NFL analyst impressed with Lions new OC Ben Johnson, says team ‘is for real’
Albeit in defeat, the strides the Detroit Lions offense made in just one game under new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson impressed many, including NFL insider Brian Baldinger.
Detroit totaled 386 yards offense and averaged 6.1 yards per carry against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Lions posted nearly 160 more yards and more than tripled its rushing total from last year’s meeting (57 yards).
The Lions were also 4-for-4 in the red zone and converted 9 of 14 third-down attempts and their only fourth-down attempt.
“Listen to me Lions fans, you’ve got yourself a great offensive coordinator in Ben Johnson,” Baldinger said recently during a video analysis of the Lions' rushing offense. “…The things he did in the run game … they physically ripped [the Eagles]. I mean, it was just one good play after another.”
Baldinger seemed most impressed with Detroit’s run game, which had eight runs of seven or more yards against Philadelphia’s front seven and racked up 92 of its 181 total yards after contact. In fact, the run game was working so well, Jared Goff had nine pass attempts off play action for 70 yards.
Third-year running back D’Andre Swift ran for 144 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, and Jamaal Williams added 11 carries for 28 yards and two touchdowns. Against the Eagles in 2021, Swift had just 27 yards on 12 carries and averaged only 2.3 yards per carry.
As impressive as Detroit’s rushing attack was, the offensive line was just as good. Goff was sacked just once on Sunday, and he was pressured just five times, hit four times and hurried zero times. For comparison, in 2021’s meeting, the Eagle got to Goff seemingly at will. He was sacked five times, pressured 20 times, blitzed 10 times, hurried 10 times and hit five times.
Although a small sample size, Baldinger could be onto something.
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