Did you mean Bill Belichick, instead of Parcells?
1 Like
Great artists (and scientists for that matter) know that often less is more. More notes don’t always improve music, and the most elegant equations are often the simplest. There is definitely need for some complexity in NFL offenses, but in terms of playcalling sometimes you just need to keep hitting the same note until the defense proves it can stop you. See Gibbs vs. Washington. Looking forward to a bit more salty and a little less sweet with Morton.
1 Like
lol …… yes …… I’m getting old
5 Likes
The narrative is simple. Media guys can never be wrong. They basically pick the teams that won, then tell you all about how that team is full of winners, and winners win. Once the media decides you are a loser, you will always be a loser. Even if you win, it’s because there is some unknown underlying reason that must have caused the win. Once that reason is known, then THAT person is the real winner, and everyone else benefitted from that person. Now that the person is gone, you are back to being losers.
As said above, even if Goff has another great season, it will be all about the weapons and that Dan Campbell picked another great offensive coordinator, and Goff executed the plan but he still a below average qb. If Detroit ever got a GOOD qb, like a Mahomes, look out! It’s just lazy journalists who can’t form their own opinions. Own opinions don’t pay well. “Hot takes” and react content are the money makers.
3 Likes
I think his ability to scheme guys open is special. I think that translates. He can spin up a play that gets a 4.7 40 Brock Wright a 50 yard gain. Now will this ability make him Bill Walsh or Don Coryell?? That can only be answered with a lot more mileage. In truth, no one can answer the OPs question yet. He’s going to have to be able to reproduce what he did in Detroit in Chicago and then a ton more than that to get mentioned with those legends. But right now this second, I’d be very comfortable saying he’s a top 3 OC in this league right now and I’m less than thrilled that we didn’t close the deal last year before he moved on.
5 Likes
I agree with this. Ben understands defensive leverage, and how to use it against them. The amount of times he schemed up a guy cutting against the grain and being wide open was fun to watch.
2 Likes
We saw a fair bit of that, but the offense seemed to me to rely more on Goff’s ability to execute intermediate timing routes with tight windows. Can Caleb replicate that? The early returns say no. So what can Ben do to mitigate that other than scheme guys open? It’s helluva lot to ask to get a guy wide open every pass play. If Caleb can’t tighten up his throws, Ben may very well struggle.
2 Likes
I find him a bit offensive.
~
To answer the question though, I think Johnson is a terrific coordinator but that this is Dan Campbell’s offense.
I think Johnson got a little derailed at times - a bit of smartest guy in the room stuff - and that Morton’s philosophy will more closely reflect what Campbell desires.
Ben Johnson is starting to give me mike martz vibes. Offensive genius when he had an offense full of hall of fame talent and a great scheme. He was an ok head coach but never the same without those rams players who made everything work.
1 Like
This will be the key. Can Ben adapt and apply his skills to the skills of the players he currently has?
That’s what differentiates a guy like Andy Reid. He can make an offense hum with a guy like Alex Smith and then pour gasoline on it when given a Mahomes. He’ll make full use of a Tyreek Hill, but not fall off a cliff when that isn’t available.
BJ had some really unique pieces here in Detroit, and he exploited that very well. The real question is how he adapts to not having an experienced QB with a quantum computer in his head or the best tackle in the league doing impossible feats in the run game.
No way to know right now, but we’ll see in the regular season. If his post-loss pressers largely blame “execution” as the problem, that will be the leading indicator of him going down the Martz or Chip Kelly route of trying to apply one system to all situations.
2 Likes
Except, Parcels was the HC. How did his coordinators fare as HC’s?
Andy Reid is a Savant
Bill Walsh is a Savant
Mike Martz is a Savant
Ben Johnson is not a savant. He is a good/great play caller. He will need to prove it at Chicago before I will believe he was part of the brilliance or if it was more MCDC setting the table. He has a very long way to go before he can be considered special.
1 Like
I’m way more concerned about Ragnow and Zeitler being gone than Ben Johnson. The offensive line is what drove this offense not Ben Johnson. Not that he wasn’t a creative play caller that added flair to this offense but the offense will hum just fine if the rooks and Glasgow can fill those gaps. If not, the Lions are in trouble.
5 Likes
The one common theme nobody talks about with guys like Sean Payton or Andy Reid is how their offenses were constructed most of the time. Coaches like them that have sustained success all put significant resources into their offensive lines. Especially the Saints when Brees was there. He always had multiple pro bowl or all pro guys guarding him. That’s where the mike martz and Adam gase level “offensive geniuses” fail imo. They put so much stock in their own gameplan and the flashy talent they acquire and never into building their new teams offensive line. Which is often the reason why their offenses were so successful in the first place.
I don’t see us stumbling , coach dan and Shep, and the other staff won’t allow the team to fall too far. Savant’s or not.
1 Like
100% agree. Offensive line to me is the most important position. You can literally control the game with a good offensive line. Your running game will work, which opens up holes for the passing game. Giving your QB time makes your receivers better, makes your QB have easier throws so he gets better, and the more your offense is on the field, the more you gas the other team’s defense. Even if the other team has a brilliant defensive scheme, if you can run the ball, you will succeed.
The offensive line does scare me quite a bit. I think Mahogany-Glasgow-Ratledge could eventually be good, but early on it could be a bit ugly. One thing that is spooking me, the reporters have talked about having Goff and the QBs roll out more in practice. Now, it might just be practice for the sake of practice which is fine. However, QB’s need to roll out when the defense is getting pressure. If the defense is getting through the Oline and forcing rollouts, thats a problem (on offense, good for the defense). Is our defense getting better because they are much better? Or is the offensive line doing worse? Most likely, its a combo of both. Time will tell when the pads come on for real games.
4 Likes
Yes
Do you care to elaborate?
I wouldn’t be shocked if we decline on offense but I’m not convinced it will be because Johnson was replaced with Morton.
The OL and schedule will probably be a bigger impact.
2 Likes
I actually wonder if Ben Johnson will become another Brian Billick. I remember that 1998 season Billick was hailed as That next guy as an offensive mind and while he did great with those '98 Vikings and rookie sensation Randy Moss…the offensive genius thing never got going in Baltimore. That team was already loaded on defense and Billick, admirably, just swallowed his pride and ego and rode the wheels of his wagon on that defense. How Ben Johnson even compares to this, potentially, in my mind is that the Bears are traditionally a defense first team. I wonder can Ben Johnson build an offensive juggernaut in Chicago or will be have to ride more of a great defense and simplify his offense to a point where they may not win you games but they won’t lose the game for you either… 
2 Likes
He may have to bench Caleb to prevent the man from losing games they shouldn’t lose.