Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, was interviewed by the Carolina Panthers in their quest to find their next head coach. Johnson skipped the in-person interview because he was getting ready for the NFL Playoffs.
In its hunt, the organization has interviewed 11 people so far. The Panthers have also had interviews with highly sought-after players, including offensive coordinators Dave Canales of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bobby Slowik of the Houston Texans, and Brian Callahan of the Bengals.
After serving in a variety of coaching capacities for the Lions for three seasons, Johnson was elevated to the position of offensive coordinator in 2022. The Lions have regularly finished in the top five in both passing and overall offense since Johnson took over as offensive coordinator.
The Lions are now averaging 334 yards per game, which is sixth most in the entire league. Detroit, on the other hand, is placed sixth among the teams still in the postseason picture.
For the first time in franchise history, Detroit amassed 2,000 rushing yards and 4,000 passing yards in the same season during the 2022 campaign. In terms of total net yards, total touchdowns scored, points scored, and first downs gained, it was also the second-best performance by the team.
According to reports, Johnson has interviews planned for this weekend with the Chargers, Commanders, and Seahawks. Johnson has had to fit in any interviews between taking care of his father and preparing for an impending game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During his news conference on Thursday, Johnson stated, “Well, the truth is, it gets taken away from somewhere and so it gets taken away from my family a little bit.” It’s not an easy thing to say, but this week we won’t be able to conduct the regular Friday activities of getting home, picking up my daughter from school, and wrestling downstairs.
Johnson is concentrating on developing a successful game plan for the Lions prior to any coaching interviews.
Johnson stated, “I know it’s still a very fluid situation and, to be honest, we’ll find out more once the gameplan is done.” I’ve heard that from everyone I’ve encountered. There is nothing more crucial than the strategy.
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