There is a unique advantage for a coordinator that leaves one National Football League team and joins another. I had a firsthand experience of it when Ron Wolf, who I worked with while in the front office of the Oakland Raiders, had become general manager of the Green Bay Packers and had a conversation with me about hiring the San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator to be his new head coach.
I had the utmost respect for Mike Holmgren and applauded Ron’s choice to lead his team. In his seven seasons with the Packers, Holmgren restored greatness to the Packers and led the team to their first Super Bowl victory since the days of Vince Lombardi.
He also dominated his old team, the 49ers.
In 1995, Holmgren led his Packers into San Francisco to meet his former team for the first time during the divisional round of the 1995 playoffs. The Packers were double-digit underdogs but upset the Niners by ten points, 27-17. The following season, the Packers and 49ers met twice, with Green Bay beating San Francisco on the road in a Week Seven matchup and again eliminating them from the playoffs in the Divisional Round at Lambeau Field. After that second win during the 1996 season, the Packers beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.
During his tenure as head coach in Green Bay Holmgren led his team into battle against the 49ers six times, won the first five contests before finally losing on a last second touchdown catch by Terrell Owens in a 1998 Wild Card game. That proved to be the last game Holmgren coached the Packers.
So, what’s the point?
The Holmgren experience of beating his old team is not unique. You can understand why. An offensive coordinator knows the strengths and weaknesses of the quarterback he is coaching and is best equipped to use that knowledge against him when an opponent.
Advantage Bears this week when Ben Johnson returns to Detroit as the head coach of Chicago after coaching Jared Goff and company to being the highest scoring team in football last season.
Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell has no unique knowledge of Johnson’s new team while the Bears should benefit from their head coach knowing the Lions perhaps better than even their current offensive coordinator. John Morton, was hired to replace Johnson in January, lost his debut in that role last Sunday in Green Bay. The Lions offense scored fewer points than they had in two seasons, 13, while absorbing a 27-13 defeat
Okay, let's take a step back and see what we have here.
We have the Lions coming off a division loss to the Packers as a road underdog and the Bears coming off a home division loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Losing to a very good Green Bay team on the road after downing Matt LaFleur’s team twice last season is not as much of a reason for concern as losing at home to a division opponent you lost against twice the season before.
In other words, the Bears might still be a long way off from moving up in the standings in what may prove to be the toughest division in football, the NFC North.
The Lions were blown out in their only playoff game last year at home against the Washington Commanders after earning the best record in football with 15 wins. Then they open on the road with a loss to the team many consider their toughest competition in a very talented division.
Yes, Ben Johnson brings some advantages into his meeting with the Lions, but he doesn’t yet have the team to back up his knowledge with a win over a Lions team due for a big effort.
Qoxhi Picks: Detroit Lions (-6½) over Chicago Bears