Bear Digest

The Lowdown on Coordinator Ben Johnson Relative to the Bears

A Q and A with Detroit Lions On SI publisher John Maakaron about the Lions, their offensive coordinator and how it might all tie into the Bears coaching job hunt.

Gene Chamberlain

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, thought to be a red hot head coaching candidate for the offseason, addresses the media.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, thought to be a red hot head coaching candidate for the offseason, addresses the media. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

Bears fans need to pay at least as much attention Sunday to how the Detroit offense performs as they do to how Caleb Williams plays.

That's because Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson comes to Chicago with speculation high that he'll be prominent on the list of possible Bears candidate for head coach after the season ends.

John Maakaron, publisher of Detroit Lions On SI, addressed questions about Johnson and the Lions in a behind enemy lines Q and A, or possibly it should be referred to as behind friendly lines in the future for Johnson.

Q: What is the most impressive thing about Johnson's offensive that isn't personnel-specific, in other words, what he does structurally or strategically?

Maakaron: Johnson does an exceptional job of staying one step ahead of opponents. The play-caller has been notorious for his counters off of plays that he’s put on tape in previous weeks. He has a knack for scheming play-action plays out of sets that make opponents think run, so teams are constantly off balance. By doing this, he makes it tough for opponents to identify tendencies within their offensive scheme. He also is among the most creative minds in the sport, with a plethora of unique trick plays coming out over the course of a season.

Q: Does Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have any top assistant he leans on who is ready to step up into a coordinator role, just in case he leaves, or if he doesn't leaves, one who would be willing to leave with Johnson to go to the same team (hint, in Chicago)?

Maakaron: Yes, Kelvin Sheppard would likely be the internal favorite to replace Glenn. He's been working closely with Glenn throughout the year, has earned an increase in responsibility in each of his years with Detroit, and seems to have what it takes from a leadership perspective. This would also presumably make him a candidate to go with Johnson or Glenn as the defensive coordinator if either were to take someone on Detroit’s staff to their next job.

Defensive line coach/run game coordinator Terrell Williams is also thought of very highly and would absolutely warrant consideration for an internal promotion in the event of Glenn leaving. Williams was in Miami with Johnson from 2015-17, so he’d be one worth keeping an eye on as well.

Q: Obviously Lions backup QB Hendon Hooker hasn't had much chance to play but was there any evidence in preseason that being exposed to Johnson's coaching and offensive system helped him to develop?

Maakaron: This year was Hooker’s first chance to go through a training camp, as he was sidelined last year while rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college. As a result, there were a number of opportunities to grow throughout the course of the offseason. Hooker struggled with ball placement and accuracy at points. All indications out of Allen Park pointed to Johnson and the rest of the offensive staff coaching him hard in an effort to help him grow. Hooker did grow, as he won the backup job over Nate Sudfeld and showcased an ability to efficiently run the offense throughout the preseason.

Q: Who is the most likely player to provide thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs' lightning in the running game Sunday with David Montgomery out? Anyone they can bring off the practice squad who can run hard for inside yards?

Maakaron: Right now, it appears that Craig Reynolds will be the next man up next to Gibbs. Reynolds has played significant snaps in his career, and while he won’t be the explosive threat that Montgomery is, he will be able to take some of the weight off Gibbs and can pick up the tough yards.

Another candidate is practice squad running back Jermar Jefferson. The fourth-year back has remained with the organization throughout his career despite not being on the active roster since his rookie season. He was solid in the preseason and had a good training camp showing. The coaching staff spoke as though he’ll get a chance to be on the active roster on Sunday, but that is still to be determined.

Q: If Dan Campbell loses Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in the offseason, could you see the Lions back winning the NFC North again next year?

Maakaron: Based on the fact that most of their top-end talent is under contract for at least another year, the Lions should be firmly in the mix even if Glenn and Johnson depart. It would likely take some time for them to acclimate to a new system on both sides of the ball, and they may not be as sharp on offense in that case, but they should be able to remain among the best in the NFC. With that said, the North is one of the best divisions in football and this year is proving that taking the crown is no easy feat.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
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.