The Detroit Lions were heavily favored to walk over the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. But much to everyone's surprise, they were steamrolled. In the aftermath of the loss, the Jacksonville Jaguars can now interview offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for their opening. That said, they may want to turn their attention to Kliff Kingsbury, who played a massive role in his team's upset win.
Johnson and Glenn have gotten the spotlight in this hiring cycle, but their respective units left much to be desired in the loss to Washington. Meanwhile, Kingsbury put together an offensive masterclass and made rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels look like a vested veteran while carving the Detroit secondary.
Daniels went 22-of-21 for 299 yards with two touchdowns, and the Commanders totaled 182 rushing yards. What's impressive is that they weren't phased by the spotlight of the playoffs. Kingsbury deserves credit for making sure his unit was ready to go.
Granted, the Lions' defense lost several starters throughout the game, including cornerback Amik Robertson, safety Brian Branch, and defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu. Then again, the Commanders deserve props for taking advantage of the opportunity and putting their gas on the pedal.
Either way, Washington is now going to the NFC Championship, and Kingsbury's stock is soaring following the dismantling of Detroit. This begs the question, should the Jags make a run for him? If so, there's something they must consider.
The Jaguars need to wait for Kliff Kingsbury until the Commanders lose
Unlike other candidates for coaching jobs whose teams are still in the playoffs, Kliff Kingsbury won't be interviewing as long as the Washington Commanders aren't eliminated. He's made it clear that his fully focus on the task at hand and is fine waiting for opportunities. When it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, maybe they should consider waiting.
Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson appear to be high on the Jags' list of preferred candidates for their coaching vacancy. If Jacksonville wanted, he could make a run for either one now that the Detroit Lions are eliminated from playoff contention. Similarly, offensive coordinator Liam Coen hit it out of the ballpark in his interview with the Jags, and they could hire him if they want given that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also got knocked up of the postseason.
Having said that, waiting for Kingsbury may be worth it. After all, it was his team that beat Detroit and the Bucs in the postseason. He hasn't been linked to the Jags in a while, but he's, without a doubt, shown he could steer their offense in the right direction.
Two of the biggest red flags surrounding Kingsbury when he was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals were that he wasn't able to get the offense fully going and that his relationship with Kyler Murray soured as his stint progressed. It looks like neither should be a concern based on how his tenure in Washington has unfolded.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars can't go wrong with either Aaron Glenn or Ben Johnson. Having said that, maybe they should wait for Kliff Kingsbury. He showed against the Lions that he would be worth the wait.