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Lions OC who wanted $15 million to be a head coach staying in Detroit

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Lions OC who wanted  million to be a head coach staying in Detroit


The hottest head coaching candidate of the last two hiring cycles is staying put.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson told the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders that he will return to Detroit for another season, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 37-year-old coach also had head coaching interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans.

This is the second time that Johnson has pulled his name out of the head coaching conversation. The Lions offensive coordinator had interviews with the Panthers, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts before rescinding his name.

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Johnson’s resume was even better in his second season as offensive coordinator. In 2023, the Lions put up the second-most points in franchise history according to Pro Football Reference. According to FTN, the 2023 Lions posted their first top-five finish in offensive DVOA since at least 1981. The 2022 and 2023 Lions are third and fourth, respectively, in franchise history in yards per offensive play.

Part of the reason Johnson wants to stay in Detroit, according to ESPN Commanders reporter Nicki Jhabvala, is that he wants to win a Super Bowl. That’s both a promising sign for Detroit’s 2024 prospects and a not-so-subtle dig at the remaining head coaching opportunities. After making their first NFC Championship in 32 seasons, the Lions are returning 38 of the 53 players on their roster and boast the sixth-most cap space in the NFL this offseason.

The Commanders and Seahawks, on the other hand, are pretty far from legitimate contention. Washington is set to enter a full-on rebuild; while they are equipped with the second overall pick and a league-leading $73.6 million in cap space, they are still a long way away from being the top team in their own division, let alone their conference. The Seattle Seahawks are a middle-of-the-pack team in need of a defensive rebuild. The Seahawks finished the 2023 season with the third-worst EPA/play in the league, according to RBSDM. Johnson would also have big shoes to fill, replacing the winningest coach in franchise history Pete Carroll.

However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson wasn’t necessarily a lock for a head coaching position this cycle. One of the biggest reported roadblocks in that discussion was his asking price. Back in December, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported that Johnson was looking for a payday of “at least or around” $15 million per year.

Johnson is returning the head coach who gave him his first coordinator opportunity in Dan Campbell. Johnson and Campbell worked together on the Miami Dolphins staff before Johnson left for Detroit. Campbell kept Johnson on his staff as a tight ends coach after taking on the head coaching role in 2021, promoting Johnson to offensive coordinator in 2022.

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In an interview with Kevin Clark, Johnson defined the unique relationship he had with Campbell, specifically outlining how badly he doesn’t want to disappoint him.

“That would crush me,” Johnson said. “If I knew that I disappointed him … he wouldn’t have to yell. He wouldn’t have to say anything. Just knowing that I let him down would do it.”

Johnson may have disappointed Campbell with some of his play calls in the Lions’ collapse in the NFC Championship. Namely, Johnson called a third-and-goal run to David Montgomery that got stuffed for a loss with just over a minute left to go in regulation. It forced Detroit to burn a timeout, eliminating any realistic chance of Detroit getting the ball back from San Francisco. According to RBSDM’s win probability model, the decision cost the Lions 4.7 percent in win probability.





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Detroit, MI

Video recap: Detroit Lions with bounce-back drubbing of Chicago Bears

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Video recap: Detroit Lions with bounce-back drubbing of Chicago Bears


CHICAGO, Ill. — The Detroit Lions smashed the Chicago Bears with a business-like mentality, with a hint of flare on a beautifully designed trick play, in their 34-17 win.

This victory gives the Lions 13 wins on the season, the most in franchise history. They also set a new single-season record for points scored, eclipsing the mark set by the 2011 team led by Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Not too shabby with two games left on the schedule.

They are undefeated on the road this season, not to mention 5-0 in the division.

Inside the locker room: Lions explain process behind ‘Stumble Bum’ trick play

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Dan Campbell leads Lions to team record 13th win, still ‘not time’ to celebrate

Detroit’s offense was lethal, with a breakout showing in running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ first game in the standalone lead role without David Montgomery. Jared Goff threw for another 336 yards and three scores. And the Lions quarterback got hit clicking with receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Williams hit a career-long 82-yard touchdown catch and finished with a career-high 143 receiving yards. St. Brown caught six of eight targets sent his way for 70 yards and one touchdown.

