Lions master 'stumble bum' trick play in victory

CHICAGO -- Earlier successful the week, Detroit Lions violative coordinator Ben Johnson approached seasoned backmost Jared Goff pinch an overseas petition coming disconnected a reliable nonaccomplishment to the Buffalo Bills.

"It started connected Monday pinch Ben asking maine 'if he thought I could really fumble connected intent and prime it backmost up?' and I was like, 'I don't cognize astir that' and we benignant of sewage disconnected that beautiful quickly,'" Goff recalled.

By Sunday, it each made consciousness arsenic the Lions celebrated their first 13-win play successful franchise history pinch a 34-17 win complete the Bears astatine Soldier Field, pinch Goff perfectly executing Johnson's "stumble bum" instrumentality play.

During the 3rd quarter, Goff's executed a clone stumble touchdown play to tight extremity Sam LaPorta. Both Goff and moving backmost Jahmyr Gibbs appeared to clone a botched snap, which led to a 21-yard LaPorta touchdown astatine 12:18 to put Detroit ahead, 34-14, and thief seal the win.

"So, we called it earlier successful the game, but we killed it because I conjecture it was a definite look," said Gibbs, who ended pinch 154 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown. "But past we did it again a mates of drives later. I didn't cognize if it was going to activity aliases not, but I was hoping."

The Goff and Gibbs coordinated travel connected LaPorta's touchdown was a designed trip. It was inspired by an aged play that Johnson saw of Green Bay QB Jordan Love really dropping the threat against Chicago earlier recovering the shot to propulsion disconnected a big, 37-yard completion to Luke Musgrave connected Sept. 10, 2023. The pivotal 4th fourth play led to a 38-20 triumph against the Bears past season.

It was 1 of countless instrumentality plays called by Johnson, who is expected to question and reply for the Bears' caput coaching vacancy, sources confirmed to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, during Detroit's biggest roadworthy triumph versus the Bears since a 32-7 triumph successful September 1997.

"The genesis was that's a bully play for that scheme," said Goff, who went 23-32 pinch 336 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to zero interceptions.

"It is, but they're successful tune pinch it connected defense that, that is simply a bully play and it's difficult to get that connected them because those linebackers are truthful dang bully astatine seeing it develop."

Goff said they worked connected the play astatine slightest 3-4 times this week during practice. Lions moving backmost Craig Reynolds besides said that the Lions sideline was successful connected the fun, too, and everyone yelled "BALL!" erstwhile Goff and Gibbs stumbled.

"Sell it 100 percent," Reynolds said.

Gibbs says he's nary longer amazed by wherever Johnson draws inspiration from arsenic he's processing his playbook. Although Johnson is locked successful connected starring the Lions to a Super Bowl nether caput coach Dan Campbell, he is expected to beryllium connected the radar again this offseason arsenic a apical caput coaching candidate.

His imaginative play calling, for illustration the "stumble bum," is yet different illustration of his violative brilliance that has earned respect among players.

Detroit's discourtesy has put up astatine slightest 400-plus yards of full discourtesy successful 3 of the past 4 weeks, while mounting franchise grounds for astir points successful a play (493).

"The worldly he comes up pinch each crippled is crazy," Gibbs said of Johnson. "You don't spot really worldly for illustration that only if you're successful college. In college, they person each of those explosive plays and worldly basically."

ESPN elder NFL newsman Kalyn Kahler contributed to this report.