The Detroit Lions were seemingly poised to make a Super Bowl run. However, the Washington Commanders proved to be too much in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs and lost. That's probably not how they thought their 2024 season would end, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are most likely thrilled with the outcome of the game, as they'll now get to make a run for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Because the Lions were in the midst of the playoffs, Johnson or his defensive counterpart, Aaron Glenn, couldn't be hired by other teams. That's no longer an issue after the upset loss to Washington. Given that the Jags already interviewed both of Detroit's coordinators, they could meet them once again and hire them.
Just a couple days ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that Johnson and Gleen were very high up on Jacksonville's wish list of candidates for their head-coaching job following the ousting of Doug Pederson.
On the other hand, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated also reported that Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen nailed his interview with the Jags, pointing out that the team was impressed with his knowledge beyond his side of the ball.
The truth is that the Jaguars' search for a new head coach will probably take a bit of time. The silver lining is that they can now go all-in on either Johnson or Glenn. That said, there may be a bit of a concern that could potentially come up during the next round of interviews.
Should the loss the Commanders be a concern for the Jaguars?
The Detroit Lions were atrocious on both sides for the ball against the Washington Commanders. Of course, the buck stops with head coach Dan Campbell, but it's fair to wonder if Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn put their respective units in a position to succeed. The offense had five turnovers and the defense gave up 45 points.
In Glenn's defense, he lost cornerback Amik Robertson, defensive back Ifeatu Melifonwu, and safety Brian Branch during the game. There was only so much they could do. On the other hand, Jared Goff was underwhelming and was responsible for four of the team's turnovers. You could make the case that he deserves more of the blame for the offense's shortcomings than Johnson.
Either way, the loss to the Commanders could be brought up in interviews. How Glenn and Johnson respond could end up being an issue. Conversely, their respective candidacy could potentially get a boost if they come up with a reasonable answer.
Ultimately, teams who are interested in Ben Johnson won't be deterred from pursuing him because of the loss to the Commanders. His body of work goes beyond one game, and if the Jaguars think he's the right man for the job, they shouldn't waste any time making him their head coach. They can do it now that the Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention.