In Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson authored a display of play-calling that surely got the attention of Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones as he eyes his next head coach.
Part of that display was a show of Johnson's creativity as a play caller. A double-reverse flea-flicker, trolling last year's controversial finish in Dallas by having Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper report as eligible, a pass to Decker, a hook-and-ladder to Penei Sewell that was negated by a penalty. There was certainly some sense of "Why do all these things in a game that turned into a blowout?"
At this point, a trick play seems to be becoming a weekly occurrence for the Lions. Johnson can't have much more at his disposal, can he?
Ben Johnson not concerned about running out of trick plays
Johnson had his usual session with the media on Thursday. The trick play conversation was an easy topic to be brought up, and he candidly addressed it.
"We do have some elements of that where we have to get the right look,” Johnson said. “We’re not just calling plays to call plays because we think they look cool. It’s really by design and intent and then our guys carry it the rest of the way.”
Johnson said he doesn't like to run the same trick play twice. But beyond the staples of the Lions' offense there has to be some creativity to keep defenses off-balance. In terms of putting the trick plays the Lions have already done this year on tape, with situations like the Cowboys game where the lateral to Sewell could have been saved for another day, Johnson is not concerned.
"I'm not worried about putting things on tape, if anything it's just gonna help set up the next thing down the road and the well is deep."
Head coach Dan Campbell is clearly on board with Johnson finding ways to push the limits of what can be done offensively.
"We had told the players that, that’s the way we worked all week, and we were using it, and we were playing football and we were pedal to the metal. That was the whole mindset," Campbell said this week, via John Maakaron of SI.com. "And them, our job is to, every week, come back up with something more creative and find a way to continue to push the limits here. Ben does a great job and the offensive staff. And so, now it’s, ‘Let’s go find something else.’”
So if you think the Lions "emptied the clip" of trick plays and odd formations against Dallas, think again.