Is Ben Johnson using too many trick plays? The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is not buying that narrative.
The Lions emptied the playbook in their 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, running a wide array of trick plays during the second half. That led some, including Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Brady, to wonder if Johnson was putting too much on video in a game that was effectively decided already.
Johnson was asked about those concerns on Thursday, and he was largely dismissive. He said the Lions have plenty more where that came from that opponents still have not seen.
“The well is deep,” Johnson said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Each and every week we stock up. That’s been constant, it just so happens last week we wanted to unload them.”
Johnson even suggested that running these plays now could benefit the Lions going forward, as defenses will have to be wary of even more things.
“Defenses, they’re doing their film study,” Johnson explained, “they’re looking at things, they’re finding, ‘Hey, out of this formation they’re doing this, that and the other,’ and we try to mix it up. So from that regard, I’m not worried about putting things on tape. If anything else, it’s just going to help set up the next thing down the road.”
Johnson does not seem to be running out of new ideas. After all, he has admitted to getting new concepts from some very unlikely sources. There is no way he completely emptied the playbook in one half of a blowout.