One thing that is inevitable with humanity is it’s impossible to get every single person to agree on something. That is especially true in sports. When talking about the next Chicago Bears head coach, several fans want Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has been terrific over the past three years, helping his team become a Super Bowl contender. Rumors have hinted for months that he has interest in the Bears job, likely spurred by quarterback Caleb Williams. Word is an interview will happen at some point after the regular season ends.
Sure enough, at least one person is against that idea. Dan Orlovsky played quarterback for the Lions in the 2000s and is now a top analyst for ESPN. He told Kevin Clark on the This Is Football podcast that Johnson isn’t the best fit for Williams’ playing style. His reasoning was interesting if nothing else.
One of the common quotes about the Lions offensive coordinator was his ability to adapt the system to his players’ strengths. Maybe he uses the scheme he does because he knows that is the type Jared Goff prefers. To say the man is utterly incapable of running something different to fit what Williams does best is a wild assumption. This is also implying the Bears rookie is incapable of playing with any timing despite considerable evidence to the contrary this season. Sure, he’s held the ball too often at times, but it’s not like it is a crippling weakness. He can play from the pocket. The problem has been his coaches haven’t implemented a cohesive scheme.
If Ben Johnson can’t adjust his scheme to fit a talent like Williams, then he isn’t the offensive wizard everybody makes him out to be. Guys like Andy Reid have no problem making necessary tweaks for their quarterbacks. There is no reason to think Johnson can’t do the same.
