By Sunday 
Let’s get something straight: Ben Johnson didn’t just call plays in Detroit — he orchestrated controlled chaos. In 2024, the Detroit Lions offense didn’t just lead the league — they redefined it. With 33.2 points per game, nearly 7,000 total yards, and 70 touchdowns, the Lions weren’t just hot — they were historic. At the center of it all? One mad genius with a whiteboard and a mission.
Playing Chess While Everyone Else Plays Checkers
Ben Johnson’s offense wasn’t built on clichés or predictable personnel groupings. Where most teams stick to tired tendencies — 11 personnel means pass, 12 means run — Johnson blurred the lines. In his offense, 12 personnel (two tight ends) didn’t mean smashmouth. It meant “good luck guessing.”
According to All_22_Films, Johnson had Detroit throwing the ball nearly half the time out of traditionally run-heavy looks. Mix in constant motion, bunch formations, and deceptive shifts, and you’ve got an offense that made defenses feel like they were solving a Rubik’s Cube while getting punched in the face.
Conceptual Brilliance in Every Snap
Remember that ridiculous “stumble bum” play where Jared Goff fake-fumbled before tossing a bomb? That wasn’t a fluke. It was custom-made to exploit the Bears’ over-aggression — and it worked to perfection. Johnson doesn’t just design plays. He engineers chaos that works in perfect sync with his quarterback’s strengths.
He leans on high-lows, mesh concepts, and vertical stretches, turning the field into a geometry project where defenders constantly pick the wrong angle. Every read is defined. Every throw is on time. It’s Picasso meets playbook.
The Real Deal Balance
A lot of coaches talk about offensive balance. Johnson lived it. The Lions were 3rd in rushing (146.4 ypg) and 2nd in passing (263.2 ypg). It wasn’t just stats — it was strategy. On third and fourth downs with three or more yards to go, the Lions ran it more than almost anyone… and led the league in EPA per play doing it.
In the red zone? Nearly 68% of trips ended in touchdowns. That’s not lucky — that’s surgical.
Killing You a Different Way Every Week
What truly separates Johnson? Adaptability. He doesn’t cling to a rigid “system.” His offense is a living, breathing thing. One week it’s outside zone and crack blocks. The next, it’s play-action bombs and LaPorta mismatches. He tailors each plan to what the defense can’t handle — and then pummels them with it.
Opponents call it a “Lions hangover.” Get torched one week, then struggle the next because you were so twisted up by Johnson’s scheme that you forgot how to play basic defense. Meanwhile, he’s already prepping a brand new nightmare for the next team.
Talent Meets Scheme, and the Scheme Wins
Let’s not overlook the players. Goff looked like a completely reborn quarterback under Johnson’s guidance — including a stretch where he completed an absurd 83% of his throws over five games. His supporting cast? The top-graded receiving unit in the league. And guess who led the way in receiving grade? Not Amon-Ra — it was David Montgomery. That’s the genius — deploy talent where it hurts the defense most, not where tradition tells you to.
Tight ends lined up everywhere. Backs caught screens and slants. Linemen weren’t just blocking — they were mauling in space thanks to scheme advantages. Johnson’s offense wasn’t plug-and-play — it was tailor-made for domination.
The Blueprint Leaves Town — But the Impact Remains
Now, with Johnson off to Chicago to coach the Bears, Detroit fans are feeling the loss. But make no mistake: what he left behind isn’t just a highlight reel. It’s a template for the future of offensive football — dynamic, adaptive, explosive.
If he pulls even half of this off with Caleb Williams and DJ Moore in Chicago, the NFC North just turned into a weekly war zone.
So yeah — Ben Johnson didn’t just design plays. He designed nightmares. And the NFL is still trying to wake up.