The Detroit Lions have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. In the end, those who were worried about losing both main assistant coaches were right, especially when it came to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Dan Campbell stripped new OC, John Morton, of play-calling duties, and while it seemed to work at first, Campbell clearly had way too much on his plate. Now, it's hard to believe he'll trust Morton to retake the reins of the offense, even if Jared Goff and the running game looked better with him at the helm.
With that in mind, the Bears could turn to a familiar face and a divisional rival to find their new offensive coordinator. According to CBS Sports' NFL insider Jonathan Jones, Coach Campbell could look to raid Ben Johnson's coaching staff in the offseason.
The Lions Could Target One of Ben Johnson's Offensive Assistants
"League sources believe Dan Campbell will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator this year, and perhaps he pulls from Johnson's staff one year after Johnson took flight from Detroit," Jones wrote.
The Bears can technically block offensive coordinator Declan Doyle from interviewing with other teams, but the Lions can go after any other member of Johnson's staff. Per Jones, pass game coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett are two potential options.
"Press Taylor has been revitalized in Chicago as the pass game coordinator in his first major offensive role without Doug Pederson as the head coach. J.T. Barrett, the former Ohio State quarterback, has been working his way up the coaching ladder the past few years, and the Bears' quarterbacks coach will likely get OC interviews this cycle," Jones said.
While neither of them has called plays under Ben Johnson's tutelage, Barrett does have some ties to Campbell and the Lions. He arrived in Detroit as an offensive assistant in 2022 and was the assistant quarterbacks coach with the Lions before moving to the Windy City. Barrett's familiarity with Campbell and Detroit makes him an attractive option; it also doesn't hurt that hiring him would weaken a divisional rival. too.
The Lions ranked third in points per game (28.9) and fourth in both total yards (384.7) and passing yards (249.5) per game. However, their running game fell off a cliff, logging just 119.9 rushing yards (15th) despite having one of the most explosive one-two punches in the league. They also ranked 19th in successful third-down conversion percentage (38.3%).
That's to say that it's not like the Lions' offense was as bad as the outcome might make it look. They certainly have the right personnel to fix this, and it's just a matter of finding the right guy to call the shots. If that guy also happens to be one of Ben Johnson's top assistants, so be it.