Green Bay Packers: QB Guru Head Coaching Replacement For Matt LaFleur Is Going Viral
Over the last two seasons, the Green Bay Packers haven’t had as much success as they did over the first three seasons of Matt LaFleur’s tenure. During his first three seasons as head coach, LaFleur had three straight 13 win seasons and two consecutive NFC Championship appearances.
Over the past two years, his team has cooled off after going 8-9 in 2022 and starting 3-5 in 2023. There is no doubt that the obvious changes in the team over the last few seasons (such as the trades of Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers, as well as the departures of numerous veteran free agents) have had a negative impact on the team’s talent level. Considering how well the offense performed during LaFleur’s first three years in Green Bay, it makes sense to give him a few more years to get this young roster firing on all cylinders. There is, however, one name that would be compelling if the front office decided to make a change.
Green Bay Packers Linked To The Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson As A Possible Head Coach Replacement For Matt LaFleur
Ryan Heckman of Lombardiave.com highlighted how this could be beneficial for Green Bay:
Arguably the best name available in the head coaching circle next year is one the Packers should be familiar with. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took over the job last season under Dan Campbell and went on to lead the Lions to the NFL’s no. 4 overall offense in terms of yards per game.
This season, Detroit is once again sitting at fourth in yards per game and checks in as the league’s eight-highest scoring team. Jared Goff was once an afterthought, but Johnson has helped him resurrect his career. That Matthew Stafford trade was supposed to land the Lions their future franchise quarterback, only by way of one of the first-round picks they netted from the deal.
Instead, Goff looks like the current and long-term solution in Detroit. He’s played some of the best football of his career and has this Lions offense looking like one of the most entertaining units in the league (short of the recent Week 7 flop, of course).
The Packers may or may not have a franchise quarterback in Love, but Johnson would likely be the one to make that final decision on whether or not he could be the guy. Johnson is going to have a line of interested teams once Black Monday rolls around, and the Packers would have to act swiftly.
He has helped Jared Goff play at a high level, which is part of Johnson’s extremely impressive resume. This year, Goff ranks ninth in QBR, and he finished fifth in 2022. It’s significant when you consider he finished 23rd with Sean McVay and the Rams in his final season.
The play-action pass complements Johnson’s dynamic running schemes extremely well, highlighting Goff’s strengths and minimizing his weaknesses.
Johnson should be at the top of any coach’s wishlist if their quarterback is looking to break through to the next level. Jordan Love is in that exact posistion.
