Good players enhance the effectiveness of play-callers, and Ben Johnson aptly labeled two of his key assets.
The Detroit Lions’ offense is performing at such a high level that head coach Dan Campbell humorously expressed concern over not scoring more efficiently, despite amassing 52 points and 645 yards of offense in a single game. This remark is more about the tougher competition on the horizon, underscoring the team’s current position.
While Ben Johnson benefits from the talent at his disposal, he is also an elite play-caller who occasionally pulls out creative tricks that catch defenses off guard. Though no one is flawless, he is maximizing the potential of his players.
In Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Jahmyr Gibbs reached the sixth-fastest speed for a ball carrier in the NFL this season (21.8 MPH, per Next Gen Stats) during a 54-yard reception. Gibbs also holds the third-fastest speed from his 70-yard touchdown run in Week 8.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Jameson Williams caught a 64-yard touchdown against Jacksonville, sprinting past the Jaguars’ secondary on a deep crossing route. Williams has recorded three speeds exceeding 20 mph this season, including 21.03 mph on a 36-yard catch in Week 1.
During his press conference Thursday, Johnson declined to say publicly who he believes is faster between Gibbs and Williams.
“Ooh,” Johnson said. “It depends on who you ask. Yeah, I know where I’d put my money, but I’m not going to say that publicly.”
Ben Johnson’s Perfect Label for Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams
John Madden famously said that “a great quarterback is a great deodorant,” meaning a top quarterback can cover up a lot of flaws on a football team.
The talent surrounding the quarterback can have a similar effect on a play-caller, especially when things aren’t going perfectly.
When asked how Williams opens up his playbook, Johnson said, “Yeah, I think a great example was his touchdown last week. I’ve got this bad habit right now of calling that particular pass concept into Cover 2, and it’s usually a dead play when I do that, and he makes it work. So, no, I mean, there’s a number of things, and it’s certainly him, but there’s a number of other players, Gibby’s another one, where they are erasers, they’re fixers.
If things aren’t quite right, they make it right and he is certainly giving us that element in the passing game and I think defenses take notice of that.”
Even when Johnson’s play call doesn’t match up perfectly against a defense’s coverage or a matchup is unfavorable, Williams and Gibbs, with their blazing speed, can often make the play work. “Erasers” or “fixers” are the perfect labels for Williams and Gibbs, who are integral to one of the league’s top offenses.
