Ben Johnson was just plain showing off auditioning in front of Bears

The Detroit Lions have restored the roar under the guidance of head coach Dan Campbell and his coaching staff.

The Lions have been one of the league’s most dominant teams during the 2024 season. When all three phases of the game work together in harmony, the Lions have been unstoppable. Their league-leading 194-point differential through 15 games is a whopping 59 points higher than the next closest team, per Stat Muse.

Detroit’s defense has been versatile and the special teams unit has been opportunistic, but the offense has been downright dominant. The Lions have treated opposing defensive like prey, and they’ve constantly played with their food before the kill. 

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has drawn up hook-and-ladder plays to offensive tackle Penei Sewell, passing touchdowns for running back David Montgomery and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and a receiving touchdown for quarterback Jared Goff and offensive tackle Dan Skipper. Even Lions punter Jack Fox completed a perfectly placed 17-yard pass on a fake punt play from Detroit’s own 20-yard line.

Ben Johnson showcased more trickery against Bears

Johnson is expected to be among the top candidates for the Chicago Bears head coaching vacancy, and he used the matchup against Chicago to showcase his offensive wizardry. While holding a 27-14 lead early in the third quarter, Johnson dialed up another trick play to put the finishing touches on the Lions’ victory.

Facing a first-and-10 from just outside the red zone, quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jahmyr Gibbs put on their best acting performance. Goff pretended to stumble backward after taking the snap from under center, while Gibbs took two steps before intentionally diving onto the turf. Their acting was assisted by players repeatedly yelling “ball,” which is typically used to alert teammates of a fumble. 

The performance froze Chicago’s defense long enough for Lions tight end Sam LaPorta to sneak past the secondary, and Goff immediately found him in the end zone for an easy 21-yard touchdown.

Detroit notched their 13th win of the season, a new franchise record, with a dominant 34-17 outing against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The Lions are kings of the proverbial jungle. They sit atop the NFC standings with a 13-2 record heading into the final two games of the regular season, but the divisional race for the NFC North crown will come down to the wire. The Minnesota Vikings currently hold the same record as Detroit, but the Lions currently come out on top due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Despite the team’s injuries, the Lions’ top-ranked scoring offense has kept hope alive for their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.