Lions OC Ben Johnson Training Camp Day #4 Presser
That's PFF's #1 ranked NFL Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson updating the status of the install and progress of various players, La Porta, St. Brown, Gibbs:
Also, David Montgomery's impressions of his new team, best-in-class coordinator and "one of the best, if not the best offensive line. No, the best offensive line in the league."
This year could be the best ever for Michigan and Detroit Lions football fans.
We're living in wild times. Lets enjoy the ride....and then expect hell to freeze over if both teams really are at or near the top when the season is over.!
Campbell, Johnson and Glenn look like top flight coaches. But the guy who should stand front and center is Brad Holmes. Look at the roster today compared to the day Holmes walked in the door. Just an amazing turnaround. You can't coach a winner if you don't have the players.
Johnson looks like a top flight OC. Campbell may well prove to be "the answer," but anointing him as top flight seems too early. The defense was horrible last year although did trend upward. With the personnel there, hard to get any gauge on Glenn. Should learn a lot more about him and Campbell this year.
It didn't just trend up. It was night and day different. From historic worst to a top 10 unit.
Agree on Holmes, both for the roster work and hiring MCDC. I agree also with swn, Johnson is driving a lot of the team's success. Initially, I had doubts about Campbell. Former teammate Tony Romo called him a meathead on national TV, not the highest praise you'd like for your team's head coach. But what he might lack in one area he seems to be making up for with passion and GRIT. And to your point, the defense did improve under Glenn.
Should be a great year for both the Maize and Blue & the Honolulu Blue.
Holmes didn't hire MCDC. Sheila did. Holmes was hired simultaneously with Campbell. Unusual way of doing things but it sure looks like Holmes and Campbell get along.
As for Glenn, I am reminded of Sparky Anderson's definition of a good manager..."If he's got good players does he win?" I was overly kind above in my assessment of Glenn to date. Glenn's personnel that first year was epically bad. Better the second year and now it's good. So now its put up time.
Point taken. We should probably give Campbell some credit for the roster as well. Like Coach Harbaugh they both put a premium on guys who love football.
To your point on Holmes though, that Stafford trade was genius.
What MCDC does is surround himself with good, competent people and inspire them and the team.
Perfect guy for the job.
Lions fan July optimism is always nice to see. I hope this year is truly different for all of you long-suffering fans.
I think the question we need to ask what is the threshold for success for the Lions or better yet, what would allow Lions fans or haters to accept that they may be an average (or possibly good) team.
I think with all the optimism anything less than a playoff win would be considered a disappointment.
Blau, for me it's a minimum of a 10-7 regular season record and a playoff win would be gravy.
I do believe this could be an 11 or 12 win season, the defense got way better in the 2ns half of the season and the offense will be at least as good with continuity and higher upside RB's.
Jameson Williams needs to stop being a knucklehead, that would help.
My biggest thing is winning the NFC North and winning a playoff game. Much like my threshold for success for Michigan used to be beating OSU and winning the B1G to finally end both droughts; now that they’ve done it twice, I can adjust my expectations to winning a CFP game & getting to the national title game. All I want right now for the Lions is to win the division & win a damn playoff game to end both droughts.
I 100% agree with this and I think most Lions fans are right there with you.
Lifelong Detroit sports fan here. I'm in my mid-50s. I don't hate the SOLs. I just stopped caring about them 15-20 years ago. They have done nothing to earn my loyalty and it's not worth the time to watch or pay attention to them. They have won one playoff game in my lifetime. They have never won their 4 team division. They have never sniffed a Super Bowl. I struggle to find a sports franchise that has a worse say:do ratio than the SOLs. Every year at this time it's always, "this year is gonna be the year" and it isn't. Best case the SOLs will get off to a fast start, struggle down the stretch, back their way into a wildcard and get killed by a real team in the first round. Why waste your time?
I really don't get the Lions hype. This looks like a 9-win team at best. There are still lots of holes on defense and no proven RB.
Montgomery is proven and Gibbs is a home run waiting to happen. Lots of depth behind both of them too (Reynolds, Ibrahim, Jefferson, Jackson)
their pretty stacked at TE too (Laporta, Wright, Mitchell, Zylstra)
im most worried about WR since Jamo got suspended but they’ve patched over that decently with Antoine Green and getting Denzel Mims from the jets…..
They had 9 wins last year and got a lot better in the back end on D. Upgraded RB, TE, and OL.
I think they get 10 wins in the regular season, win a relatively weak Norris Division, and a home playoff game. Mostly because Ben Johnson is a stud OC.
win a relatively weak Norris Division
I’d love to win the Chuck Norris division but I feel like he might take issue with being called “relatively weak”
They won 9 last year and clearly improved in the offseason. They might win less this year, but 9 is absolutely not the ceiling
Looking at the schedule I would hope 9-8 would be the floor. I think 11-6 is not unreasonable.
Games I think they have a better than 50% chance to win:
Seahawks, Falcons, Packers(A), Panthers, Bucs, Raiders, Bears(H), Packers(H), Broncos, Vikings(H)
Toss-ups:
Bears(A), Vikings(A), Cowboys, Saints
Less than 50% chance to win:
Chiefs, Ravens, Chargers
they win some they should not and lose some they should not every year. Clearly I am a Lions slappy but U/O at 9.5 give me the over.
Go Lions! I will be there for the Falcons!
Chargers are overrated. The Houston oilers of our age.
Parents: talk to your children about the dangers of Lions optimism. It can affect children and adult children of any age.