Add another name to the Atlanta Falcons head coaching search, as they’ve scheduled an interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
It seems as though the Falcons may want an offensive guru to amplify the offense after a few lackluster seasons under former head coach Arthur Smith.
In 2022, Johnson elevated the Lions' offense. The team finished the year fifth in scoring (26.6 points per game), fourth in total offensive yards per game (380), eighth in passing yards per game (251.8), and No. 11 in rushing yards per game (128.2). This season, Detroit's offense is third in total yards (394.8), fifth in rushing yards (135.9), and fifth in points scored per game (27.1).
Johnson has made the most out of his weapons while in Detroit. Since becoming offensive coordinator in 2022, he’s gotten he’s turned underrated players such as wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown (drafted No. 112 overall), tight end Sam LaPorta (drafted No. 34 overall), and even a veteran running back Jamaal Williams (drafted No. 134 overall) into stars.
What's significant about this is that if Johnson has been able to polish the games of players once deemed diamonds in the rough, one must wonder what he could do for underutilized Falcons draft picks such as tight end Kyle Pitts (drafted No. 4 overall), wide receiver Drake London (drafted No. 8 overall), and Bijan Robinson (drafted No. 8 overall).
After years of Falcons fans being forced to watch premier talents be used as decoys, Johnson could finally be the man to unlock the potential of Atlanta's playmakers.
Considering that Williams could go from scoring 17 touchdowns with Johnson in 2022 to nearly going scoreless in 2023, and quarterback Jared Goff could go from being written off with the Los Angeles Rams to regaining his Pro Bowl form; Johnson may quietly be the coach needed for the Falcons to finally make the playoffs again, perhaps an even better fit than flashier names such as Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh.
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