Why Ben Johnson should not be the OC

The War Room Detroit Lions — The Den
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So he’s “creative” and “innovative” in the pass game right?

Let me ask you something…

What the hell was that concept on 1st and goal?

You know you have a QB with accuracy issues and a banged up WR core (we lost Zylstra in the game). So you run a tight window vertical up the middle of the entire defense on the 9 yard line???

Yeah, Boyle should’ve checked it down to Reynolds for like a 2 or 3 yard gain or thrown it away. But for real, who the hell is he throwing the ball to here??

You get 1 high out of essentially doubles with tight coverage by the outside corners on your 1’s.

CALL A MAN BEATER!!! LIKE SLANTS!!

I know exactly what Joe Brady would’ve called there. He’d have called his fancy running back corner concept that LSU used against Alabama in 2019. Edwards-Helaire scored right before half on it.

I can’t find an individual video, but it’s at 0:58 here. Doesn’t matter that it was 2 high, it ends up being cover 3.

The playcalling was suspect all day, and hasn’t been this bad in a while to Dan’s credit. I don’t care that they shouldn’t have been in that game with Boyle because they were, and if they were that great with passing concepts, they’d have a really high percentage redzone play like that that beats almost every coverage.

I’m not advocating for the use of this specific concept (although it would’ve worked), but what the hell was that playcall, honestly?

“Well Campbell is calling the plays and not Ben Johnson so why is this his fault?!?!?!”

Because he’s the guy that’s the passing game coordinator right now. When you’re in that situation and want to throw the ball 4 times at the endzone, that coach should have plays for that situation. Not whatever the hell redzone play that was supposed to be.

Dan Campbell’s new years resolution needs to be getting a legitimate passing game that is a threat to the opposing DC. Passing can set up the run if done right.

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Lions QB Tim Boyle on the game-sealing interception: “Great play call by coach Campbell. It’s a man-zone read, so if I have man I’m working one side, if I have zone, I’m working the other. I was kind of unclear going into the, when we broke the huddle, kind of unclear if it was man or a zone based off of the looks that they gave previously. Looking back, it was man coverage. I worked the zone coverage side. That was my mistake. Ultimately that falls on me and my decision making. In the moment, a lot of things are flying around and it’s critical and every situation, especially that last play is so critical. But the hole player, 54, did a really good job of tracking my eyes and I worked the right side. I still have man answers on that side, but I felt like ‘Lif kind of popped a little bit and I was going to kind of back-shoulder him a little bit, but the hole player, 54, read my eyes and picked me off. Unfortunate and heartbreaking, but moving forward I have to turn it into a positive and learn from it. But it stings. It stings.”

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Ok, fine. I see now what the goal was.

But my point remains.

Because the “man beater” was a corner and a zig that both wouldn’t have scored had he thrown them.

The zig actually would’ve gotten tackled in bounds. He was open and would’ve gotten down to the 3-5, but the clock would’ve been running.

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I wasn’t crazy about the clock management element of the drive. I get that the ghost of the Ravens and Vikings games are present and you’re trying not to give Matty Ice the ball back but it would’ve been nice to get into the red zone with 75 seconds left and have the entire playbook at our disposal.

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You blame the guy making the call. Pure and simple. He had every play at his disposal. He could put whom ever he wanted on the field.

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Which doesn’t matter if the qb doesn’t recognize zone vs man defense.

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So we don’t listen to the QB when he says he lost his composure, read the defense wrong and threw the wrong pass?

Person A: Blame Ben Johnson
Person B: Blame Dan Campbell
Person C: Blame me, I read the defense incorrectly and wish I could have that pass over but I can’t. I blew it.

eeny meeny miny moe, I think I’ll go with person C.

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Not sure how you can blame that one on Ben. He is helping with the passing game, he isn’t calling plays.

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So why are you calling a coverage read on the 9 yard line with the game on the line?

It needs to be a simple progression. Like mesh. Just not mesh specifically because that’s not a 9 yard play.

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My point is if you looking to blame someone other than the qb, it isn’t Johnson. You blame the guy who made the call, not Johnson as the OP did.

If Lynn was still calling playa, would he be given a pass on the blame to lay it on Johnson? I don’t think so!

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If Lynn was calling plays and Johnson was doing the exact same thing for Lynn as he is for Campbell in the passing game, I’d blame Ben Johnson

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Stop.

You figured it. There were multiple guys open. He f-ed up and threw to the completely covered. That is what happens when you have a crappy backup in there…

No, it was not…just saying.

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Why? He did not select the play or personnel on the field. It’s on the caller.

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I just want a good passing game again. Excuse my irrational thought.

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Johnson is doing fine and eliminating him from the possibility of OC based on this game is an overreaction, I didn’t say he should get the job just silly to eliminate him.

You are consistent in over reacting/pushing things because you have a favorite alternative, Brady in this case. Or Wilson at WR leading you to state that St. Brown is a #4 WR at best. Last year it was Fields at QB, taking Sewell was a mistake and we would regret it forever… etc etc

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Isn’t Campbell choosing the plays? How is that Ben’s fault?

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I wonder if the steroid usage has clouded his judgment. We should give him back his gold medal back and then take it away again to make a point.

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Its a young inexperienced qb. If goff was in there the play most likely is a td

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It’s not a irrational thought. But let’s start with getting a number 1 and a 2 in here before we start blaming the playcallers instead of blaming the execution of the playcall.

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Yeah… You know exactly what Joe Brady would’ve called here. Apparently, so does the rest of the NFL. Which is probably a good indicator of why Joe Brady is out of a job and supposedly heading back to college.

Brady didn’t do very well as an OC for a team with substandard talent. Yet he is the answer for a Lions team that also has substandard talent? I am not seeing it here.

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