Giving grades to head coaching hires always feels pointless, considering nobody can predict what will actually happen once those men embark on their missions. Guys that seemed like complete wastes of time turned out great, and vice versa. Still, it is encouraging to see the Chicago Bears receive “A” grades from most experts for their hiring of Ben Johnson. Most feel they have the best and brightest offensive mind on the market. A perfect match for quarterback Caleb Williams. However, that isn’t where people should be focusing.
At least not according to insider Jay Glazer. He explained on the CHGO Bears podcast that people still aren’t grasping what makes Johnson such a good hire. Yes, his work with Jared Goff has been outstanding, even better than what Sean McVay accomplished. That said, not enough people talk about his ability to elevate Detroit’s offensive line to elite levels.
Ben Johnson took the group higher than it’s ever been.
Most of the time, offensive line coaches get the credit for whether a group is great or not. People forget that coordinators work with every position group, not just the quarterbacks. The Lions already had a talented front before Johnson took over. In the three years prior to him becoming offensive coordinator, they gave up 43, 42, and 36 sacks, respectively. In his three years running the show, they’ve given up 24, 31, and 33. Some may try to explain that away by the arrival of Hank Fraley as line coach until you realize he has held that job since 2020.
Glazer is correct. A large portion of that improvement up front for Detroit came once Ben Johnson took over. Make no mistake. That doesn’t mean he has a magic wand that will fix everything. He still needs talent to work with. Having three 1st round picks certainly makes life easier. Still, it is apparent his style of coaching does a great job of maximizing the work up front.
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