The mood in Lions country—a real place, somewhere south of Detroit perhaps—was palpably different on Tuesday evening. Relaxed, eased, satiated. After weeks of panic, panic and a little more panic, the terror that all could be undone by the departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was put to rest.
It’s no surprise what caused such consternation: Johnson has earned accolades across the NFL for his offensive prowess. At such a young point in his coaching career he turned the 2022 Detroit Lions into an offensive juggernaut. However, such came with a price for Detroit fans, as they had to worry it could all be ripped away by a league hungry for young offensive-minded head coaches.