The Green Bay Packers are having an excellent season and will punch their ticket to the playoffs with a victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. However, the NFC North is historically good this year, which means the Packers could win 12 games and still finish third in the division.
Dan Campbell deservedly gets a ton of credit for turning the Detroit Lions into arguably the best team in football, but it's offensive coordinator Ben Johnson designing their creative and unstoppable offense.
The good news? The Lions are about to become a victim of their own success, as Johnson is arguably the hottest head coach candidate in the upcoming cycle.
From regularly using hook-and-ladder play designs to throwing a touchdown pass to an offensive tackle to even faking a botched snap, Johnson is as creative as any coordinator in the league, and he is highly successful.
Under Johnson, Detroit's offense averages 408.6 yards per game (No. 2 in the NFL), 264.7 passing yards (No. 2), 143.9 rushing yards (No. 6), and 32.9 points (No. 1) per contest. They also ranked inside the top five for those categories in 2023.
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The Lions would miss Johnson, who has quickly established himself as one of the best offensive minds and play-callers in the league. However, his potential landing spot could make things even worse for the Packers.
Ben Johnson is 'intrigued' by the Bears' head coach vacancy
Johnson leaving the Lions? Good news. Johnson leaving the Lions to stay in the NFC North and take the Bears' head coach job? Uh, yeah, not so good news.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Johnson to Chicago is in play.
"My understanding is Johnson is intrigued by the Bears' job, and he is going to be willing to listen," said Pelissero. "There's a lot to like in Chicago, with Caleb Williams, tons of cap space, extra draft resources, also a major market. They are expected to break ground on a new stadium next year. Team president Kevin Warren has a lot of connections around the league from his several decades in pro and college football."
The Lions wouldn't be the same without Johnson, so that's a win for the Packers, but they still boast an incredibly talented roster and would remain the team to beat in the NFC North. But Johnson has the potential to transform the Bears and elevate Caleb Williams' play.
Williams has a lot to improve, but he has shown All-Pro potential at times in his rookie year. It might take time, but pairing him with one of the league's best offensive minds could help Williams maximize his potential. Chicago has the cap space to invest heavily in its offensive line, the offense's biggest issue this season.
It's the Bears, so we can assume they will mess it up somewhere along the line. But if Johnson shows serious interest in their vacant head-coaching job, they should put him near the top of the list. Another candidate to watch is Mike Vrabel.
Chicago often goes for a defensive-minded coach, and Vrabel would continue that trend. It adds pressure on finding a great offensive coordinator, which itself creates a lose-lose scenario. Either the coordinator is so good that they get a head coach job (See: Johnson, Ben), or they're bad enough that no team has any interest in them. Either way, they lose.
But hiring an offensive genius to pair with your No. 1 overall pick at quarterback? That's the kind of smart decision the Bears don't typically make.
If they make it happen, it could spell disaster for the Packers and the rest of the NFC North.