The lingering question in Detroit is whether Dan Campbell's club can withstand the brain drain from the coaching staff.
Outgoing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, credited with the Lions' creative, explosive No. 1 scoring offense, has no such reservations about the club he's leaving.
"They're in our division and they're a rival now, but that runway has been built there. (General manager) Brad (Holmes) and Dan have really built that roster up," Johnson, now the head coach of the rival Bears, said Wednesday at his introductory press conference, via The Detroit News. "I think they're going to be a juggernaut. I really do."
Johnson's response was framed in explaining why Chicago would be the next "challenge" for the new coach, but in doing so he suggested Detroit needn't worry about its next play-caller.
"I think we are going to have to give them our best shot each and every year from here on out, because they've accumulated such great, young talent," Johnson said. "It doesn't matter who the play-caller is there anymore, in my opinion. I think that offense is going to be a good offense for the next three to five years."
Perhaps Johnson is simply buttering up a new rival or softening the blow his departure will bring to Detroit. It remains to be seen whether the Lions, with much of the same crew, can replicate the success it found under Johnson.
The Lions scored 20-plus points in 16 of their 17 games in 2024 and 40-plus points in six games, tied for most by any team in a season all-time.
In the three seasons since taking over the play-calling reins, Johnson never had an offense that finished below fifth in points or yards. In 2024, Detroit finished second in passing yards and fourth in touchdowns despite ranking just 16th in pass attempts -- an indicator of its explosive ability.
In the playoff loss to Washington, the Lions put up 521 total yards of offense and gobbled up 30 first downs. In 68 offensive plays, there are bound to be some questionable decisions -- going empty on third-and-1 and calling a pass play for receiver Jameson Williams, for example -- but the true killers were five turnovers and a defense that couldn't get off the field.
"I'm still reeling through some of those feelings myself right now," Johnson said of the Lions' playoff exit. "It's a hard thing to do, when you're around a group of guys as committed as we were to not only winning a division title, but getting the No. 1 seed in the playoffs -- but following through by winning a Super Bowl and coming up short the way that we did. I'm still reeling through that, what I could have done differently."
Campbell struck gold when he promoted a relatively unknown Johnson to play-caller. Now, the back-to-back NFC North champs hope Campbell can find another flower on his coaching tree.