The Ben Johnson narrative is lazy as hell and here is why
The internet decided the Detroit Lions offense fell apart without Ben Johnson. Social media crowned us “Ben Johnson merchants” after Chicago made the playoffs and we sat at home. The idea that this offense collapsed because Johnson left for the Bears sounds clean and simple and gets clicks, which is probably why it will not go away.
It also does not survive contact with actual facts.
Drew Petzing is the new offensive coordinator now. Training camp is coming. And before everyone loses their minds over what this offense can or cannot do without Johnson, let’s get some things straight.
Yes, Ben Johnson was really damn good
Nobody is arguing otherwise. The Lions offense in 2024 with Johnson calling plays was an all-time unit. First in points per game. Second in total yards per game. Second in passing yards per game. Third in rushing yards per game. Second in yards per play. First in first downs. Fourth in third down percentage. Third in red zone touchdown percentage. Second in EPA per play. First in success rate.
That is not good. That is historically dominant.
But the idea that losing Johnson was the primary reason the offense took a step back in 2025 ignores literally everything else that happened.
The offensive line got nuked from orbit
Ben Johnson leaving was probably the fifth worst thing that happened to this offense in 2025. Maybe sixth.
Frank Ragnow retired abruptly. Ragnow himself admitted recently that retirement was not the original plan. The Lions did not know it was coming until summer when there was nothing left to do about it. Then Kevin Zeitler left. Graham Glasgow slid over to center despite never starting there full time. Christian Mahogany (playing one game in formal rookie year where he did not participate at training camp and 75% of the season essentially made 2025 his rookie year) and Tate Ratledge, both rookies, got thrown into the fire. Taylor Decker spent the entire season on the injury report and eventually started getting the Ragnow treatment, sitting out one practice day per week just to make it to Sunday.
And that was just the starting point.
Sam LaPorta went down about halfway through the season. Then Brock Wright went down. The Lions were rolling with Anthony Firkser at tight end. Glasgow got hurt, forcing Kingsley Eguakun and Trystan Colon into the lineup at center. Decker got hurt, and Giovanni Manu and Dan Skipper had to start at left tackle. Detroit finished 31st in adjusted games lost to injury. They were one of the most injured teams in recent NFL history.
You want to talk about Ben Johnson? Talk about that first.
The numbers still held up anyway
Despite all of that, the Lions offense in 2025 still finished fifth in points per game. Fifth in total yards per game. Third in passing yards per game. 13th in rushing yards per game. Third in yards per play. 11th in first downs. Eighth in red zone touchdown percentage. 15th in sacks allowed. Sixth in EPA per play. Sixth in success rate.
The drop offs in rushing yards and sacks allowed tell the story of a decimated offensive line, not a missing coordinator.
Take the best offensive line in football, which is what everyone called the 2024 group, strip it down to spare parts, and the Lions still produced a top six offense. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Context is not an excuse, it is reality
People love to bring up the Vikings game as evidence that Jared Goff cannot win big games. In that game, Goff had Kingsley Eguakun grading out at 39.5 on PFF, Dan Skipper at left tackle (now retired), and Kayode Awosika rotating in because someone else got hurt. Penei Sewell and Ratledge were the only two healthy linemen.
Context matters.
The best quarterback or the best offense in the world is going to look worse when half the unit is injured. Next man up is a nice motivational phrase coaches use, but the next man up is not as good as your starter. That is why he is not starting.
Some people tried to cherry pick the Lions losses, pointing out Detroit averaged 18.7 points in seven of their eight losses. You can mold the story any way you want if you remove the right games and add in the right ones. The Lions averaged 19.3 points per game in their losses, which ranked 12th in the league. The Bears, for the record, averaged 22.6 in their losses. Not an absurd gap. And the Lions still finished with a better offense than Chicago in nearly every statistical category.
This is not a Ben Johnson story
This is a story about a roster that got gutted by injuries, lost its offensive line anchor with no warning, and still fielded a top five scoring offense.
Drew Petzing is running things now. The roster is healthier. The offensive line has actual depth again. If this offense takes another step forward, the narrative will shift overnight. If it struggles, the Ben Johnson crowd will get louder.
Either way, let’s see how it plays out before we crown anyone or bury anyone.
Did Ben Johnson carry this offense or did injuries sink it? Drop your take below before training camp starts and we all forget this conversation ever happened.
