4 head coaches who should replace Todd Bowles and usher Bucs into a new era

2. Ben Johnson, Offensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

One of the other top candidates, and surely to get a head coaching job in 2024, is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions' offense has taken a huge step forward over the past two seasons, and Johnson is a big reason why.

People will point to Jared Goff's last couple of games as a worrying point, but I don't think his errant interceptions have anything to do with Johnson. So, let's look at the body of work as a whole. Last year, the Lions ended the regular season with the league's no. 8 passing offense and were fifth in scoring.

This year, Detroit is the no. 2 offense in yards per game, no. 3 in passing and no.7 in scoring. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Goff has thrown for over 7,500 yards, 47 touchchdowns and 15 interceptions. He had been playing some of the best football of his career before the past two weeks gave him some trouble.

Johnson has done a great job utilizing his running backs, wide receivers and tight end Sam LaPorta, getting them all involved on a regular basis. The Bucs could have a well-balanced offense under Johnson, and the first-time head coach might even have a shiny, new franchise quarterback to work with, depending on the Bucs' draft position.