated defensive coordinator to be a head coaching candidate this offseason in a survey of over 750 active NFL defensive players.
The survey, conducted and published by the NFLPA, included Glenn as the top defensive coordinator as a head coaching candidate. Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp came in fourth in his coaching group.
NFLPA president JC Tretter, via ESPN, offered up an interesting comment about Glenn’s resounding support as a head coach candidate by the players,
Tretter said Glenn, who has not yet had the chance to be a head coach but tops the defensive list ahead of four guys who have, was the No. 1 overall rated coordinator in the survey across all three categories.
The survey was conducted between August and November and was open to all active NFL players. Notably, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was not one of the top five OCs in the player survey.
Takeaways from the Lions Week 17 loss to the Cowboys, focusing on the game and not the 2-pt. conversion
The Detroit Lions lost a controversial, competitive Week 17 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. The Lions fell 20-19 in one of the most bizarre end-of-game scenes in NFL history.
Detroit had an interesting game throughout the night. The focus here is on the football game that took place before and around the unbelievable (using that word in its literal definition) officiating mess.
There are quite a few connections between the Lions and Cowboys at multiple levels
In a pivotal game for the NFC playoff picture, the Detroit Lions are set to face the Dallas Cowboys in the primetime of Saturday Night Football.
It’s hard to go into this game as a Lions fan without remembering the picked-up pass interference flag during the Wild Card game in 2014, or the four straight losses to Dallas that have happened since.
With that being said, there are a few connections on both the rosters and coaching staffs for these two teams that will make this game much more special.
A former Lion
Detroit Lions safety Jayron Kearse warms up before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Nashville, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
There is one former Detroit Lion who is now playing for the Cowboys: defensive back Jayron Kearse.
Kearse signed with the Lions in the spring of 2020, but his tenure in Detroit was not one worth remembering. Kearse was immediately suspended by the league and had to miss the first three games of the regular season. Upon his return, he immediately was put into action on defense.
Kearse appeared in 11 games for Detroit, starting seven of them at strong safety. In that span, he recorded 59 tackles and a forced fumble.
Kearse was benched near the end of the season for violating team rules, and waived one week later. He was subsequently picked up by the Ravens, and signed with Dallas the following season.
He has started at safety for the Cowboys since joining them and is currently having the best stretch of his eight-year career.
The former Cowboys
Dec 22, 2019; Denver, Colorado, USA; Detroit Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper (70) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive lineman Dan Skipper has been an unsung hero for the Lions over the past two seasons, but many don’t know that his career started with the Dallas Cowboys.
Skipper signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and competed for a reserve lineman role during their training camp. He was waived after the preseason and signed back to their practice squad.
A few weeks later, he was let go once again by the Cowboys and signed to Detroit’s practice squad. Over the years, he would bounce around the league but always managed to find his way back to the Lions. Skipper, in his seventh NFL season, is on his fourth stint with the Detroit Lions.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 12: Jake McQuaide #43 of the Detroit Lions gives the game ball to Riley Patterson #36 of the Detroit Lions after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 12, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Long snapper Jake McQuaide had a bit of a more prominent career with Dallas. He served as the Cowboys’ long snapper for most of the 2021 and 2022 seasons but missed some time due to injuries.
McQuaide joined the Lions in 2023 but was waived before the season began. He later re-joined the team after another Cowboy-turned-Lion long snapper got injured.
Dec 11, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly (47) walks on the field before the start of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
That’s right, Detroit has two former Dallas long snappers on the roster. Scott Daly was the incumbent that McQuaide was brought in to compete with. After a season-ending injury, Daly was placed on injured reserve and McQuaide rejoined the team to replace him.
Daly signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and joined the Cowboys in 2018. He only stayed in Dallas for the preseason of the 2018 season and went to the AAF and XFL before finding a home in Detroit.
Offensive lineman Matt Farniok, who is on Detroit’s practice squad, played for the Cowboys from 2021 to 2022. He started two games for Dallas last season.
Brotherly love
Detroit Lions cornerback Steven Gilmore (24) warms up before the game between Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
There is one set of brothers who are poised to face off against each other for the first time in their football careers. While they share the same parents, their careers couldn’t be more different.
Stephon Gilmore of the Cowboys was a first-round draft pick in 2012. He has a Super Bowl ring, was named Defensive Player of the Year, is a two-time All-Pro, and has been voted into five Pro Bowls.
His younger brother Steven, nine years his junior, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The younger Gilmore brother had to fight tooth and nail in order to make Detroit’s roster to begin the season. As an undrafted rookie in his first preseason, he shined with six pass breakups, two interceptions, and a touchdown.
Steven Gilmore has only appeared in three games as a Lion and will likely not be active for this game against his older brother.
Coaching connections
Oct 23, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell reacts during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit’s coaching staff has two former Dallas Cowboys players in head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Before Campbell took charge of the Lions, and even before he played for them, he was a starting tight end for the Dallas Cowboys. Campbell played there for three seasons, primarily as a blocking compliment to Jason Witten.
Glenn played two full seasons for Dallas from 2005 to 2006, recording 54 tackles and five interceptions over that span.
Cowboys’ wide receivers coach Robert Prince held the same position in Detroit for a long time. He joined the program in 2014 and worked with players such as Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Anquan Bolden, and Danny Amendola. Most notably, Prince had to step in as head coach for one game in 2020 when interim coach Darrell Bevell and several other coaches came down with Covid-19.
Recapping a great win over Denver, excellent work from the coordinators, setting up the playoff push and more
This week’s episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is a different type of show. Normally, my cohost Chris and I record and stream live on YouTube, but logistical issues prevented that this week. Instead, I did a solo show that was pre-recorded on Monday afternoon.
The early focus is on what happened for the Lions to flip the switch from the disappointing couple of weeks into the incredible performance in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos. Both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, had much-needed redemptive games and that’s a good sign going forward.
Forward means the playoffs, where the Lions haven’t technically qualified just yet. It’s a mere formality, and the schedule sets up very well for the Lions to control their own fate into the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Some of the playoff scenarios are covered, too.
Then there is the Week 16 matchup against the Vikings, the first of two meetings in three weeks with Minnesota. How do the Lions match up with their NFC North challengers?
I also broke down a question from a viewer about the assistant coaching staff and the emphasis on player development. There is a public apology to Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who had the game of his life in the win over Denver.
The audio-only version of the show is available from your favorite podcast provider.
