LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BEN JOHNSON QUOTE SHEET

January 11, 2024

On what it means to have five head coach interview requests and be acknowledged by teams: “It’s – it’s awesome. Quite an honor. But honestly, I haven’t thought about it beyond anything that’s going on this week, so just leave it at that for right now.”

On if he will take all five head coach interview requests: “Don’t know, yeah.”

On what he has learned from Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell about being a good head coach: “That’s a great one. Listen, he’s the best leader I’ve been around, I think regardless of whichever sport I’ve been a part of. It’s really impressive what he’s been able to do. Being true to himself, demanding, he’s results-driven, but yet his way of delivering a message and getting it across, what to say, how to say it at the right time. I mean, it’s really unique and it’s special. I think it’s hard to replicate, to be honest with you. But more than anything, it’s really just being comfortable in his own skin and trusting and empowering those around him. He’s created an environment here as coordinators, as position coaches, as players that we’re very comfortable and it helps us be the best that we can be at our jobs.”

On the key to preparing for defensive tackles like Rams DT Aaron Donald and how he differs from a player who is all over like Cowboys LB Micah Parsons: “Yeah, so this one is – it’s different because most of the guys we faced this year that were super dynamic, like Donald, were edge guys that would sometimes line up inside. And then this week, it’s certainly, he’s at a three-technique quite a bit. Third down, they’ll move him around. But the combination of him with this rookie has been probably the best defensive tackle tandem we’ve faced all year, so it is, it’s different. Feel good about the plan that we have going in right now. And listen, you try to minimize his opportunities to get one-on-ones, but it’s hard, it’s hard. I think that’s – he feasts almost every week by getting one-on-one matchups and beating the guy across from him, so we will be very much aware of where he is on the field and try to adjust accordingly.”

On how much Rams DB Jordan Fuller means to their defense: “Yeah, I don’t know exactly. But certainly, he has had a lot of ball production that we’re conscious of. He’s in the poster, he’s the high safety more often than not and (Rams DB John Johnson III) 43 is the one that comes down, so he does have great vision. He understands patterns and gets a jump on routes ahead of time, so we’ve got to be conscious – if he is out there, I know he’ll know what we’ve put on tape so far and he’ll be a step ahead of us.”

On how he feels the run game finished the season: “Last game wasn’t quite where we wanted it and then the week before against Dallas was a little bit disappointing. For the second half of this season, really since the bye week, we’ve been trending the right direction. Last two games were not what we want. Last week, we were mistargeted and not – our communication was off too much and so we’re looking to fix that right now.”

On how they can fix the issues they have had in the run game the last few weeks: “Gameplan-wise, maybe it’s a little bit less complexity and then volume certainly plays a part in that. We feel like we have a good number going into each game and we’re just conscious if defense presents us with a lot of looks, maybe we need to scale back that number just a little bit, so as a coaching staff, that’s what we’re looking at. The guys up front, they’re pros. They take a lot of pride in being right and being targeted correctly each and every time. And so, it’s really on us as a coaching staff just to get the right mix.”

On if anything changes in the offensive gameplan with Lions TEs Brock Wright and James Mitchell if Lions TE Sam LaPorta is unable to play: “Yeah, I mean we’re always going to do what those guys do best. Whoever we have out there. LaPorta’s got a little bit different skillset than the rest of those guys. And really, frankly, with the rest of the League he’s – he’s awesome. So, yeah, if he can’t go, then those other guys, they’ll have to step up and maybe we just ask them to do a little bit different jobs than what we’ve done with Sam, but it’ll be great potentially getting Brock back here this week. He has been a – quietly, over the last few years, a key cog in what we do offensively.”

On what he has seen in Lions TE James Mitchell’s development: “Shoot, he’s like all the rest of these young guys. It’s every single game, the more reps he’s getting, he’s getting better each and every week. So, the arrow’s pointing up with him and it’s just been a matter of getting him reps. He’s had (Lions TE) Sam (LaPorta) and he’s had (Lions TE) Brock (Wright) ahead of him, so it’s been a little bit challenging early in the season.”

On what he has seen on film from Rams LB Ernest Jones and what he brings to the Rams defense: “Those guys are playing really good ball. And so, I think that’s really the strength of their defense is between the backers and between the two defensive tackles, those are the guys that jump off the tape the most. The defensive tackles wreak enough havoc to where those linebackers are playing sideline-to-sideline. They’re really well-coached. This is a really good scheme that (Rams Defensive Coordinator) Raheem (Morris)’s got going on with them, so they make everything look the same, for the most part, pre-snap. It’s hard to get too many tells on them. And so, you can tell the backers are really feasting on that system.”

On how much confidence he gets in the offense having the most veteran experience on the offensive line and at the quarterback position: “Yeah, I mean, (Lions QB) Jared (Goff)’s played in big games throughout his career and so he really doesn’t bat an eye as we transition into the postseason now. And then the guys upfront, they’ve played a ton of games, whether national championships in college, or now the postseason in the NFL, but feel really good about having solidified that offensive line over the course of the season and getting those guys to where they feel gelled and on the same page with whatever we ask them to do.”

On what this opportunity to coach in the playoffs means to him and how he makes sure he takes advantage of this opportunity: “Yeah, I think (Lions Head) Coach (Dan Campbell) made the comment earlier this week that it’s important that we don’t press, but we still are looking to be productive. So, I think that’s the biggest thing, it’s still – it’s just our next game on our schedule right now and not to try to squeeze too tight to where it backfires on us. So, I think the urgency and the intensity is right where it needs to be, but yet we still have the looseness about us right now, at least what I’m observing at practice and walkthrough and meetings that we’ll be able to play and have some fun.”

On why it was important for him to get Lions WR Josh Reynolds his contract incentive on Sunday: “Yeah, I mean, it was something we had talked about early in the week. Truthfully, I thought it would be a little bit easier. I mean, (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown makes an incredible play, the 70-yard touchdown. I have never been more disappointed on a 70-yard touchdown in my life. I mean, I’m walking away and I’ve got half the team, they’re like, ‘What’s his problem?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, well I was trying to get Josh the ball to—.’ So, we had practiced the play all week with Josh on the outside and Saint on the inside and then I’m thinking, ‘Oh, well let’s get him as a primary receiver to get us there.’ And then they give us a coverage that was a little bit different and (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) did a heck of a job adjusting. And so, no, it’s awesome. It starts with the head coach. He knows how important that is for those guys. Particularly, I think he mentioned it after the game, Josh has flown under the radar all season long and doesn’t bat an eye. Is he the top target? No, but is he the two? Is he the three? And it really doesn’t matter to him. He comes out, he plays hard, we know what we’re going to get in the run game each and every day with him. And as much as I wish he had 1,000 yards, he got 600 and it’s a great incentive for him, so I’m really happy for him.”

 

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