Lions' Johnson 'focused on the main thing' amid coaching interviews

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is remaining even-keeled as he navigates the league's head-coaching hiring cycle while preparing for a playoff matchup against the Washington Commanders.

"This go-around I've been a lot more prepared for the types of questions they've been asking," Johnson told reporters Wednesday. "I've also changed my frame of mind a little bit. Instead of worrying solely about the offense and what we're doing right here, I've been able to have offseasons and summers to think about a big-picture view of what a program would look like where I'm running it."

Johnson added: "I told the (Lions) head coach (Dan Campbell) when we came in, he asked me about how it went this weekend. 'It went great.' That's the end of it."

The 38-year-old assistant remains one of the more coveted candidates for the second consecutive year. Johnson has so far completed virtual meetings with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots.

Despite those potential distractions, Johnson maintained that his priorities are still with the Lions ahead of their divisional-round game Saturday.

"I'm going to stay focused on the main thing right here, and that's gonna be the Washington Commanders right here and now," Johnson said when asked about deciding factors in taking a potential head-coaching role.

The Lions ranked first in the league with 33.2 points per game and finished second with 409.5 total yards per game in the regular season.

While Johnson insisted on focusing on Detroit's postseason run, he praised defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who is also in the running for head-coaching vacancies.

"He's beyond qualified right now," Johnson said when asked about Glenn as a head-coaching candidate. "He is more prepared to be a head coach than maybe anybody I've ever met."