Ben Johnson Reveals 'Area of Emphasis' for Lions' Offense

Detroit Lions did not convert on third-down effectively.

The Detroit Lions' offense did not have their best performance to start the 2023 season. 

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the pre-snap and procedural issues that popped up against the Chiefs. 

In the opener, Detroit's offense scored 14 points and relied on the defense to take the lead, as rookie Brian Branch secured a second-half interception to tie the game in the third quarter. 

Tight end Brock Wright lost awareness of his position on the field during a drive in the red zone, resulting in quarterback Jared Goff fumbling the snap. 

"I think that's a reflection of of me probably biting off more than we could chew with some of the play calls," said Johnson. "Got a little wordy. We were a little bit slow getting the substitutions. I have to do a better job getting the play to the quarterback. But yeah, we are focused on tempo. For us, it doesn't necessarily mean how quickly do we get the ball snapped each play, but it is once we get out of the huddle, let's align with urgency and put some stress on the defense. And we didn't feel that up to our standard last week."

Area of emphasis

Detroit struggled throughout the game to convert on third-down, even in short yardage situations. 

Johnson credited Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for modifying looks Detroit's offensive coaching staff had anticipated would occur before the game.

"I thought Spaggs did a heck of a job. He changed up a couple of things that maybe I was anticipating there on third-down, so it wasn't as favorable coverage looks as I had hoped for," Johnson said. "But, we did have chances, you know. We'd have chances on some of those short yardage, call it third-and-2 to third-and-6 area.  We weren't very good. I think we were 2-for-7 for the game there, and we should be over 50 percent, based on what we're aiming for.

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"So an area of emphasis for us going into this week, we have to improve there and it's something that L.A. did really well last week against these guys," Johnson explained further. "Like I said, they didn't run the ball particularly well, but they were able to stay on the field on third-down ,and they had some explosive plays out of it. So we need to be better there." 

Marvin Jones' atypical game

Detroit's veteran wideout did not have the performance he would have expected in the opener. 

After returning to Motown, the expectation was Jones would be a reliable presence for quarterback Jared Goff, given the absence of Jameson Williams. 

For the first time in his NFL career, Jones fumbled the football and had issues securing receptions throughout the game. 

"He's a pro. I've been around him for a long time," said Johnson. "I know he was disappointed with how he played, and I know he'll bounce back."