When I wrote about the Chicago Bears who received a vote from me on my 2024 PFWA ballot, I couldn’t include my vote for Ben Johnson as Assistant Coach of the Year because, of course, he still worked for the Detroit Lions, and that work covered his time in Detroit.
It was announced today that Johnson, now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, was voted the NFL’s best assistant coach by the Pro Football Writers of America this month for his success with the Detroit Lions during the 2024 season.
Here’s a snippet from the PFWA’s release this afternoon:
Johnson completed his sixth season with the Lions, and his third as offensive coordinator in 2024. This season, Johnson oversaw one of the most prolific offensive attacks in the league as Detroit set franchise marks in most points scored (564; fourth-most in NFL history), touchdowns (70; tied for fourth in NFL history), first downs (410; fifth in NFL history) and total net yards (6,962). The Lions led the NFL in points, points per game (33.2), touchdowns, first downs, were second in both total offense per game (409.5) and passing offense per game (263.2) and tied for second in rushing TDs (29).
Detroit had 10 30-point games, six of which produced 40 or more points and two surpassed the 50-point threshold. The Lions also led the league in point differential at +222. The Lions joined the 2000 St. Louis Rams as the only teams with at least 35 passing touchdowns (38) and 25 rushing TDs (26). The balanced attack saw seven different players producing a game with multiple touchdowns, and five players scored at least seven TDs – which tied an NFL mark.
Johnson is the first Lions assistant to receive the PFWA award established in 1993. He was named the Chicago Bears head coach on January 21.
Not too shabby.
