(Video) Lions OC Ben Johnson gives Bears fandom a teaser ahead of HC interview in thumping win
Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson is among the candidates for the Chicago Bears head coaching job.
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Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson showed off with the 'stumble bum' against the Chicago Bears (Image via X/SS)
For much of the 2024-25 NFL season, the Detroit Lions were the best team in the league. With their eyebrow-raising highlight reel plays, all while ensuring QB Jared Goff did not throw the game away was a testament of OC Ben Johnson‘s creativity. Today, against the Chicago Bears, he showed another example of that.
Towards the start of the third quarter, the Lions were deep into Bears’ territory after some slick short plays and a favorable penalty. Seeing the defensive coverage, they snapped the ball and Goff almost stumbled towards the turf. In what seemed like a reaction, running back Jahmyr Gibbs also stumbled and fell to the ground.
But the quarterback steadied himself and threw the ball to a wide-open TE Sam LaPorta. Usually, that would seem as if Jared Goff almost made a fool out of himself but steadied his legs enough to throw the pass. In addition, his running back falling to the ground looked like they had lost their marbles.
This was planned.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 22, 2024
Ben Johnson is intentional. pic.twitter.com/OBGo0pRA5q
However, when replays flashed on televisions and the big screens in the stadium, everyone instantly understood it was the trick play of trick plays. The play nicknamed ‘stumble bum’ left the Chicago Bears secondary reeling. They bit into that stumble bum and gave enough time for LaPorta to break free on a short field.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson provided the spark his team needed to pull ahead by nearly three scores. For the Bears, a potential landing spot for Johnson as head coach, it served as an impressive preview ahead of any future interviews.
Jared Goff explains how Ben Johnson’s ‘stumble bum’ came to fruition
With the play going viral, it was a foregone conclusion that reporters would ask Detroit Lions personnel about the play. QB Jared Goff made it to the post-game press conference and explained how the ‘stumble bum’ came about.
It started on Monday with Ben asking me if he thought I could actually fumble on purpose and pick it back up? And I was like, ‘I don’t know about that’ and we kind of got off that pretty quickly.
Jared Goff said to reporters
The three-time Pro Bowler mentioned that they had practiced this play three or four times this past week. He said that he enacted only half of the play, whereas Jahmyr Gibbs enacting the other half, sold the play and helped LaPorta get open.
The @Lions were in their bag with this one 🧠 pic.twitter.com/yypN8jUXRo
— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
Their teammates on the sideline were also into it as they yelled ‘Ball’ when the two stumbled. All of this goes to show that the players have completely bought into what Ben Johnson can do. If anything, the Chicago Bears should be lining up interviews with Johnson as soon as the Lions season is over.
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Joseph Varghese
(2169 Articles Published)