Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Minnesota Vikings hang on, ensure Week 18 matchup with Detroit Lions will be for all the NFC's marbles


Justin Rogers
Dec 30


Santa Clara, Calif. — Regardless of the outcome of the Detroit Lions’ Monday night showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, next week’s home game against the Minnesota Vikings will carry the loftiest of stakes.

With a victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Vikings’ back half of the NFC North home-and-home with the Lions will not only determine the division, but the conference’s No. 1 seed and the bye week attached to it.


And because division winners earn the conference’s top-four seeds, the loser of next week's contest, despite owning the second-best record in the NFC, will drop to the fifth seed, with the strong likelihood of not hosting a single home game this postseason.



The Vikings holding on to top the Packers unquestionably takes some shine off Monday's anticipated rematch of last year’s NFC Championship, with the result no longer impacting Detroit’s playoff positioning and the 49ers already eliminated from postseason contention.

But don’t think for a second that Lions coach Dan Campbell has any intention of letting his foot off the gas or resting any of his starters. He cleared that up, emphatically, earlier in the week.



“Yeah, I’ll make this easy for everybody, that way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don’t have to debate them anymore,” Campbell said. “We’re bringing everything we have to this game, and we are playing. I don’t care what it looks like, where it’s at, or who’s this, who’s that. We’re going out to play to win this game out on the West Coast. So, there you go.”



Next week's matchup also has the potential to decide who wins the NFL Coach of the Year. Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell, who has wildly exceeded preseason expectations with reclamation project Sam Darnold under center, entered Sunday as the betting favorite (-280). Campbell (+350), despite helping his team overcome unmatched injury woes this season, came into the weekend a distant second.

If the Lions beat the 49ers on Monday, they and the Vikings will enter the Week 18 matchup at Ford Field with identical 14-2 records. One of the Vikings’ two losses came to the Lions in Week 7, 31-29, at U.S. Bank Stadium.



It would be the first time in NFL history a 14-win team didn’t win its division. In 1999, when the league played a 16-game regular season, the Tennessee Titans lost the AFC South after going 13-3. They fell a game shy of the 14-2 Jacksonville Jaguars that year, despite handing their division foe both their regular-season defeats.

The Titans also got the last laugh, topping the Jaguars a third time in the AFC Championship.



The game time for the Week 18 matchup between the Lions and Vikings remains TBD, but it’s a near-lock to be flexed to Sunday Night Football on Jan. 5. That announcement could come as soon as this Sunday night.




Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Every possible Detroit Lions playoff scenario through the NFC championship explained

Justin Rogers
Dec 30




Santa Clara, Calif. — Nearly a month after the Detroit Lions clinched a playoff berth, the team’s path to a potential Super Bowl appearance will look vastly different depending on the result of next Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings.

Regardless of the outcome of Detroit’s Monday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, next week's game against the 14-2 Vikings will determine not only the NFC North, but the conference’s No. 1 seed and the bye week attached to that.


If the Lions top the Vikings for the second time this season, they’ll enjoy a week off to rest and recuperate before welcoming the lowest-seeded team remaining after the wild-card round to Ford Field.

And if the Vikings emerge victorious — earning their 10th straight win and a measure of revenge after the Lions knocked them off at their place in Week 7 — Detroit will drop to the No. 5 seed, pack their bags, and hit the road for the postseason’s opening round.


Six of the conference's seven playoff spots have been claimed, yet there’s plenty of jostling still going on with the seeding. Only the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles are locked into their slot as the No. 2 seed.

Ahead of the final week of the regular season, let’s explore the various outcomes for the Detroit Lions through both the wild-card and divisional rounds of the playoffs.


Wild-card round as the No. 5 seed

Chronologically, it makes sense to first consider what it would look like if the Lions lose to the Vikings next Sunday.

As the conference’s No. 5 seed, the Lions would hit the road to play the worst of the NFC’s four division winners. Currently, that’s projected to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons remain possibilities.

Here’s how each of those three teams ends up the No. 4 seed and Detroit’s opponent if they lose to Minnesota:


Winners of five straight, Los Angeles secured the NFC West this weekend through a strength-of-victory tie-breaker, rendering the season finale meaningless for the Seattle Seahawks. By besting the Seahawks next Sunday, the Rams will lock up the No. 3 seed. But if they stumble, it opens the door for them to get jumped by the Buccaneers.


