Getty DJ Chark while playing with Jacksonville in 2020.
The Detroit Lions took a gamble and promoted from within at offensive coordinator this offseason, but as the team and Dan Campbell saw it, the decision wasn’t that much of a roll of the dice given what Ben Johnson brings to the mix.
Johnson was seen as a coach who could offer the team something different when all was said and done given the way Detroit trended down the stretch. That was the good news for the Lions, and they kept those good feelings rolling heading into this season.
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The Lions brought wideout DJ Chark in to be a centerpiece of that offense in Detroit, and already, the player is seeing some of the positives in the new wrinkles on old concepts that Johnson has introduced to the team. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, May 11, Chark explained that Johnson has offered some interesting things to the Lions already for 2022.
DJ Chark on his first impressions of Ben Johnson’s scheme: “It’s pretty impressive. It’s a lot of the staples – I’ve had four different coordinators in my four years – but it’s a lot of variations of those staple plays that are pretty cool, that I haven’t necessarily seen.”
“DJ Chark on his first impressions of Ben Johnson’s scheme: “It’s pretty impressive. It’s a lot of the staples – I’ve had four different coordinators in my four years – but it’s a lot of variations of those staple plays that are pretty cool, that I haven’t necessarily seen,” Chark told the media as shown in Burke’s tweet.
In the NFL, different can often be the key to success, so Johnson getting off to a great start with regards to this is big news for the team. Seeing Chark, who was a relative outsider until a few months ago single this out is good for the team.
Johnson’s Coaching Resume Entering 2022
Amon-Ra St. Brown Sees ‘Significant’ Changes With Lions’ Offense
Chark isn’t the only one taking note of what Johnson has to offer as a play caller early on this offseason. Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown was also asked his opinion of where things are at, and explained that early on, things feel like they are different with Johnson in the mix full-time in the coordinator role for 2022. He told the media including Justin Rogers of the Detroit News that the change is very evident already.
Amon-Ra St. Brown said the offense is significantly different with Ben Johnson fully in the coordinator role now.
“Amon-Ra St. Brown said the offense is significantly different with Ben Johnson fully in the coordinator role now,” Rogers tweeted.
Last season, St. Brown produced down the stretch with multiple different folks calling the shots. He started with Anthony Lynn, who was eventually demoted midseason and replaced by Campbell. Everyone knows now that Johnson was a big part of helping Campbell plan week in and week out which helped him earn the gig. It just so happens that coincided with St. Brown’s meteoric rise at the end of 2021.
Keeping players like St. Brown and Chark happy will go a long way toward the Lions having a successful 2022 season.
Johnson’s Coaching Resume Entering 2022
Right now, Johnson isn’t a name that is well-known for Lions fans, which is hardly a surprise. The tight ends coach has been in the background for a while now while putting together his career, but looking beyond that, nobody can deny the experience he has piled up thus far whatsoever. Johnson got his start in the league in 2012 with Miami as a offensive assistant after playing quarterback in college for North Carolina. During 2013-15 Johnson was Miami’s assistant quarterback coach. When 2015 came, he was promoted to tight ends coach during the season. From 2016-2017, Johnson was an assistant wideout coach where he helped Jarvis Landry become an elite wideout given 22 total scores in his career there. In 2018 before he departed, Albert Wilson was mentored for success as well with 4 touchdowns, which remains his career high.
Johnson joined the Lions in 2020 under Matt Patricia and immediately helped T.J. Hockenson with his development. This past season, he was given more influence over the team’s offense and helped Campbell with game planning and schematics down the stretch. Now that Johnson has been promoted, he is clearly putting a big imprint on what the Lions will do in 2022.
Early on, the changes are drawing some praise from some notable centerpieces of the team’s offense during the offseason program. That fact could ensure Johnson is on way more radars during the impending season.
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