Tag: Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson ‘much more prepared’ to become a head coach this year

Johnson also added that “there’s a fire there” to find out if he’s got what it takes to be a head coach

In the last two offseasons, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been one of the hottest potential head coaching candidates around the NFL. He’s interviewed for positions with multiple teams, but ultimately has returned to Detroit for a variety of reasons.

That might not be the case in 2025.

In his weekly press conference, Johnson indicated that he’s more interested and more prepared to become a head coach after the 2024 season ends.

“Yeah, I’d say I’m much more prepared than I was the last two years,” Johnson acknowledged when asked what he’s learned in the head coach interviewing process.

Johnson thanked the local media for not pressing the issue with him during the team’s 12-2 start. And he’s clearly focused on taking this Detroit team as far as it can go this year. The idea of becoming a head coach elsewhere seems more likely than in the past, based on Johnson’s elaborative comments.

“Now that I’ve been through the wringer a couple times, had some interviews, I certain do feel more prepared, just from a big-picture standpoint,” Johnson said. “But right now, we’ve got three games left in the regular season, going into the postseason, and, honestly, this is why I’m here. This is why I wanted to be here.”

It’s the next quip that will fire up the speculation about Johnson’s future.

“I think there’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of, push the limits, and see if he’s got what it takes,” Johnson continued. “So, yeah, there’s a fire there. When that time is, I don’t know when that would be, but there’s certainly a fire there.”

Media in Chicago, New Orleans and New York have already openly longed for Johnson to become the next head man for the Bears, Saints and Jets, respectively. Johnson’s candid comments will only add fuel to that fire heading into January.

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

When the Buffalo Bills travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 15 they will face the only team in the NFL that scores more points than them.

The Lions (12-1) average 32.1 points per game, leading the NFL. The Bills (10-3) average 30.5 points per game, second in the NFL. They are the only two teams in the league that average over 30 per game.

Though both teams are well-rounded in all phases, their explosive offenses are the reason they are both among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

But, they haven’t always produced these types of numbers. Both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady made drastic differences recently for their franchises.

Johnson took over the reigns as OC in Detroit in 2022 and immediately enhanced the offensive output. The Lions improved from the 25th-most ppg in 2021 (19.1) to the 5th-most in 2022 (26.6). And in return, the team improved from a 3-13-1 record in 2021 to 9-8 in 2022.

In 2021, quarterback Jared Goff posted the 17-highest passer rating in the NFL (91.5) and with Johnson in 2022, he shot up to 7th-best in the NFL (99.3). It was his best passer rating since the 2018 season in which he went to the Super Bowl under the offensive-minded Sean McVay with the Rams.

Goff earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 and posted a career-low interception percentage (1.2%). Fast forward a couple of years and the combination of Goff and Johnson continues to get better. He is currently second in the league in passer rating (109.1).

Brady had had a similar effect on Josh Allen. From 2021 through 2023, Allen averaged a passer rating of 93.7, and so far in 2024, Allen has a rating of 101.9.

In 2024 (Brady’s first full year as OC), the Bills are averaging the second-most points per game in a season in Bills history. Their 30.5 ppg trails only the 2020 team (31.3 ppg).

Since Brady took over as the interim OC in Week 11 of 2023, the Bills are 16-4. But, both Johnson and Brady would tell you that they wouldn’t be as effective as coordinators if they didn’t have the special talent that they do on offense. And it’s not just the talent of the players they have but rather the versatility of their guys that can allow their offenses to win in many different ways.

In the 2024 offseason, Brady coined the phrase “everybody eats” as he was sharing his vision for the Bills offense. In July, he said, “We’re kind of in the process of trying to see what all of our guys can do, their different skill sets. I’m so excited about the group that we have, the tight ends and the receivers, because it’s so many different skill sets. You hope that the versatility allows it to play a little harder for defenses to defend.”

His vision has come true. The Bills have multiple weapons at running back, tight end, and receiver that can all hurt a defense in different ways. As for Johnson and the Lions, they are taking a similar approach due to their plethora of playmakers at the skill positions.

Following a Week 5 win over the Cowboys in which they scored 47 points, Johnson talked about the ways he can get creative as a playcaller and give a defense different looks due to the variety of talent he has to work with. Not only can he spread the ball around, but he can mix in trick plays, too.

“The well is deep,” Johnson said regarding his playbook. “We can run a million different types of plays. With that, I don’t like to run the same one twice.”