A Rams loss paired with a Buccaneers home win over the New Orleans Saints would vault Tampa Bay ahead of Los Angeles and send Detroit back to the West Coast for the second time in three weeks, creating a rematch of both last year’s wild-card round and the 2024 season opener.


A final scenario would see the Buccaneers getting upset by the struggling Saints, allowing the 8-8 Falcons to sneak back into the postseason picture with a home win over the Carolina Panthers. Two games back in the standings, the Falcons cannot jump the Rams.

Currently, the Rams, Buccaneers and Falcons are favored in their respective matchups.


Divisional round as the No. 5 seed

If the Lions win their wild card matchup, the bracket would be re-seeded ahead of the divisional round. As the conference winner in this hypothetical, the Vikings would draw the lowest-remaining seed.

That could clearly be the Lions, but it hinges on both the Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers losing their respective wild-card matchups as the sixth and seventh seeds.

Here are the other scenarios:


If the Lions win and either the Packers or Commanders win, the Lions would play an away game against the remaining No. 2/No. 3 seed to emerge from the wild-card round. Those possibilities include Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Tampa Bay.

In the unlikely event the Lions, Packers and Commanders all win, the Lions would host the divisional round against whichever of those other two teams ends up the conference’s sixth seed. The Commanders and Packers enter Week 18 tied in the standings, but the Commanders hold the tie-breaker pending their finale against the Dallas Cowboys.


NFC Championship as the No. 5 seed

The only way the Lions host the championship game as the fifth seed is if the Packers or Commanders make an unexpected run, including upsetting the 15-2 Vikings in Minnesota.

Otherwise, the Lions could end up traveling to four places for the contest, depending on how the bracket/No.3 seed shakes out: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles or Tampa Bay.


Wild-card round as the No. 1 seed

Bye week.

If the favorites take care of business and the standings hold through Week 18. The Eagles would host the Packers, the Commanders would head west to play the Rams, and the Vikings would take on the Buccaneers in Tampa.


Divisional round as the No. 1 seed

The only teams the Lions couldn’t play in the second round would be the Eagles and whichever team earns the No. 3 seed, the Rams or Buccaneers.

Detroit would host the lowest-remaining seed at Ford Field, either Green Bay, Washington, Minnesota or whichever division-winner winds up at No. 4, which was detailed above.


NFC Championship as the No. 1 seed

Home again against the team that emerges from the other half of the bracket. Early money will likely be on the Eagles.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Top New Year's resolutions for Lions as critical Vikings matchup, playoffs loom

Richard Silva
The Detroit News

Paywall article.


The 2024 campaign has perhaps been the best regular season in franchise history for the Detroit Lions.


They've already set a record for wins, and they rattled off 11 straight triumphs from Weeks 3-14 — also a franchise record — with an average margin of victory of more than 16 points in those contests. The offense has remained elite under coordinator Ben Johnson, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has guided his unit above expectations, especially considering the injuries suffered.

Detroit's reward for an incredible, history-making season? The Lions need to win one more game — a heavyweight bout against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 — to secure an NFC North title and the conference's No. 1 overall seed. If the Lions can't beat Minnesota, they'll fall to the No. 5 seed and have to go on the road for the wild-card round.


With the Vikings game looming and the playoffs arriving soon after, here are a few New Year's resolutions for the Lions that would set them up for postseason success.

The Detroit Lions will either be the No. 1 seed or No. 5 seed in the playoffs, depending on what happens against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.


Get (and stay) healthy

Let's start with the obvious. No team in the NFL has been bitten by the injury bug more than Detroit, which at one point had more than 20 players on injured reserve. The majority of those ailments have come to defenders, as the Lions have seen at least seven starting-caliber players go down with significant injuries on that side of the ball, plus multiple backups.

Glenn holding things together has been impressive, but Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed in Week 15 what the NFL's elite is capable of against a battered defense, totaling 430 yards and four touchdowns. The Lions need some reinforcements, and they're about to get some with Alex Anzalone and fellow linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on the way back. There's also some hope some of those on injured reserve, namely Aidan Hutchinson, could return late in the postseason if Detroit goes on a run.

At the very least, the Lions can't afford many more (if any) big injuries.


Increase Smith's role

Za'Darius Smith has been a quality pickup since Detroit acquired him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns in November. Smith has led the Lions in pressures (28) and pass-rush win rate (18.4%) over his first six games in Detroit, and he's chipped in three sacks and two tackles for loss over that stretch.


