Since the Chicago Bears officially hired Ben Johnson to be their new head coach, the reactions and opinions have been endless.
Depending on which fan base you're a part of, those reactions are also very different.
Lions fans, for example, immediately turned on Johnson after he left for Chicago. One of the more popular narratives written by Detroit fans has been the idea that Johnson was too focused on getting his head coaching job with the Bears when he should have been locked-in on the Lions' playoff run.
After all, he was indeed involved in the interview process while the Lions were still alive in postseason contention.
You don't have to look far to see disappointed Lions fans. Social media is full of some pretty gnarly reactions to Johnson taking this job. But, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't having it.
The 3-time Pro Bowl wideout covered this issue on the latest episode of the St. Brown Podcast.
"Lions fans hating him, talking about 'he didn't prepare for this [game against Washington]. He was taking interviews during the bye week.'
"Trust me, I know Ben. He was as locked-in as can be for that game," St. Brown said.
Lions fans are upset at Ben Johnson but their reasoning is flawed
Look, there are a lot of upset Lions fans out there, and justifiably so. It would hurt to see a coach like Johnson take a job with a division rival.
However, there's been way too much blame on Johnson for the Lions' loss to the Commanders last weekend.
Did Johnson make a strange call, allowing Jameson Williams to throw a pass which was ultimately picked off while the Lions were down by 10? Yes, he did.
Was that a bad call?
Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, so I'll let you form your own opinion.
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But, blaming Johnson for the loss, entirely? That's a different level of silliness and ignorance. The Lions offense amassed over 500 yards and scored 31 points. The fact Detroit couldn't win a game in which they put up those kinds of numbers is anyone but Johnson's fault.
Jared Goff disappeared on the brightest stage. The starting quarterback threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. How are you supposed to win a playoff game when your quarterback can't take care of the football?
Believe it or not, Johnson has some missed opportunities in every game, as does every other offensive coordinator in the NFL. However, the big one with Williams was highlighted while Goff is over there doing everything he can to lose the game.
St. Brown is spot-on, here. Very few people know Johnson better than he does, so I'm going to take his word for it over any Lions fans reacting emotionally on social media.