The Detroit Lions have some challenges up ahead this season, since their coaching staff has gone through quite a transformation. Most notably, the team lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets, so the makeup of their highest tier of coaches will look very different than last year.
During the NFL Scouting Combine this week, Johnson appeared to throw some shade at the Lions, and some Lions players aren’t too happy about it. Can you blame them?
Ben Johnson Discusses His New Quarterback
Talking to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, February 25, Johnson played up his new quarterback, Caleb Williams, and the player’s abilities. At the same time, he seemed, in a sense, to put down Detroit.
“Out of structure, the off-schedule, the creation…that’s what stands out the most because that’s really the way that this league is going right now,” Johnson said about Williams. “It seems like as much as you want to make it pure progression, one to two to three, there’s just too much variety.”
Here’s when things get a bit shady. Johnson added, “The pass rush is coming down and to have an athlete like Caleb extend the play and potentially find an explosive down the field. That’s what gets me going a little bit. I get excited thinking about that, because I haven’t been around that since I’ve been in the league.”
He hasn’t been around that since he’s been in the league, heh? Of course, Williams and Lions quarterback Jared Goff are different kinds of quarterbacks. Williams is more mobile, and Goff is more of a pocket passer. But, there’s no denying that Goff had a stellar season last season and broke plenty of NFL and franchise records.