But his numbers, mostly due to less time on the field, have dipped recently. Smith's first three games with the Lions saw him play 75.9% of available defensive snaps and log 17 pressures. His next three contests featured him only playing 49.5% of the available snaps, and he notched 11 pressures in those opportunties; his win rate also dropped 7.1%, going from 21.4% to 14.3% in those seperate three-game stretches.

Maybe the Lions decreased Smith's load to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Well, here we go.


Be the league's best O-line

It'd be disingenuous to say Detroit's offensive line is having a bad season. That's not true — the Lions have one of the NFL's best rushing attacks in terms of yards per game for a reason, and Jared Goff hasn't gotten beat up to the degree some other quarterbacks have — but it might be fair to highlight the fact the unit isn't playing like the league's best unit, which it's often touted as being.

With the defense still figuring out how to navigate injuries, it'll likely be up to the offense to win a couple of shootouts if the Lions want to make a push for the Super Bowl. Keeping Goff upright will, obviously, be a big part of that, especially against a Vikings team that consistently got in Goff's face in their first matchup in October.


Goff was pressured on 58.6% of his dropbacks versus Minnesota in Week 7. For reference, when removing the data from that October clash, Goff has been pressured 30.1% of the time heading into a Week 17 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

In a loss to the Bills, Goff was pressured on 35.9% of his dropbacks, the second-highest rate of the season. The third-highest rate (32.8%) came in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.


Take the ball away

The Lions started the season on an unreal streak, hauling in interceptions in each of their first 10 games. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph were huge in that, jumping in front of four and seven passes, respectively. Linebacker Trevor Nowaske added one interception against the Tennessee Titans, and cornerback Carlton Davis III tallied two against the Houston Texans.

But the Lions have gone cold. They were unable to get an interception in Weeks 12-16, but it hasn't been due to a lack of being around the ball; Detroit has 19 pass deflections since Week 12. Interceptions are often fickle, but the Lions need to again start coming away with turnovers when they get their hands on an opponent's pass attempt.


rsilva@detroitnews.com

@rich_silva18

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/30/emmanuel-moseley-lions-nfl-49ers/77295545007/

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/30/lions-niners-predictions-monday-night-football-nfl-week-17/77291444007/

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/12/30/lions-49ers-dan-campbell/77297206007/

[Sanders Fan]

Gibbs was #2 and Goff was #5.

[chemiclord]

Remember when Gibbs was a horrible reach at #12, and a consolation prize for missing out on Bijan Robinson?

[froot loops]

Positional value!

[chemiclord]

Oh, and let's not forget, a terrible mistake trading down and missing out on Jalen Carter to draft a running back at #12.

[whatever_gong82]

Pride of Detroit Direct
by Jeremy Reisman



Before we get into the newsletter this week, IT’S EXCLUSIVE MAILBAG WEEK! Send in your questions by replying to this email, and myself and Erik Schlitt will answer your questions via a mailbag podcast video that is exclusive to Pride of Detroit Direct subscribers.

Thanks and have a happy new year!

Onto the show.


Will the Lions defense eventually sink them?

I hate to open a Victory Tuesday newsletter with a bit of a downer, but I went into Monday night looking for two things: an injury-free game and some signs of progress for Detroit’s defense. Safe to say, I only got one of those things in the Lions’ 40-34 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

I hate to say it, but it really does seem like the injuries have reached a breaking point with the defense, and that’s no clearer than looking at this DVOA chart of Detroit’s weekly defensive performances (via Aaron Schatz of FTN Fantasy).


The Lions’ last defensive apex happened in Week 11 against the Jaguars–which just so happened to be Alex Anzalone’s last game for the Lions. Since then, the Lions have lost Ennis Rakestraw (Week 11), Malcolm Rodriguez (Week 12), Mekhi Wingo (Week 12), Alim McNeill (Week 15), and Carlton Davis (Week 15) all to injured reserve trips – joining the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Barnes, John Cominsky, Marcus Davenport, and–what am I doing? You’ve already seen this list a million times.

If you’re more of a numbers guy, here’s where the Lions rank since Week 12 in several statistics:


156 points allowed (26.0 per game) – 26th

102.9 passer rating allowed – 27th

4.7 yards per carry allowed – 24th

0.127 EPA/play allowed – 28th

46.3% success rate allowed – 21st

93.6% DVOA – 30th


In short, the Lions defense is really bad right now, and Dan Campbell knows it. When asked about the defensive performance after the 49ers game, this was his answer (emphasis is mine):


“Do you want to play a little better? Yeah you do in areas,” Campbell said. “But we calmed some things down in the second half, AG (Aaron Glenn) and those guys did a good job. And we talked about: disruption and takeaways, and we got those. That’s the world we’ve got to live in.”

