The Detroit Lions‘ defense has been the biggest issue for the Detroit Lions in 2026. So, it was interesting to see the reaction from Emmanuel Acho after the Lions’ 41-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills end up being pointed to the teams loss at offensive coordinator.
Acho declared that Lions head coach Dan Campbell is not the same coach without his offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson.
“Dan Campbell, without Ben Johnson, is nothing. It’s a fish without gills, a bird without wings, a lion without teeth. Ben Johnson ended the Lions’ tenure of being an exciting and legitimate football team.”
– @EmmanuelAcho SOUNDS OFF on Dan Campbell following the Lions’ disappointing 41-31 loss to the Bills
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It is fair that Johnson and the Chicago Bears have had more success since he left than Campbell and the Lions have. Acho notes that despite the offense putting up 62 points in two games, they still get some blame.
Detroit Lions Exposed Without Ben Johnson
Acho noted that the team is currently too reliant on running back Jahmyr Gibbs. It has hurt the team’s ability to come out firing.
“Amon-Ra St. Brown was one of the best wide receivers in all of football, and he had no catches through nearly the whole first quarter, if I am not mistaken,” said Acho. “You have other players besides Jahmyr Gibbs; use them. You have Jameson Williams, you have Amon-Ra St. Brown, you have LaPorta. Use your other individuals as well, please.”
St. Brown did finish the game with nine receptions for 142 yards, but did not record a catch in the first quarter. So far this season, Gibbs has 56 touches. Meanwhile, St. Brown has 27 targets, LaPorta has 15, and Williams has 13. No other skill player has more than six targets or five touches. The other three skill players have been targeted 55 times. The team has put the ball in Gibbs’ hands 56 times. So, the offense runs through those three, but primarily through Gibbs.
Lions Offense Has Started Slow
One of the biggest critiques quarterback Jared Goff had of the offense after the game was the inability to start fast. The team got down 21-0 in Week 2 and had two straight drives end within the first three plays.
In Week 1, they scored in the first quarter, but took just seven points into halftime. Detroit has been able to score, but they are doing so as the game progresses. Against a team like Buffalo, they cannot afford to get down early.
Still, this seems a bit misguided overall. The offense has been efficient. This is the first year with a new offensive coordinator, and the group looks as explosive, if not more, than the year prior.
Ben Johnson is a great coach, but he does not coach the defense, and that is the unit that hurt the team. They led 24-10 against the Saints. The defense gave up more than 40 points.
Acho was able to find a few facts that support his claim, and the team would be better with Johnson. Still, they fired their offensive coordinator after one year and kept Kelvin Sheppard for a second-year. Right now, the issue might be overconfidence in the name who replaced Aaron Glenn, not Johnson.
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