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Detroit Lions young assistants help fuel offensive trickery
The orchestrator of the most potent offense in the NFL has a team of assistants behind him helping him create the fireworks showing up on a weekly basis.
On Friday, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said the specialized focus of each of his offensive assistants helps him in all phases of game preparation. That preparation involves the creative trick plays that seemingly pop up each week, including the “stumblebum” fake-fumble touchdown against the Chicago Bears last week.
“Seth Ryan, Steve Oliver and J.T. Barrett, they’ve been in charge of our specials for not just this year, but for the last few years, and there’s a reason why we have probably a little higher success rate for those special plays, and they’re a big reason why,” Johnson said of the Lions‘ assistant wide receivers coach, assistant offensive line coach and assistant quarterbacks coach, respectively. “They have a ton of creativity; they bring a lot of ideas to the table.”
Detroit’s offensive coordinator said those three assistants bring fresh ideas each week to potentially implement in the gameplan for a specific opponent, including the play to deceive Chicago’s veteran linebackers that resulted in a Sam LaPorta touchdown.
Oliver, Barrett and Ryan have their fingerprints on several Lions’ successful deceptions over the past three years. For example, Oliver was credited for a direct snap between quarterback Jared Goff’s legs to running back David Montgomery in a 2023 win over the Carolina Panthers. He found the play by scouting 2023 fifth-round pick Colby Sorsdal and seeing his college, William & Mary, run the same play, then brought the idea to Johnson.
Johnson also credited head coach Dan Campbell for always being willing to play on the edge to see what works. The Lions lead the NFL by scoring an average of 32.9 points per game and rank second in total offense at 408.6 yards per game.
“That’s every week,” Johnson said about new ideas for trick plays. “Those guys — (special assistant to the president and former Lions linebacker) Chris Spielman’s the same way, he’s just all over the place, and so we’ve got to dial them back a little bit.
“The best part of what we do — the head coach knows no bounds, and so he wants to push the limits as much as anybody, and when you’ve got a guy leading the charge like that, the rest of us are, ‘Oh, really, you want to do that? All right, we’ll give it a try.’ ”
Every coach on offense has a specific area of the plan to focus on, such as offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Oliver assisting with designing the running game or going to Oliver, Ryan and Barrett for trick play ideas. Johnson said the collaborative approach helps him cover any gaps quickly while he is doing his own preparation and film study for any given opponent.
“Third down, red zone, everybody’s kind of got their own spot where they’re the expert of because there’s just so much film to watch, and as a coordinator, I’m trying to digest it all, but you can always go to that certain coach and get a good feel for the lay of the land and get you a step up before you have to dive through all the tape,” Johnson said. “So, those young guys, they’ve been in charge of those specials now for the last couple years and they certainly have some off-the-wall ideas at times, but it’s pretty cool to see it all come to life.”
Impact in position groups
Lions backup quarterback Hendon Hooker said Barrett not only provides “brilliant” play design ideas but has the ability to connect and teach anyone on the offense, most importantly in the quarterback room. He said it is a collaborative process between all of the quarterbacks, Barrett and quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell to come up with a complete understanding of how to attack specific defenses.
He also credited Barrett, a former Ohio State QB who joined Detroit as an offensive assistant in 2022 before being promoted, for his ability to teach the nuances of the playbook to him as a newer player to the league while still getting Jared Goff prepared as the starter.
“He’s a true student of the game,” Hooker told the Free Press. “I’m really speechless because of the things that he does just for me alone helping me understand the installs that come in — his creativity is off the charts — the same way he was introducing me to the playbook last year. He does the same thing now and it helps me a lot.”
Ryan joined the Lions coaching staff when Campbell was first hired in 2021 as the assistant wide receivers coach under Antwaan Randle El. Ryan has remained in that position for the last three years and has helped in the development of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Williams credited both Randle El and Ryan for pushing him to continue to develop despite some hurdles throughout the early part of his career.
“They both played a big part in that and all the way up until now they still do it,” Williams said. “They overly pressured me and overly coached and everything. But I feel like it is good for me because that’s the type of stuff I need. Those are two guys that just put the pressure on you and they feel like you can take the pressure.”
Left tackle Taylor Decker said that although his position group doesn’t necessarily see the trick play installation until later in the week, he can easily see the work Oliver puts in alongside Fraley in preparing the run game.
Oliver helps install the weekly running game, drawing up to 120 different pictures for runs per week, and is always willing to put in extra hours to make sure the offense is prepared.
“He’s here a lot and he’s here late — it’s kind of like a thankless job,” Decker told the Free Press. “Nobody really sees it and then they put up the PowerPoints and it just is what it is. But, he does a great job of it. Super smart, super sharp guy. I know he’s tired all the time but he doesn’t act like it. It’s always a positive.”
The sense of calm and a boatload of information are the biggest positives provided by Fraley and Oliver. Decker said the approach allows them to be loose during the week and prepared for any curveball that might pop up on game day.
“Offensive line is a high-stress position, so you don’t need other people adding stress onto your plate, and they do a really good job at that,” Decker said. “And they do a really good job of doing a lot of the thinking work. They can just give it to us so we don’t have to jump through all the hoops and figure things out based on looks and pressures.”
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
The Detroit Lions have been making waves in the NFL this season with their creative offensive play-calling and trickery. A big part of this success can be attributed to the young assistants on the coaching staff who have brought fresh ideas and innovative strategies to the team.
One of the standout young assistants is offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, who has been instrumental in designing and implementing the Lions’ unique offensive schemes. Lynn, who previously served as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, has brought a wealth of experience and creativity to the Lions’ offense.
Another key figure in the Lions’ offensive success is quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, a former NFL quarterback who has been praised for his ability to develop young signal-callers. Brunell’s expertise and guidance have been crucial in helping Lions quarterback Jared Goff elevate his game and make smart decisions on the field.
Overall, the Lions’ young assistants have played a pivotal role in the team’s offensive success this season, helping to create a dynamic and unpredictable offense that keeps opposing defenses on their toes. With their innovative play-calling and strategic thinking, the Lions’ young assistants are proving to be a driving force behind the team’s offensive trickery.
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- Detroit Lions
- Young assistants
- Offensive trickery
- NFL
- Football
- Detroit Lions coaching staff
- Offensive strategy
- Youthful tactics
- Detroit Lions offense
- NFL coaching trends
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