The Lions and their banged-up defense were hit for a lot of passing yards. But they managed to come up with two takeaways, leading to 10 points, and held the Bears to converting only two third-down tries on 10 attempts in the win.

See below for MLive’s video breakdowns from after this game:

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The Glancy Train set continues to attract thousands at Detroit Historical Museum this holiday season

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The Glancy Train set continues to attract thousands at Detroit Historical Museum this holiday season


MIDTOWN (WXYZ) — At Detroit Historical Museum, 74-year-old Peter Dudley really knows how to keep things on track.

WXYZ

“Yes, I’ve been a volunteer since 1997, which was the year we built the current exhibit,” says Dudley.

The Glancy Trains exhibit has been a crowd favorite for years. 13 trains moving along 12 electric-powered tracks, all thanks to a team of 3 volunteers.

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“The main thing the volunteers do is to keep the trains running,” said Dudley.

From keeping the tracks clean to repairing the trains, Dudley is always busy in his workshop over the weekends.

They go from zero to 35 mph in a split second, which is another reason we have to make sure they don’t derail, said Dudley.

The collection, which dates back to the mid-1900s, belonged to Alfred Glancy Jr., a real estate financier and former owner of the Empire State Building in New York City. Detroit Historical Society’s Rebecca Salminen-Witt says Glancy enjoyed hosting “train parties” for friends and family each holiday season at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores. After his death in 1973, the Glancy family donated the set.

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WXYZ

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“Every kid who comes here wants to see these trains, Mr. Glancy was obviously a train guy himself. His children actually are still involved with the museum. They still love these trains, visit them and support them,” said Salminen-Witt.

Salminen-Witt says that as the exhibit grows, thanks to donations from various sources, it truly highlights Detroit’s rich history.

“Most people are really excited about the renaissance that they are seeing at Michigan Central Station. They were developing that train station right at the cusp between train travel, railroad travel and the beginning of the automotive, well as we know the cars took over,” said Salminen-Witt.

And it turns out a lot of Detroit’s history is baked into the exhibit.

“We’ve got that big tire, people are familiar with on your way to the airport, you pass on I94, on the other end of the exhibit, we have the big stove. So, Detroit was the stove manufacturing capital of the country. And, of course, trains hauled those stoves everywhere,” said Salminen-Witt.

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“I often come out from behind, from the workshop, and I talk to people about local Detroit railroad history,” said Dudley.

“Does this remind you of your childhood?” asked Faraz Javed, 7 News Detroit reporter.

“I received my first train as a christmas present from my grandparents. That particular December we traveled on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad leaving from Michigan Central Station,” said Dudley.

Now, the Glancy Train exhibit runs year-round at the Detroit Historical Museum. And Dudley says they are always in need of volunteers. To find out how you can become one, just head to this website.





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Detroit Mercy visits Wisconsin after Winter’s 20-point outing

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Detroit Mercy visits Wisconsin after Winter’s 20-point outing


Associated Press

Detroit Mercy Titans (5-8, 1-2 Horizon League) at Wisconsin Badgers (9-3, 0-2 Big Ten)

Madison, Wisconsin; Sunday, 2 p.m. EST

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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Badgers -29; over/under is 148.5

BOTTOM LINE: Wisconsin plays Detroit Mercy after Nolan Winter scored 20 points in Wisconsin’s 83-74 victory against the Butler Bulldogs.

The Badgers are 6-1 on their home court. Wisconsin scores 81.9 points and has outscored opponents by 9.5 points per game.

The Titans have gone 2-4 away from home. Detroit Mercy ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 10.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Stephen Okoro averaging 2.0.

Wisconsin’s average of 8.9 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.5 fewer made shots on average than the 9.4 per game Detroit Mercy gives up. Detroit Mercy averages 6.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 7.5 per game Wisconsin gives up.

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TOP PERFORMERS: John Tonje is shooting 46.0% and averaging 20.0 points for the Badgers.

Orlando Lovejoy is shooting 41.5% and averaging 13.7 points for the Titans.

LAST 10 GAMES: Badgers: 7-3, averaging 81.9 points, 31.9 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.1 points per game.

Titans: 3-7, averaging 67.3 points, 33.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 6.7 steals and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.8 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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