Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is preparing for the daunting challenge of Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game. However, he is also getting ready for his virtual meeting with the Washington Commanders for their head coach opening.
According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, Johnson has a virtual interview with Washington scheduled for Friday.
Johnson appears to be the favorite to replace Ron Rivera, who got fired on Jan. 8 after four disappointing seasons heading the Commanders.
Johnson has been with the Lions since 2019, arriving as a quality control coach under Matt Patricia. However, Johnson stayed on the Lions’ staff when Dan Campbell replaced Patricia in 2021. By 2022, Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator.
In two seasons, Johnson has transformed the Lions into one of the more balanced offenses in the NFL. Detroit’s offense has ranked in the top four in total yards and top five in scoring each of the two seasons under Johnson.
This season, the Lions were second in passing yards and fifth in rushing, winning the team’s first division title in 30 years. Detroit secured its first playoff win since 1991 on Sunday, beating Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
The Commanders are conducting a wide-ranged head coach search that started last week with Baltimore Ravens assistants Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald.
Washington introduced its new general manager, Adam Peters, on Tuesday. While Peters wasn’t on board for last week’s interviews, he will jump into the fray this week. Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and the Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris also will interview with the Commanders.
The league allows teams to hold only virtual interviews until Jan. 22. That’s when in-person interviews can occur.
There are seven current head coach openings around the league. Ben Johnson is arguably the hottest candidate. If he is at the top of the Commanders’ list, they must keep an eye on the market.
Yet, Washington maintains the most intrigue among the openings with the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft, close to $80 million projected in salary cap space, and a new ownership group that appears committed to setting a winning culture
