When the Detroit Lions traveled to Lincoln Financial Field on November 16th to face the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles, confidence was high. Detroit had won six of its previous eight matchups and had just steamrolled Washington 44–22.

A victory in Philly would have positioned them perfectly for the NFC’s top playoff seed. Instead, their offense sputtered—only 74 rushing yards and a mere nine points. What really rattled people was how unprepared Detroit looked for Philadelphia’s defensive adjustments, something that hadn’t been an issue in prior seasons. For the first time, an uneasy question crept in: had they underestimated just how vital Ben Johnson really was?

Ben Johnson fires back after CBS’ halftime clip goes viral

Back in September, when Detroit obliterated the Bears 52–21, the mood was euphoric. The offense was humming, Johnson seemed grounded, and it felt like the team’s talent was doing most of the heavy lifting. Coaching almost felt secondary.

So imagine the reaction when Chicago marched into Philadelphia and punched the Eagles in the mouth, winning 24–15 while racking up 281 rushing yards. It wasn’t just a win—it was a domination.

You don’t have to imagine, though. Lions fans plastered their panic across Twitter/X immediately afterward. “Spiraling” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Ben Johnson’s departure is part of a well-known NFL reality

Success in the NFL always comes with a catch: other teams try to hire away your best assistants. Every franchise deals with it. You either prepare for the inevitable departures, or you let them unravel everything you built.

Detroit always knew Johnson wasn’t going to stay forever. They had two paths: plan ahead for when he left, or fire Dan Campbell and promote Johnson. The second option was never going to happen—no organization would dump a coach fresh off an NFC Championship appearance and the best season in team history without facing a massive public backlash.

The problem is, they didn’t really pursue the first option either. There was no clear heir apparent, no seasoned play-caller waiting in the wings. Instead, they landed on John Morton, whose track record as a play-caller didn’t inspire much confidence. And now, they’re paying the price for that lack of preparation.