On Saturday night, Jan. 18th, I, along with Lions fans everywhere, watched as our hopes and dreams once again were replaced with pain and disappointment.
Were the football gods against us, was it the bruised and battered defense, or was it Ben Johnson’s fault?
At 3:33 PM EST, Adam Schefter broke the news that the Chicago Bears were finalizing a deal to hire Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson was the hottest head coaching candidate for the second year in a row and took his first interview with the Bears on Jan. 11th, during the Lions bye week before the divisional round of the playoffs.
The news of Ben Johnson’s decision to join the Bears organization has left Lions fans shocked and bitter. All season long, we’ve known that this would most likely end up being Johnson’s last season in Detroit.
Though always a possibility, the general understanding throughout the season was that Johnson most likely wouldn’t take the Bears job out of respect for Dan Campbell and the Lions. To make matters worse, it’s been reported that Johnson has been busy putting together his coaching staff, which is interesting considering Detroit’s season just ended two days ago.
Whether these rumors are true or not, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. It’s not a good look for Ben Johnson, especially after the Lions’ uncharacteristic offensive woes during the bout with the Commanders. Many Lions fans voiced their opinions during the game, calling out Johnson for interesting play calls and stating that he was already out of the organization and his thoughts were elsewhere.
One play that grabbed the attention of many watching the game was the decision to run a trick play, which led to Jameson Williams throwing an interception when the Lions desperately needed points.
While I have nothing but respect and appreciation for everything Ben Johnson has done for the Lions organization. I would be lying if I said his decision to go to the Bears didn’t hurt. Johnson is a great coordinator and coach, and I wish him nothing but the best throughout his career. That is, of course, besides when the Lions and Bears meet on the gridiron. Then I want my pound of flesh.
While the offense had a few misfires, including Johnson’s play calls, football is a team sport, and it takes a team to win a game.
The Lions started the game as a team riddled with injuries on defense that had many questioning if they could hang on in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Detroit, they started the night adding to that list of injuries as breakout corner Amik Robertson broke his arm just a few plays into the game. Add an injury to defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, and the Lion’s defense just couldn’t contain the high-powered Commander’s offense.
Jared Goff also looked off, as he threw three interceptions in an unusual night compared to his typical nonchalant precision with which he runs the offense. During post-game interviews, Goff was quick to shoulder the blame.
“Unfortunate obviosly. Sucks, worst part of this job. And you hate it when you feel like you let guys down, and you want to win these types of games at home.”
Dan Campbell also took accountability for the loss during his press conference.
“At the end of the day man, I didn’t have them ready.”
Ultimately, while disappointing, this loss isn’t as shocking to me as others are making it out to be. The Lions battled against injuries adamantly all season, but there’s a limit to what a team can handle. Washington is also a team full of fire and passion seeking to do the same thing the Lions did last post-season. Hell, maybe it’s my fault for pointing out the Lions’ weak points, each of which was exposed.
One thing is sure. I know that with or without Ben Johnson, this team will be back in the dance. In the words of Amik Robertson.
“You can’t bury what comes from the dirt.”
As long as Motor City Dan Campbell is coaching in Detroit, I’ll continue to bleed Honolulu Blue, so follow along as I cover everything Detroit football and the NFL.
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