Notes: How the Jared Goff, Ben Johnson partnership began and flourished

One of the most important partnerships in any NFL organization is the one between starting quarterback and offensive coordinator. To function at a high level, there has to be an understanding of each other. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff have become quite the pair. Dan Pompei of The Athletic takes a look at how things have flourished for the two in Detroit.

Just two and a half years ago, Goff had been traded away from the Los Angeles Rams and his home state of California, to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. A few years prior to the blockbuster trade that rocked the NFL world, Goff had signed a massive four-year contract extension with the Rams. As always, life comes at you fast in the NFL.

But even when Johnson was just a tight ends coach with the Lions, he and Goff developed a close relationship. Goff, via Pompei:

“He was always a guy, when things were hard, that I could confide in,” Goff says of Johnson. “Sometimes he had no answer — he’d sit there and listen to me, and that would be the end of it. Sometimes he’d give me a little bit of help. But mostly, he was just a good resource of knowledge and somebody I could rely on.”

Fast-forward to today and the growth between Goff and Johnson has the Lions poised to potentially make some noise in the NFC North. Pompei’s story goes much more deep and unveils a ton of interesting stories about how Goff and Johnson collaborated—including a three-day retreat where the two spent eight hours a day together one-on-one.

And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:

• Get to know Lions’ rookie linebacker Jack Campbell.

• Lions’ star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown wants to stretch the field in 2023. Kenneth Teape of the NFL Analysis Network takes a look at St. Brown’s hope for the upcoming season.

• We have official report dates for 2023 Detroit Lions training camp:

• Lions punter Jack Fox returned the favor of a high school coach by holding a camp for kids in the area..

• It really is beautiful.