That last line says it all for me. Campbell knows this defense isn’t going to give them great down-to-down play. He knows it’ll have to be sporadic big plays that carry the entire unit. Sacks, turnovers, red zone efficiency, and third down defense. That’s exactly how they managed last year, and it’ll be how they have to do so again this season.


Unfortunately, the disruption numbers are nowhere near where they were last year. In the final six games of the 2023 regular season, the Lions produced 18 sacks and forced 11 turnovers. In the last six games of this season, Detroit has just 10 sacks and five takeaways. The return of Ifeatu Melifonwu has helped–Detroit has four sacks and four takeaways in their last two games–but they’re still searching for a consistent force of disruption in the wake of losing half their defensive starters. Kerby Joseph could be that guy, but his two interceptions on Monday were the team’s first picks since the Jaguars game in Week 11.


The Lions need a hero to arise on defense, and they need it quick.

Could it be Alex Anzalone?


It may have to be. The Lions aren’t likely to get any more reinforcements back. While Anzalone doesn’t produce a lot of disruption plays–he has 10.5 career sacks and three interceptions over eight seasons–he could calm down the rest of Detroit’s defense.


The Lions have been absolutely killed by play-action in Anzalone’s absence due to a severe lack of discipline from the second level. You saw it against the Buffalo Bills, and you saw it again from the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Against the 49ers, they allowed 139 passing yards (29th in Week 17) and a touchdown against play action. The week prior against the Bears, it was 102 yards (27th) and a touchdown. Against the Bills, it was 132 passing yards (32nd). Yet for the season, the Lions defense actually ranks first in EPA/play allowed on play action passes (-0.11) and averages only 64.4 yards per game on play-action passes.

Can all that be cured by Anzalone’s return? Probably not. Detroit has not been very disciplined on the defensive front, either. But at the same time, look at some of the PFF overall and coverage grades of Lions linebackers since Anzalone’s injury (Weeks 12-16):


Ezekiel Turner: 59.1 overall grade (56th out of 86), 44.2 coverage grade (74th)

David Long: 54.0 overall grade (66th), 58.9 coverage grade (43rd)

Ben Niemann: 48.3 overall grade (77th), 39.7 coverage grade (79th)

That doesn’t include Kwon Alexander (34.8 overall, 29.6 coverage), who hasn’t played enough to qualify for PFF ranking.


But with Anzalone and Jack Campbell ideally taking the majority of the reps moving forward (and Reeves-Maybin being the primary reserve), there should be no reason for these players to see the field. Anzalone, by the way, ranks 24th in overall PFF grade (66.8) and FIFTH in coverage grade (72.2). So, yes, his return will be a big deal.

So, please, get well soon, Alex.


Jared Goff’s unbelievable season

By Brett Whitefield, owner and COO of Fantasy Points
*Before we dive in, remember that all data cited in this section is provided exclusively by Fantasy Points Data Suite - right now you can get 25% off of a Data Suite subscription by using our exclusive promo code POD25.


Jared Goff the MVP Candidate

The 2024 NFL season is the year of the QB. At least for the top-tier upper echelon QBs that have all put up gaudy, ridiculous numbers. QBs Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow have put up extra terrestrial numbers and in a normal year, all of their seasons would be considered slam dunk MVP years. Jared Goff is in that group as well and in my opinion, the argument for Goff as MVP is clear. Does this mean he will win? No. But it definitely isn’t a thought you should turn your nose up to.

First off, Goff has broken all kinds of insane NFL records and franchise records. Let's take a look at some of the more recent accolades.


-First player in Lions history to throw for 3 TDs in 4 straight games.

-NFL record 11 games with a completion % of 70.0 or higher.

-Joined Tom Brady as the only QB with 8 games of a completion of 75.0% or higher.

-NFL record 9 games with a passer rating over 110.0.

-Lead the Lions to the most prolific offensive season in franchise history. Most points scored, most first downs and yards gained.

-Lead the Lions offense to at least 20 points in every single game for the first time in Lions history.


