It’s that time of the NFL season when coaches are fired and new faces are hired, all while the playoffs are ongoing.
Arguably the biggest name of them all, former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has a new home with the Chicago Bears. If you had asked me just a few days ago if I thought he’d stay in the NFC North, it’d be a hard no. However, I was painfully wrong and Johnson will remain in the same division.
kAm*@F 42?’E 96=A 3FE 2AAC64:2E6 E96 >@G6 7C@> E96 q62CD’ DE2?5A@:?E] x >62?[ E96 7C2?49:D6 92D AC24E:42==J 366? :? =:>3@ 7@C >J 6?E:C6 =:76] ~776?D:G6=J E96 A62< @7 E96 DBF25 H2D y2J rF=E6C 5FC:?8 9:D E6?FC6] }@H[ E96J 92G6 @?6 @7 E96 36DE BF2CE6C324< AC@DA64ED 2?5 2? @776?D:G6 8FCF 2E E96 9625 @7 E96 @A6C2E:@?D] pC6 E96 q62CD ?@H $FA6C q@H= 4@?E6?56CDn }@[ 3FE E96J 2C6 :? 2 A@D:E:@? E@ H:? >@C6 82>6D 2?5 56G6=@A r2=63 (:==:2>D :?E@ 2 BF2=:EJ BF2CE6C324<]k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J 7@C E96 {:@?D[ :E 5:5?’E 6?5 E96C6] u@C>6C 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C p2C@? v=6?? :?<65 2 562= H:E9 E96 }6H *@C< y6ED] x ?6:E96C =@G6 ?@C 92E6 E96 >@G6 7@C v=6??j x ECFE97F==J 36=:6G6 96 H2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE 4@249:?8 @AE:@?D @FE E96C6 :? E9:D 4J4=6] qFE E96? 282:?[ :EVD E96 y6ED H6 2C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE] v=6?? D9@F=5 <?@H E9:D 2== E@@ H6==[ 4@?D:56C:?8 96 A=2J65 7@C E96 y6ED :? 9:D A=2J:?8 42C66C]k^Am
kAmp2C@? #@586CD’ 42C66C H:E9 }6H *@C< 92D 366? D92<J[ E@ D2J E96 =62DE] (:56 C646:G6C s2G2?E6 p52>D :D =:<6=J 8@?6 2?5 v2CC6EE (:=D@? D66>D E@ 36 9@A:?8 2?5 AC2J:?8 7@C 9:D H2J @FE] $@[ x’> :?E6C6DE65 E@ D66 9@H v=6?? :D 23=6 E@ 86E }6H *@C< 324< :?E@ C6=6G2?4J]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 7@C>6C A=2J6C H9@ H2D 2=D@ D:8?65 E@ 2 9625 4@249:?8 A@D:E:@? :D 7@C>6C %:E2?D 9625 4@249 |:<6 'C236= D:8?65 E@ 36 E96 ?6H6DE 4@249 @7 E96 }6H t?8=2?5 !2EC:@ED] uC2?<=J[ x H2D D9@4<65 96 H2D ?@E 2 9625 4@249 =2DE D62D@? :? E96 }u{[ 3FE E96 !2EC:@ED 8@E E96:C 8FJ E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm'C236= :D H2=<:?8 :?E@ 2 D:EF2E:@? H96C6 2 BF:4< EFC?2C@F?5 :D @? E96 E23=6] w6 =65 E96 %:E2?D E@ 7@FC 4@?D64FE:G6 H:??:?8 C64@C5D 2?5 C624965 E96 A=2J@77D :? E9C66 @7 9:D D:I J62CD 2E E96 96=> — 2=D@ >2<:?8 :E E@ E96 pur 492>A:@?D9:A 82>6 :? a_`h] w6’== 92G6 2 J@F?8 BF2CE6C324< :? sC2<6 |2J6[ H9@ D9@H65 7=2D96D @7 36:?8 H@CE9J @7 E96 }@] b @G6C2== A:4< :? =2DE J62CVD 5C27E] (92E 2=D@ A=2JD E@ 'C236=’D 36?67:E :D E96 42A DA246[ 2E E96 >@>6?E E96 !2EC:@ED 92G6 E96 >@DE >@?6J E@ DA6?5 2?5 4@?D:56C:?8 9:D C6DA64E 2>@?8DE A=2J6CD :? E96 }u{ 96 D9@F=5 36 23=6 E@ DA6?5 E92E >@?6J @? <6J A@D:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 #2:56C D?2E4965 E96:C 8FJ H:E9 7@C>6C $6292H<D 4@249 !6E6 r2CC@== ?@H D6E E@ 36 E96 >2? :? 492C86] w6’D 2 $FA6C q@H= H:??:?8 4@249 2?5 92D 6IA6C:6?46 4@249:?8 2E E96 9:896DE =6G6=] x 5@?’E 92E6 E96 >@G6 3J E96 #2:56CD H9@’G6 C6G2>A65 E96:C 7C@?E @77:46 E9:D J62C[ 3FE x 5@ 766= E96C6 H6C6 @E96C J@F?8 FA\:?\4@>:?8 4@2496D 2G2:=23=6]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E9@D6 H2D E96 >2? E96 y28F2CD D:8?65[ 7@C>6C qF442?66CD @776?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C {:2> r@6?] w6 =65 @?6 @7 E96 36EE6C @776?D6D E9:D A2DE J62C 2?5 96=A65 E96 qF442?66CD >2<6 :E E@ E96 A=2J@77D] pE E96 4@>A=6E:@? @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? E96J 925 E96 E9:C5 C2?<65 @776?D6 :? E96 =628F6] y28F2CD’ %C6G@C {2HC6?46 :D BF2CE6C324< 2?5 D9@F=5 36?67:E @77 @7 E96 9:C6[ D@ 567:?:E6=J :?E6C6DE65 E@ D66 E96 DEC:56 E96J >2<6 E9:D FA4@>:?8 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J E96 @?=J E62> =67E :D E96 r@H3@JD[ H9@ A2CE65 H2JD H:E9 |:<6 |4r2CE9J E9:D @77D62D@?]k^Am
kAmpD 2 r@H3@JD 72? >JD6=7[ x 4@F=5 C2?E 23@FE E96 5:DD6CG:46 y6CCJ y@?6D 92D 5@?6 E@ E96 7C2?49:D6 2D @7 C646?E] tDA64:2==J 27E6C H2E49:?8 7@C>6C 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C s2? "F:?? E2<6 E96 r@>>2?56CD E@ E96 }ur r92>A:@?D9:A 82>6 :? 9:D 7:CDE J62C] %@ 255 :?DF=E E@ :?;FCJ[ 7@C>6C @776?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C z6==6? |@@C6 :D 2=D@ :? E96 }ur r92>A:@?D9:A H:E9 E96 t28=6D] p== H9:=6 E96 r@H3@JD 2C6 D:EE:?8 2E 9@>6 H2E49:?8 E96:C 5:G:D:@? C:G2=D 5F<6 :E @FE 7@C 2 DA@E :? E96 $FA6C q@H=[ 9@H6G6C[ x 5:8C6DD]k^Am
kAmx? 9:89ED:89E x 42? D2J 9@H x 766= 23@FE E96 9:C:?8D ?@H[ 3FE :E H@?’E >2EE6C F?E:= E96 E62>D 24EF2==J E2<6 E96 7:6=5] %96 @?=J >@G6 x C62==J 92G6 2 BF6DE:@? H:E9 :D E96 #2:56C[ 3FE 282:? x 42? 36 AC@G6? HC@?8] u@C ?@H[ :E’D E:>6 E@ 3F:=5 6I4:E6>6?E 2D H6 9625 4=@D6C 2?5 4=@D6C E@ E96 @77D62D@? H96C6 E96 AC6D62D@? 9JA6 42? C62==J 36 6=6G2E65 E@ E96 ?6IE =6G6=]k^Am
kAm$2>F6= w:88D :D E96 DA@CED 65:E@C 7@C E96 p=6I r:EJ ~FE=@@<]k^Am