Over their last four games, the Lions have four pass-catchers averaging at least 35 receiving yards per game: Amon-Ra St. Brown (84.8 ypg); Jameson Williams (74 ypg); Tim Patrick (43 ypg); Sam LaPorta (36.3 ypg). And, they have two running backs averaging at least 60 rushing yards per game over that time: Jahmyr Gibbs (72.3 ypg); David Montgomery (62.8 ypg). Add in the fact that both Gibbs and Montgomery can hurt you in the passing game, and that St. Brown and Williams can take a jet sweep, and you can see why defenses have been in a bind all year against them.

As for the Bills, they have a strong possibility to get WR Keon Coleman and TE Dalton Kincaid back into the lineup after they have both missed time. They would join an offense that just scored 42 points last week without them, scoring six touchdowns and committing zero turnovers.

The Bills are looking to get the sour taste of last week’s loss to the Rams (44-42) out of their mouth. With Week 15 being another game in cozy dome between two high-powered offenses, this one may be a second-straight shootout for Bills.

Both teams still have a lot to play for, with the Bills chasing the one-seed in the AFC and the Lions trying to fend off an 11-2 Vikings team in the NFC North.

Ben Johnson notable among potential candidates for Bears head coach position

It’s not surprising that Johnson is considered an early front-runner for the Bears HC vacancy

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson surprised people when he decided to stay in Detroit for the 2024 season after being a solid head coach candidate. He’ll be a hot candidate in 2025. Could a potential landing spot be with an NFC North rival?

Sources told Chicago media’s Dan McNeil that there are four coaches currently on the wish list for the Chicago Bears to fill their head coach vacancy after they fired Matt Eberflus on Black Friday. Those coaches include Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel…and one Ben Johnson. McNeil notes the Bears want to talk to more candidates, but these four are among their top targets.

The Bears cannot interview current coaches until after the regular season and depending on those teams’ success in the playoffs. Vrabel can interview whenever he wants since he is not coaching this season. Theoretically, the Bears could hire Vrabel today if they wanted to.

A case could certainly be made for Johnson in Chicago. The Bears may want to strongly consider an offensive-minded head coach to develop Caleb Williams after the rookie’s struggles this season, though the environment and coaching staff didn’t help. Shane Waldron flamed out in Chicago and Thomas Brown didn’t fare well in his first game as interim head coach. Williams threw for just 134 yards and the Bears only scored 13 points in their 38-13 loss Sunday to the 49ers. One could argue Johnson could have the magic to get Williams back into form and make Chicago a formidable offense.

Time will tell if a team plucks Johnson away this offseason, but the interest will undoubtedly be there.

Saints coach search: Do they meet Ben Johnson’s requirements?

It’s been reported that Lions OC Ben Johnson has two requirements for any head coaching vacancy he’ll consider. Do the Saints qualify?

Ben Johnson is projected to be the leading candidate in the head coaching cycle this year. He’s been a name thrown around for a couple of years, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has reported Johnson’s approach to head coaching vacancies this year.

If Johnson is interviewing, he fully plans on taking the job. This means any team sits down with Johnson has a good chance to land him. In the past, coaches have interviewed just to gather information on the job.

Johnson also a pair of criteria for any vacancy. Do the New Orleans Saints meet those requirements?

Breer reports Johnson is looking for “Organizational alignment — in particular between the GM and the head coach. And then he’ll be looking for recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong, and a willingness to fix them.”

Organizational alignment won’t be determined until he gets in the room, and it’s difficult from the outside looking in. As for the second criteria, will New Orleans recognize what went wrong.

There are a couple of ways to look at this. Mickey Loomis has made comments to make you wonder if he actually sees the downfall of the Dennis Allen era or if firing Allen was just something that had to happen.

On the other hand, the Saints fired their head coach in the middle of the year and let go of Pete Carmichael. The last year has been filled with making the necessary moves. This could be a sign to Johnson of the Saints’ ability to recognize and course correct.

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Ben Johnson’s reported head coach requirements not-so-subtly called out the Bears

Lions OC Ben Johnson won’t just join any NFL franchise as its next head coach.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is obviously going to be one of the hottest head coaching candidates this upcoming cycle.

However, it sounds like he’s not going to approach the process without explicit intent for where his future might be and what he wants out of a potential franchise.

Ahead of Detroit’s Thursday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer detailed how Johnson intends to approach this upcoming process.

One of the reported requirements for Johnson makes you think about an NFL team in Chicago with a Bear mascot, a rising star at quarterback, a head coaching vacancy and a recent history of poor decisions.

“He’ll be looking for a recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong and a willingness to fix them,” Breer said in his update of Johnson’s hopes in finding his next team.

The chance to work with quarterback Caleb Williams and inherit a roster with young talent on both sides of the ball makes sense for an offensive-minded coach like Johnson.

However, it makes sense, whether it’s the Bears or another team, Johnson would want them to promise not to make the same mistakes that landed them in a head coaching search.