Outside of one game against the Houston Texans, Goff has put up wild numbers and is easily playing the best football of his career. Goff has proven he has a PHD in the QB minutia I care about most and quite frankly, is probably the NFL standard for winning from the pocket. His incredible pin-point ball location and decision making is incredible. Perhaps my favorite thing about Goff is his situational awareness. His pre-snap processing is second to none. He always gets the guys into the right play and the right protection. How many times do you see a free-rusher come clean on a blitz? Almost never. As I watch every snap each week across the league I can tell you this is rare. This is all Goff and these small details of QB play are lacking across the league.


One of the worst arguments people make for MVP candidacy is the raw, empty stats arguments. Take Goff’s NFC North counterpart Sam Darnold, for example. Darnold is also having a gaudy season statistically but the numbers don’t match the quality of play on the field. For example, Darnold has taken 51 sacks this season despite being one of the least pressured QBs in the NFL. We have held Darnold responsible for the 4th most sacks in the league. Furthermore, he leads the NFL in turnover worthy plays with 24. Compare it to Goff, who almost never takes any unnecessary sacks and is top-five in the NFL in turnover play rate (as in not many of them). Goff also smokes Darnold in some advanced passing metrics like highly-accurate throw rate where Goff ranks fourth (55.5%) and Darnold ranks 17th (51.4%).

Unfortunately for Goff, the Houston game is a blight on the resume. Many voters likely view that game as a disqualifying effort, despite the fact the Lions won the game and that Goff was truly only responsible for one of his five interceptions in that game. However, I think the mark of a true MVP caliber effort is how someone bounces back from the lowest of lows. Let's look at Goff’s performance since the Houston game.


-Leads NFL in passing yards (2318), passing TDs (20), and passer rating (121.9).

-Avg. 331 passing yards per game with just 1 interception thrown!

-Leads NFL in adjusted net yards per attempt (9.42). 2nd place was down at 9.01.

-Ranks 5th in high-accurate throw rate (59.9%) and catchable ball rate (78.1%).

-Ranks 3rd in turn-over-worthy throw rate (1.1%).


Goff has been elite or better in just about every game this season and has absolutely carried this team down the stretch when the defense has faltered (due to injury) and the OL hasn’t played their best. Where would the Lions be without Jared Goff?


VIDEO: Jeremy and Erik recap the Lions’ win over the 49ers

 

[DanO]

"Remember when Gibbs was a horrible reach at #12, and a consolation prize for missing out on Bijan Robinson?"
-------------------------------Oh I remember it well. I've said/written I want those idiot draft ex[erts and pindits to make a public apology to the Lions for their idiotic opion on the matter.

[El Axe]

Remember when Gibbs was a horrible reach at #12, and a consolation prize for missing out on Bijan Robinson?

I remember being surprised because it was clear by their actions that they considered Gibbs at least the same value as Bijan if not better. I thought Gibbs size and subsequent difficulty blocking would turn off the Lions. Bijan has also been a stud, but Gibbs' speed is really a special weapon and his blocking is better than I thought.

He had that really nice blitz pickup Monday night. He had to throw his entire body into that LB to keep him off Goff.

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2025/01/01/detroit-lions-undefeated-road-record-has-them-prepped-for-playoffs/77379381007/

[whatever_gong82]

The Athletic

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6028409/2024/12/31/bears-coaching-search-ben-johnson-lions/

Chasing the Lions and impressing Ben Johnson requires changes from the Bears


Adam Jahns
Dec 31, 2024


If the Chicago Bears are going to woo Ben Johnson away from the Detroit Lions, then chairman George McCaskey and president/CEO Kevin Warren must learn where their rival’s turnaround began. They have to know why the Lions hired Chris Spielman.

Before Detroit hired general manager Brad Holmes or head coach Dan Campbell, principal owner/chair Sheila Ford Hamp and team president/CEO Rod Wood brought in Spielman, a former Lions All-Pro linebacker, a fan favorite and a longtime broadcaster for Fox at the time.


Spielman’s official title? Special assistant to the president/chairperson.

“Hamp told Spielman this mission — the fixing of the unfixable — had become personal for her,” The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner wrote in September 2023. “She asked him for help and told him that, with trust and communication, they could give Detroit its football team back for the first time in 75 years.”



Spielman — whose brother, Rick, was the Minnesota Vikings’ GM from 2012 to 2021 — didn’t want to be the Lions’ GM. He just wanted to help the team that drafted him and that he loved.


“I do know what works and what doesn’t work by being 30 years in this business and traveling around to 32 teams, year in and year out, and having a brother in the business — watching and learning, conversations with him about what works for him, what doesn’t work, to be able to build what our goal is,” Spielman told reporters after he was hired.

