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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
aharbaugh

Lions OC Ben Johnson is destined for a head coaching job

Week one of the NFL season is always going to create chaos. Upsets that no one saw based on preseason predictions, the unfortunate injuries that pile up, and of course overreactions to everything that happens in general.

The biggest overreaction though, or proper summation, is that the quarterback play for some teams needs a boost. That boost could come in the form of a quarterback change, free agent signing or trade, or with a new coaching staff.

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Several of the quarterbacks who struggled are ones with large contracts who may outlast the coaching staff. The prime example of this could be seen in the Cleveland Browns, but perhaps seats also get hot for coaches in Tennessee, Tampa Bay, or Chicago.

If they do intend to make a change to boost their quarterback play, Ben Johnson has to be the best name to hire at this point after week one.

After two years and one week of the Jared Goff experiment in Detroit, it is a proven success. While it hasn’t resulted in a Super Bowl, the cocoon that Goff found himself in is gone, and now he is playing to his true ability with Johnson calling plays. This may seem like a bold statement, but one could argue that Johnson is the best play-caller that Goff has ever played for.

What he has done with Goff since the Lions traded for him, while sending Matthew Stafford back in his place, can’t be understated. A nightmare scenario of losing the former number one overall pick for the castaway one turned into a perfect trade for both teams.

Now, with the idea of Ben Johnson becoming a head coach, the true nightmare scenario would be him leaving to help Justin Fields in Detroit. While worrying about that specific idea may seem far-fetched, a future without him and someone else coming in to run the offense needs to be kept in the back of fan’s minds.

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