In each of Ben Johnson's two seasons as offensive coordinator and play caller, the Detroit Lions have had a top-five offense in scoring and yardage. He has of course been a hot head coaching candidate in both subsequent hiring cycles, eventually rebuffing interest to stay in Detroit both years.
Johnson has show creativity as a play caller, and a bad thing that was easy to see last year showed signs of improvement as the season went along. He has leaned into what quarterback Jared Goff does best and is most comfortable doing, succeeding there where Sean McVay failed toward the end of Goff's tenure in Los Angeles.
It's clear it will have to be the absolute right fit, but Johnson could finally become a head coach in 2025. The Lions' offense should be top-notch again this year, making him a top head coaching candidate once again.
Ben Johnson gets appropriate place in ranking of NFL offensive coordinators
Narrowing those who also call plays, and removing nearly half of the league who made a change this offseason, Pro Football Focus has ranked the top 10 offensive coordinators in the NFL heading into the 2024 season.
Johnson sits in the spot he deserves: No. 1.
"While many expected Johnson to become a head coach this offseason, he is returning to Detroit for his third season as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Admittedly, he has been aided by one of the best — if not the best — offensive lines in the league, but he should still get plenty of credit for putting together one of the most versatile and dangerous offenses in the NFL."
"Detroit could and did rely on the running game, calling the second-most run plays (33) on third and fourth downs with three or more yards to go and also achieving the second-highest EPA per play on those runs — behind only the Chiefs, who had a much smaller sample size with four such runs."
"In addition, Johnson also got the best out of quarterback Jared Goff, who earned a career-high 85.7 PFF overall grade and signed a new contract with the Lions early this offseason."
The Lions had the fifth-best red zone offense in the league based on EPA (Expected Points Added) per play last year (1.91), which backs up their third-best rate of red zone touchdowns (64.1 percent; 41-for-64).
The full acclimation of Jameson Williams is lined up to add a new element to the Lions' offense this year, and a new array of options for Johnson. That's a very scary thought for opposing defensive coordinators.