Todd Haley Drops Truth Bomb: Lions Died When Ben Johnson Left

Many football fans today have probably heard of Todd Haley at least once. For a period spanning the late 2000s through the mid-2010s, he was regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the NFL. He helped the Arizona Cardinals reach the Super Bowl in 2008, got Kansas City to the playoffs in 2010 as their head coach, and then helped Ben Roethlisberger to three of his five best statistical seasons in Pittsburgh, and four of his six Pro Bowls. The man was good at his job, even if he wasn’t always easy to get along with.

Haley isn’t afraid to speak the truth, either. He talked to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune about why head coach Ben Johnson’s offense is so effective for the Bears. It stems from a willingness to play a more traditional pro-style offense: under center, running downhill, and utilizing lots of play action. Too many guys have embraced the spread formation these days, often to the detriment of their teams. Above anything else, Johnson has given the Bears an identity, the same one the Detroit Lions seemed to lose after he left.

Haley said once an offense can establish the run — or a legitimate run threat — the defense is on its heels. He said the demise of Sunday’s opponent, the Detroit Lions, can be traced to the offense’s struggle to run the ball in the second half of the season. The Lions ranked sixth in rushing last year with Johnson calling plays, and with struggles on the interior of the offensive line, the Lions have dipped to 15th. They have totaled 74 rushing yards or less in four of their last seven games.

“All of a sudden, the Lions became a pedestrian drop-back passing offense that is average,” Haley said.

Todd Haley finally said what everyone else was thinking.

Dan Campbell did tremendous work building that program in Detroit, together with the excellent drafting of Brad Holmes. However, the most successful teams need a great schemer to bring everything together. That was not Campbell’s strength. He was the motivator and CEO. Johnson became the architect of the juggernaut they became in 2023 and 2024. His run-first approach turned the Lions into a beast. It was almost unfair. Since he left, that edge Detroit seemed to play with has disappeared.

While they can still run the ball, it isn’t nearly the same weapon it was before. Todd Haley is correct. The Lions have regressed into a normal, boring offense, and it is far easier to stop. This isn’t necessarily Detroit’s fault. They knew Johnson would leave eventually. Still, they acted as if his departure wouldn’t have any effect at all. That hubris ultimately cost them a precious season of their Super Bowl window. Unless they can find a credible play caller soon, they may never get another real chance.