Ben Johnson has found success as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Head coach job next?

The story of Ben Johnson’s spectacular rise begins in North Carolina. He spent his childhood there, pretending to be his neighborhood Joe Montana. Having served as a quarterback during his playing career, Johnson joined his football team at the University of North Carolina. Mathematics and Computers With his engineering degree, he might be doing something to pass the time. After all, he is a smart man.

his two loves? Problem solving and soccer. Coaching became the logical next step. Over time, Johnson rose through the ranks.He spent two years as a graduate assistant at the College of Boston before being promoted to coach of the tight end. The NFL called him up at age 25. He joined the Miami Dolphins as his assistant offensively in 2012. He was promoted to assistant quarterback coach a year later. During the 2015 season, shortly after head coach Joe Philbin was fired, an interim head coach named Dan Campbell (then Miami’s Tights end coach) promoted his 29-year-old Johnson to his previous position. I was given the task of leading a group of

The trust between Campbell and Johnson that was built in Miami paved the way to where he is today. When Campbell took over the Lions in 2021, he quickly retained Johnson as tight end coach. When former Lions offensive his coordinator Anthony Lynn was demoted midway through his 2021 season, Campbell trusted Johnson — who was 35 at the time — to help his offensive run, Ultimately named him his new OC for the team last offseason.

If Johnson, still 36, seems to have fallen out of nowhere to lead the Lions to one of the most successful offensive seasons in franchise history, it’s because he did. Few could have predicted the level of offensive success they achieved in 2018. All of Johnson’s roles are one of the top offensive coordinators in the league and a head coach candidate this offseason.

Of Johnson looking like a head coach this offseason, Campbell said, “I certainly wouldn’t be shocked.” I think it’s very bright, he’s creative, he’s organized, he’s a great communicator, I mean, he’s got it, and I’ll do whatever I can to help him. Bottom line: I don’t want to lose him, of course, but I also don’t want to keep him.”

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The Texans, Colts and Panthers have all requested to interview Johnson, according to multiple reports this week. Interest in Johnson remains genuine.It’s very interesting how we got here. Partly because one of the biggest stories for the Lions going into the season was what to do with Johnson and the offense.

Lynn didn’t fit in Detroit. The offense struggled under his watch. He and quarterback Jared Goff were at odds. He saw his play-calling duties removed at midseason and his role in offense diminished. Campbell then called a play and Johnson assisted with an offensive game plan. Production improved, but more was needed. The Lions ranked 26th in scoring and 22nd in all-out offense. Campbell couldn’t afford to go wrong with another of his OC decisions.

So he turned to Johnson—a coach he’s trusted for a while.

“When I met him as a very young coach, I knew early on that there was something about him,” Campbell said in August. Picks things up quickly.He’s a former quarterback.He’s been coached on multiple levels.So what I’m saying is I’m really happy with the relationship and he’s what I’m looking for. We are in constant communication and he’s been around me long enough that I don’t have to ask him all the time what I’m looking for. would, but he has a really good feel for what I’m looking for.

It was practically a trial run for Johnson, but it helped him win the full-time OC title last offseason. Players raved about him before the season. Goff’s eyes seemed to light up whenever he was asked about him. I could see the pieces of this attack coming together. A more comfortable Goff playing with an attack designed to his strengths. A better arsenal, including the growth of second-year wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the addition of veteran DJ Chark. An offensive line with three first-round picks. Johnson liked having a foundation of talent in place.

“The players and coaches were phenomenal,” Johnson said. athletic pre season. “All the staff, I couldn’t have done it without them and they have been supportive all along. I have a few people who have been to the Super Bowl as they know what it should look like, which makes my job a lot easier. I think.”

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There was enough for the Lions offense to make a leap. In the final product, however, Johnson could take one.

The Lions finished the season fourth in scoring and fifth in total offense. Detroit scored 453 points this season, the second-most in franchise history. Recorded 30 points or more, which is a team record, eight times. Goff’s 4-for-14 touchdown interception rate is the highest in his season by a Lions QB. His 99.3 passers rank him second, his 29 passes his touchdowns tie him for fourth, and his 4,438 passing yards rank him fifth in a single season. Running back Jamal Williams surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career and led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns, breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season team rushing touchdown record.St. , becoming the youngest receiver in team history to record his 100 catches and his 1,000 yards in a season. Johnson’s former position in his room, the Lions’ tight end, has scored his 12th touchdown in 2022. This is a franchise record. 9 out of 12 came rear TJ Hockenson was traded. Detroit’s offensive his line allowed him the second-lowest number of sacks in the league, and the offense as a whole recorded the fewest turnovers of any team during the regular season.

Jared Goff (left) had a successful first season on Ben Johnson’s offense. (Charles LeClair/USA Today)

Goff joked about Johnson last month. “He’s great. He’s unique in his own way. The best thing about him is how he communicates and listens and how he takes our opinions and always communicates and keeps us all on the same page.” I think it’s a way to keep.

Campbell is open about wanting his assistant to get a chance in this league. As such, it’s no surprise to see Campbell discuss Johnson the way he does. At the same time, Campbell was more a part of the Lions’ offensive success than anyone else.

Over the past two years, Campbell has shown a good sense of pushing the right buttons with his staff when it’s time to assess things. Realizing that things weren’t going well with Lynn, he made the difficult but necessary move of turning to Johnson. Campbell hesitated to reveal who the Lions’ main playcaller will be heading into the season.

However, as the years progressed, it sometimes felt like Campbell deflected the praise and went out of his way to leave it to Johnson. In reality, many of the wrinkles we saw on Sunday depended on certain looks that he both thought could be utilized in various conversations leading up to the game. Together they got the attack they wanted.

When asked about the process of putting together a game plan last month, Johnson said, “There were a lot of tweaks throughout the week.” I’ve been to a few places and I think Campbell is the same, you don’t even get the chance to practice on a Saturday night walkthrough or even a Sunday morning. Five new plays pop up out of the blue that weren’t there, but they’re really nice, so if you feel like pushing the trend in a certain direction as the week goes on, don’t be afraid to do it.

“Early in the week, sometimes you don’t know who is available, who is available, or how you want to attack outright, but like I said, coaches always have a great vision at the end of the week. And he knows how to attack opponents when it comes to offensive, defensive and special teams.”

Still, Johnson helped make the Detroit offense what it is today. Detroit tripled his 2021 win count from three to nine. This is backed by the best offense in football. Now other teams can consider hiring him to do the same. But is he ready for such a leap?

Johnson has coached in the NFL for over ten years, but has only one year as an offensive coordinator/play caller. NFL teams aren’t afraid to hire young, bright, offensive minds, and Johnson certainly fits the bill. But the head of the NFL he’s a coach isn’t just about making plays. A head coach should know how to build a roster and organize a team. He makes difficult decisions at crucial moments. Locker let him win the respect of the room and the players in it. Some of them may even be older than Johnson. can he do that?

A year ago, the question for Johnson was whether he was ready for a promotion.

It is still true. There are many reasons.

(Top photo: Han Junfu/USA Today)