The Ben Johnson Effect

[Pixote]

There is a fun article on The NYTimes/Athletic about the origin of the chant BJ uses in his post-game locker room sessions.

Some articles on the site are subscriber-only (a cheap subscription for great articles, IMO). Here is a small clip:

Quote

For 12 years, acclaimed country singer Chase Rice and his band have done the same chant 45 minutes before their set. It’s something he learned from his high school football team, A.C. Reynolds, in Asheville, N.C.

Good, better, best
Never let it rest
Till your good gets better
And your better gets best

“It’s a core memory for me,” Rice said. “That was our mindset, man, and it was fun.”

Before Rice’s show in Chicago this past June, the band did the chant. Rice noticed one guest on the tour bus, his former teammate Ben Johnson, smiling.

(BJ and Chase Rice were teammates on the A.C. Reynolds High School football team.)

[adam]

Halftime adjustments exist:
 

 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, adam said:

Halftime adjustments exist:
 

 

Yeah between that and the heavy focus on the run after the bye, I personally saw times where Johnson would make the adjustments necessary to score.  
 

The first couple of weeks of the season were rough . He tried to gameplan ( I think) more for the passing game.  But for whatever reason Caleb wasn’t quite getting it or he (Johnson) was getting impatient.  I think thar was partially why we didn’t see a lot of the optimal use of the 12 man scheme.  Especially with the top two TEs and moreso this years’ #1 pick.  If executed correctly the zone run offense will work every time.  He had what he needed in Swift and Monangai and turns out good enough players on the oline to make it work.  

We saw a few times as the season progressed where the offense (specially Caleb) struggles in the RZ.   Sure he looks great between the 20s but for whatever reason, with the need to think quicker he locked up a little. There was one game in particular (think maybe the Giants) where Ben called at least on trick play in the red zone that ended up with Caleb catching a TD from Moore that shook things up.  This added another element that opposing defenses had to account for.  Call it a little of the Campbell moxie if you will.  
 

Johnson comes by way of the Parcell’s coaching tree . Having started out with the 2012 Dolphins as an assistant.  Since then he’s added some of Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense and a hint of the spread offense.  With the WCO you don’t have to have a superstar QB run it, just one that can play within the system.  I think Ben will work to fix the inconsistencies and tics t and hopefully have a more finished product in the coming years.