Bear Digest

Ben Johnson's Future and Other Lions Issues Impacting Bears

A Q and A with Detroit Lions On SI publisher John Maakaron including whether the league's hottest head coaching candidate might be willing to stay in the NFC North.

Gene Chamberlain

Ben Johnson calls out a play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no hotter head coaching candidate in the NFL.
Ben Johnson calls out a play against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no hotter head coaching candidate in the NFL. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Detroit Lions On SI publisher John Maakaron answers the key questions in a Q and A about Thanksgiving Day's Bears opponent, including the biggest one of all:

Does he think Chicago could be a place where Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would be interested in going to coach QB Caleb Williams?

Q: How has the Lions pass rush been affected by losing Aidan Hutchinson and does Za'Darius Smith look like he'll help?

A: Early in the aftermath of Hutchinson’s injury, the Lions’ defensive line was struggling to get to the quarterback. The defensive line specifically went multiple games without a sack before finally finding a groove against Houston in Week 10. Za’Darius Smith entered the fold the following game, and after showing signs against Jacksonville, he played very well against the Colts. 

Alim McNeill is also a major factor for the pass rush, as he has developed into a standout now in his fourth NFL season. He provides the interior pressure, while Smith can get home off the edge. There’s still plenty of depth up front, and the Lions seem to be finding some success in recent weeks. 

Q: Would you consider Jahmyr Gibbs their No. 1 back now or is it a 50-50 thing, matched to the opponent?

A: I truly believe the workload split between Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery depends on the situation. Detroit has outwardly said they prefer to feature whichever back is the proverbial hot hand at any given time. Montgomery will serve as the starter at points and handle the first series, while Gibbs will jump in on the second series. 

From there, it’s all situational and dependent on which of the two is having the better performance. Still, Detroit will always find ways to mix in both at given times to even out their workload and limit the number of hits one has to take. 

Q: Why is Jared Goff leading the NFL as a quarterback with a lot of passing yards after the catch? I don't remember them being so effective in this way in the past.

A: The Lions have a lot of playmakers, and oftentimes are so wide open as a result of the play design that they have no choice but to run for big gains. Jameson Williams has had a breakout year, but has had a pair of long touchdowns that were crossing routes with big gains after the catch as opposed to deep balls. 

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Amon-Ra St. Brown is also a master of yards after the catch, as he’s sneaky in the way he moves. Detroit loves to utilize play-action, and as a result, find their offense successful with intermediate routes that can generate yards after the catch. 

Q: Detroit's only loss was to Tampa Bay. What was it about Tampa Bay that gave the Lions problems and is it something they have corrected or have to worry about in the playoffs against other teams?

A: The Lions were out of sync from the get-go, as Jared Goff threw an interception on his first drive of the game. The biggest factor in that loss was the fact that Detroit scored just one touchdown in seven red zone trips, and also had a time management debacle near the end of the first half that cost them at least three points. 

Goff also threw the ball 55 times in that game, which is super uncharacteristic of the way the Lions play when they’re successful. As a result, Detroit has made necessary adjustments and responded well. 

Q: Does offensive coordinator Ben Johnson like Chicago deep dish pizza and Italian beef? 

In all seriousness, do you think he'd be willing to be head coach of a team from within the same division? Many assistants wouldn't want to do that and face their old team twice a year.

A: The reports are that Ben Johnson is looking for a place where he could find sustained success. On the surface, Chicago looks to be one of those places with all the young talent it has. However, it also seems like there’s some dysfunction within the organization.

Additionally, with how loyal and together this coaching staff is, I believe it would be hard for Johnson to take a job within the division. He’s already turned away interest the last two years, so who’s to say he wouldn’t again this year if Detroit doesn’t end up winning the Lombardi Trophy.

(Editor's note: Money talks. And some teams aren't willing to pay. I wonder who?)

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.