We’ll see what happens, but these are curiously specific requirements from Johnson about where he might land next.

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Adam Schefter threw cold water on idea of Ben Johnson becoming Bears head coach in 2025

Would Ben Johnson really coach the Bears? Adam Schefter is doubtful.

As a firestorm of controversy engulfs incumbent Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, some folks have already connected the dots about red-hot Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson potentially coaching the Bears in 2025.

But during a conversation on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning, Adam Schefter was (rightfully) unsure that Johnson would leave a perfect situation in Detroit only to expose himself to the Bears’ rampant dysfunction. Honestly, given how the Bears have continually got in their own way over the years, Schefter makes a great point.

Even coaching the talented Caleb Williams can’t be that attractive for a coordinator who could have a head-coaching job absolutely anywhere he wants:

While it’s worth noting that Schefter isn’t exactly reporting anything here — which doesn’t rule out the possibility of Johnson coming to Chicago — everything he says does ring true.

Should Johnson choose to leave Detroit this winter, he will be one of the hottest NFL head-coaching candidates in a long time. And with a candidate like that, everyone with an opening will want to bring Johnson to their organization. But that doesn’t mean he’ll seriously entertain everyone. Johnson is so exceptional that he can afford to be patient selective.

If he takes an interview, it’s probably with the intent of eventually taking that job. And in that regard, why would Johnson potentially sink himself by coming to the Bears? It doesn’t make much sense.

Buckle up, Bears fans. Something tells me this little saga is just getting started.

Matt Eberflus finally took responsibility for Bears’ Hail Mary loss after 3 press conferences and 1 job rumor

The Bears’ Matt Eberflus is in cowardly self-preservation mode.

After the Chicago Bears suffered a humiliating Hail Mary defeat to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, head coach Matt Eberflus did NOT take the high road.

Even when it was clear that his young, ascending team gutted out a win with grit and sandpaper only for Eberflus’ questionable late-game coaching decisions to throw it all away, the third-year coach instead blamed Bears players for their “execution.” A day later, Eberflus doubled down like a true football doofus while effectively watching several Bears leaders like tight end Cole Kmet criticize a complacent culture or, in Jaylon Johnson’s case, refuse to blame anyone.

On Wednesday, as the Bears began their preparations for the Arizona Cardinals, Eberflus finally did it. He finally admitted that he royally screwed up and threw away a win his team fought so hard for.

Hmm, the timing is a little curious, don’t you think?

In case you really think that Eberflus has turned a corner after acknowledging he let his players down for the fourth time over the last two seasons where they had a 90-plus percent win expectancy in the final moments, I’m here to pour a bucket of cold water on any such suggestion.

First and foremost, if Eberflus had been sincere about having his players’ backs, he would’ve taken responsibility for his glaring absence of leadership right away after the Commanders loss. There would’ve been no hesitation. He would’ve fallen on his sword, and while there’d still be criticism, he’d at least have the respect of taking accountability like a highly paid professional adult.

Instead, Eberflus undoubtedly saw Kmet, Johnson, scapegoat Tyrique Stevenson, and D.J. Moore all question late-game decisions by the Bears coaching staff in public and decided he needed to do cowardly damage control. For that reason, he does not get credit for admitting the obvious days later as the Bears become a national punchline again.

The other key point here is that Eberflus’ late-game blunders were so glaring that they turned the heat up on his coaching seat. Eberflus is just 3-17 on the road during his Bears coaching career. He has never won a road game on a Sunday. Chicago, with a talented roster led by Caleb Williams, is in win-now mode. And anything short of a Bears playoff berth and a decent showing in the said postseason will almost certainly mean that Eberflus loses his job this winter.

How do I know this?

MMQB’s Albert Breer was on Chicago’s ESPN radio affiliate the morning after the Bears’ devastating loss, floating the possibility of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson perhaps coaching the Bears soon. Should Johnson choose to leave Detroit, he will easily be the most sought-after head coaching candidate in this upcoming hiring cycle.

While this is just speculation, it’s no coincidence that someone fed this information to Breer (Bears general manager Ryan Poles, perhaps?) right after Eberflus pushed all the wrong buttons in front of the entire football-watching country:

So, you tell me.

Did Eberflus’ heart grow three sizes on Wednesday? Or did he realize he’s gotta do some brazen, bare minimum troubleshooting to keep his Bears’ ship from completely sinking before they inevitably go 8-9 and he loses his job?

For my money, this Eberflus mea culpa is too little, too late. And he likely knows it, too.

Jameson Williams drops appeal, will serve two-game suspension

Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has dropped his appeal of his two-game suspension from the NFL and will begin serving it immediately.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has dropped his appeal of his two-game suspension from the NFL and will begin serving it immediately. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media was the first to report this news regarding Williams.