The Lions did what the Bears have never done under McCaskey. They asked one of their beloved players for help in an official capacity. Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders was also part of the Lions’ three-person search committee.


Chris Spielman, special assistant to the Lions’ president/chairperson, has been a key figure in the Lions’ turnaround. (Junfu Han / USA Today Network)
Under McCaskey’s leadership, the Bears have had eight losing seasons and two playoff games in 13 years. The Bears’ next coach will be McCaskey’s sixth since firing Lovie Smith after the 2012 season. Ryan Poles is McCaskey’s third GM, and Warren is his second president. Caleb Williams is the Bears’ third quarterback drafted in the first round since McCaskey has taken over.


If the Bears aren’t going to hire a president of football operations — which McCaskey has long opposed — adding someone like Spielman almost makes too much sense. This isn’t the same as hiring Ernie Accorsi or Bill Polian as consultants and allowing them to run the team’s searches and have significant influence.

The Bears need someone who knows what it means to be a Bear, what it’s like to play in this city when things are good or bad, has experience dealing with the media and more.


As Jon Greenberg wrote in a recent column, there are plenty of former Bears players to turn to for help. It’s easy to put together a list of options: Tom Waddle, Jim Miller, Olin Kreutz, Charles Tillman, Gary Fencik, Tom Thayer, etc.

But it would still be surprising if the Bears made such a move.



The Lions turned to their past in Spielman to move forward. Similar to the Bears right now, the Lions were a mess when Spielman was hired on Dec. 15, 2020. The Lions fired coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn earlier in November. Detroit was 31-43-1 under Quinn, including 13-29-1 with Patricia.


Firing Poles would require McCaskey’s approval. He is the one who hired Poles in 2022. If the Bears haven’t done so already, they will have to decide soon whether to extend Poles’ contract before they begin interviewing candidates to replace Matt Eberflus.

All of this matters when it comes to appealing to Johnson, who will be the most coveted offensive-minded candidate on the market.


Johnson was hired in 2019 by Patricia as the Lions’ offensive quality control coach. He was later retained by Campbell in 2021 as the Lions’ tight ends coach before being promoted to passing game coordinator and taking over as the play caller after Anthony Lynn was fired.

In other words, Johnson knows what changed for things to work in Detroit. He has gone from worst to first because of it.


Five days after defeating the Bears at Soldier Field with “Stumble Bum” and more, Johnson revealed that in addition to some assistant coaches, Spielman has provided ideas for trick plays.

“That’s every week,” Johnson told reporters on Dec. 27. “Chris Spielman’s the same way. He’s just all over the place. And so we’ve got to dial them back a little bit.”


Johnson smiled when he said that.

“The best part of what we do is the head coach (Campbell) knows no bounds, and so he wants to push the limits as much as anybody,” Johnson said. “And when you’ve got a guy leading the charge like that, the rest of us are, ‘Oh, really, you want to do that? All right, all right, we’ll give it a try.’”


How does Johnson say no to Spielman?

“Very gently,” Johnson said, smiling, then laughing.



That could be an example of the organizational alignment Johnson is seeking. Do the Bears have that in place for him? It’s the most important question McCaskey and Warren have to be asking themselves before their search begins.


In March this year, the Lions announced that Spielman received a multiyear extension.

“In his current role, Spielman helps across the organization and has been an integral part of re-establishing a culture that he embodied on the field for the Lions,” the team said in a statement.


Neither Accorsi nor Polian could do that for the Bears as consultants. In 2016, Detroit hired Quinn after using Accorsi, the former GM of the New York Giants. A year before helping the Lions, Accorsi led the Bears’ searches that led to GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox. Accorsi later helped the Giants in 2017 with their next GM search, which ended in the hiring of Dave Gettleman. None of those GMs is still running an NFL team.


Having Spielman around full-time is different. Johnson knows that. Warren could learn about Spielman’s value from Spielman’s brother. Rick Spielman and Warren worked together in Minnesota from 2006 to 2019.

Everything still starts and ends with McCaskey, though. The onus is on McCaskey again to make the right changes at Halas Hall that can lead to different results on the field.



Adam L. Jahns covers the Chicago Bears as a senior writer for The Athletic. He previously worked at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he started in 2005 and covered the Blackhawks (2009-12) and Bears (2012-19). He co-hosts the "Hoge & Jahns" podcast. Follow Adam on Twitter @adamjahns