Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson experienced a sense of déjà vu as he once again fell short in the voting for the prestigious Associated Press’ Assistant Coach of the Year award. Despite leading the Lions offense to an impressive season and a berth in the NFC Championship game, Johnson was unable to secure the honor for the second year in a row. Instead, the award went to former Lions head coach and current Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who had an exceptional year with the Cleveland defense, ranking first in various defensive metrics.
While Schwartz’s accomplishments are noteworthy, it is disheartening to see Johnson’s remarkable contributions go unnoticed by the national media. Johnson played a pivotal role in revitalizing quarterback Jared Goff’s career, establishing a successful running game in Detroit that had been absent since the days of Barry Sanders, and playing a key part in the Lions’ memorable postseason run in 2023. In the NFC Championship game, the Lions’ offense impressively scored 24 points in the first half against the formidable defense of the San Francisco 49ers.
Although it remains unclear where Johnson placed in the voting, the results are expected to be revealed later on Thursday night. The other nominees for the award included former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Updates on the voting outcome will be provided in this post.
The remaining awards, including Offensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Walter Payton Man of the Year, will be announced after 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Among the Lions’ hopefuls for these awards are tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who are both in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Additionally, head coach Dan Campbell is being considered for Coach of the Year, while Frank Ragnow is a contender for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
