Now that we’re almost to December and the final stretch of the season, the proliferation of lists naming potential head coaching candidates really starts firing up. Those lists are sure to include some current Detroit Lions assistant coaches, even though the team is 4-7 after the Week 12 loss to the Bills.
The new hot name from Detroit is young offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He was the headliner in a recent article from the Washington Post.
As Jason LaCanfora quotes one unnamed league executive in talking about Johnson,
“He’s special,” said another longtime personnel executive, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. “What he’s had to overcome with injuries and from a personnel standpoint, the way they run the football, what he’s done for Goff: Not many coordinators are doing what he’s doing. You look at the film and the way his payers respond to him. That’s how you evaluate a coach. That’s coaching.”
This is Johnson’s first season as a coordinator, and the Lions offense has overachieved relative to personnel and through myriad injuries to key players. Johnson also has an approachable manner with players that earns the 36-year-old respect and attention from around the league. It’s something CBS Sports broadcaster Tony Romo noted during the Thanksgiving broadcast and was also a hot topic on the Sirius XM NFL Radio discussion on Monday.