The former Crimson Tide wide receiver had been facing this suspension for several weeks, but now he seems to be turning the page on the situation. This will mark the second time that the NFL has suspended Williams. He was suspended for four games in 2023 for breaking the league’s policy on betting.

He will miss games against the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers before returning on November 10 against the Houston Texans.

Williams was in the middle of a breakout season for the Lions and was emerging as a primary target for quarterback Jared Goff. He had finally found trust with the coaching staff, especially offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, which allowed the Lions’ offense to become more explosive.

The Lions will now lean on receivers Kalif Raymond and Tim Patrick to fill his role within the offense. They do not have the same skillset, but both have flashed at times this week, with Raymond scoring a critical touchdown in Week 7 against the Vikings.

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Ben Johnson says Lions still have more tricks up their sleeve after Dallas game

Ben Johnson says Lions still have more tricks up their sleeve after Dallas game

The Lions dominated the Dallas Cowboys Sunday by a score of 47-9. That game included a touchdown that came from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s bag of tricks.

The play started with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown in motion. Quarterback Jared Goff took the snap, then handed off to RB David Montgomery. Monty then handed off to St. Brown who tossed it back to Goff. Goff then launched deep and found TE Sam LaPorta for a 52-yard score that helped give the Lions a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.

You might think the bag is empty for the Lions and Johnson, but as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

“Oh yeah,” Johnson said when asked if there are trick plays from games they did not use. “Each and every week we stock up, and so that’s been constant. It just so happened last week that we wanted to unload them.”

That was just one of a handful of trick plays the Lions tried against the Cowboys. They also tried throwing a pass to OT Taylor Decker, ran a hook a ladder to OT Penei Sewell and had OT Dan Skipper run routes as a wide receiver.

Johnson had this to say about preparing all those trick plays: “It was one of the things that we talked about last week, what is our identity, and one of those three was being detailed, and that’s something springtime, training camp, up until now that we are very demanding out of our players. Really every position group and so when we are like that, you get into a game week, and we have more volume, or we have nuances that maybe we don’t get a ton of reps on. They have to decipher it and handle it, and they do a great job of it. That combined with some of them are for premier looks and if we don’t get that look, we get out of it. I mean, go back a couple weeks ago when we called the pass to Jared (Goff), I want to say Houston ran the same play but it wasn’t quite a premier look in my opinion, and so – I think (Texans WR) Stefon Diggs had to run for the touchdown when they did it. So, we do have some elements of that where we have to get the right look. We’re not just calling plays to call plays because we think they look cool. It’s really by design and intent and then our guys carry it the rest of the way.”

The Lions tried using Decker as an eligible receiver during last year’s meeting in Dallas, but according to the officials, Decker never reported as eligible, wiping out the two-point conversion attempt. Detroit got their revenge and then some. And while those plays are now on film, Johnson is not worried.

“This game’s been around for a long time and our challenge as a coaching staff,” Johnson said. “And I say it to the offensive staff quite a bit, is we can run a million different types of plays and because of that, I don’t like to run the same one twice. I don’t like to do it within a game, I don’t like to do it within a season. We certainly do have some staples that I will repeat at times, but we’re charged with let’s have a little creativity. Defenses, they’re doing their film study, they’re looking at things, they’re finding, ‘Hey out of this formation, they’re doing this, that and the other.’ And we try to mix it up. So, from that regard, I’m not worried about putting things on tape. If anything else, it’s just going to help set up the next thing down the road, and yeah, the well is deep in terms of the thoughts.”

The Lions could very well break out another fun play this week in what is now a huge divisional game against the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North.

Lions lead the NFL in explosive plays on offense after Week 6

No team gets a higher percentage of big plays on offense than the Lions do under Ben Johnson

Through the first six weeks of the NFL season, the Detroit Lions lead the NFL in scoring offense. Ben Johnson’s unit averages 30.2 PPG, a figure bolstered by two straight games of topping 40 points.

Johnson’s offense is so potent because they’re very good at creating explosive plays. Whether it’s on the ground or in the air, the Lions are capable of ripping off chunks of yardage better than any other team.

Explosive plays are defined as runs that gain 10 or more yards and pass plays that net 20 or more yards. The league average is 8.6 percent, and the Lions are well above-average.

Ben Johnson’s offense produces those explosive plays at a rate of 13.1 percent, just ahead of the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts for the best percentage in the league after Week 6. It’s based on percentage of offensive plays, so the Lions already having a bye week doesn’t factor into the ranking.

From Jared Goff hooking up with Jameson Williams or Sam LaPorta, to big runs from David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions are proving they have the most dangerous, explosive offense in the NFL.