Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff have a process for how they approach creating a scheme for each opponent.
During the week, the tandem that has helped elevate the Lions' offense into one of the league's best meet each night. During these meetings, which span roughly an hour, the two will watch tape together and go over what they think will work.
In particular, Goff pitches ideas to Johnson. The offensive coordinator will then take these ideas and formulate ways to get them into the game plan for the upcoming showdown.
“We make time every single week, early in the week, every night before he leaves the building. We’ll either watch practice together, or we’ll watch cut-ups together and he’ll kind of spit-ball, ‘I’m thinking this, that or the either. These are the things that I’ve done that I really like.’ We’ll find a way to incorporate those," Johnson said. "The things that he’s most comfortable with usually work on game days, so we want to give him a lot of liberty early in the week. ‘Hey, I think we can get a post if we do this or that.’ We’ll try to find a way to make that an alert for him if we can call it against the right coverage. Call it an hour every day over the course of the week, we’ve got a good process right now from Monday to Sunday."
Goff's ascent from being cast away in Los Angeles to being one of the league's most efficient passers for Detroit has been well-documented. He struggled through his first year in Motown, then seemed to hit a new stride when Johnson took over as coordinator in 2022.
As Johnson explained Thursday, there was a level of understanding that needed to be reached between the two parties. They've accomplished this, and have since reaped the benefits.
"First I had to understand where he was at, and so it's just spending a lot of time together, what he understood about their system that he was so comfortable in in L.A., both from a concept standpoint but protections as well because that's really where he's made the most growth," Johnson explained. "Being able to identify where the issues are, change the (protection) slide, throw hot if neccessary."
Now, the pair have developed a strong partnership. They collaborate with new ideas and work together to develop ways for the team to be successful.
"So it's really been more time on task together, and now it's going into year three and we're very comfortable with why we're calling plays, what the issues are and I think the things that get overlooked with him is when I call a bad play against the wrong defense, he quickly responds and he's quick to dirt the ball right away and live for another day," Johnson explained. "He doesn't want to make a bad play any worse and create a negative. I think that gets overlooked a little bit in this league. Guys want to create and extend the play and he's learned, 'Hey, we've got good players, let's live to the next down and we'll overcome it the next play."
Goff has played at a high level and is in the MVP conversation, but has not shifted his focus from finding ways to get team success. He said Wednesday that he hasn't paid much thought to the overall prospect of being mentioned for the league's most prestigious award.
“To be honest, not much. Sure, I’ve been playing well, but a lot of guys have been playing well though. If you’re a quarterback on a good team, you’re probably going to be in that conversation and it’s a credit to all the guys on the squad," Goff said. "We’ve had a really good year up to this point, we’ve got to finish it off. Sure, it’s cool to be recognized in some ways but it doesn’t really mean anything. I want to be holding that trophy at the end of the year, and I know that’s what matters.”
Slowing Josh Allen
The Lions' defense will have a tough task ahead of them on Sunday when it comes to stopping Bills quarterback Josh Allen. One of the league's leading candidates for MVP, Allen is coming off a performance in which he accounted for six touchdowns.
Allen presents a dynamic challenge with his ability to air the ball out in addition to his mobility. When these two teams met on Thanksgiving two years ago, the Lions lost on a last-second field goal after Allen led the winning drive with less than a minute remaining.
Now, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has his sights set on the team simply being better in these critical situations that will decide Sunday's game.
“Any of these quarterbacks in this league, we know that they’re the guys that have a chance to change the game. And there are certain aspects of the game that he really has a chance to change. I would say that in critical situations, third downs, red zone you see it, two-minute situations," Glenn said. "He burned us when we played them a couple years ago on Thanksgiving in a two-minute situation. So he has that talent to be able to do that. Most of these elite quarterbacks do. So we just have to be better than him. In any situation there is in this game, we have to be better than him.”
The key to the game-winner
With Jake Bates' latest game-winning field goal, the Lions have now won three games by a deciding boot in the final minute this season.
Though the process may seem dependant on the work of just the long-snapper, holder and kicker, it is much more nuanced in the eyes of special teams coordinator Dave Fipp.
"I think people don’t realize, and I said to the guys this morning actually, ‘That 1.3 seconds might be the hardest 1.3 seconds in football when you talk about a game-winning kick.’ On the line, the strain. Mentally, the job is pretty simple, field goal protection," Fipp said. "But physically, it’s 1.3 seconds of everything you’ve got to try to strain and keep that opponent from getting there. I think what can happen in buildings is you get spoiled. Your guys go out there and they do a great job and you feel like, ‘Oh yeah, that will never happen to us.’ You don’t realize it happens, it’s happened to a lot of teams around the league."
The Lions have yet to have a kick blocked, but teams around the league have fallen victim to this throughout the year. As a result, protecting these plays has been a big point of emphasis for Fipp.
"For me, I don’t take that for granted. The effort and what those guys do in protection, the operation, the snap, the hold, the kick, the timing, it’s all important," Fipp explained. 'It’s like I told our players, everything, the alignment, where their jab foot is, where their hinge foot is, the depth of that foot. Everything adds up and it shows up in those moments. If you get it right, you end up being successful. So those guys have done a great job in protection all year long, and sometimes you don’t realize it. You don’t know what you have until you lose it, sometimes.”
