BEN JOHNSON

That said, the Lions also signed DJ Chark, who has been unguardable down the field over the last half-week. Which might be bad news for St. Brown fantasy owners, but it’s very good news for St. Brown and the Lions. I think he’s on the wrong side of the bubble heading into the preseason. Reminds me of something Graham Glasgow, the former Michigan and Lions offensive lineman, said after working out with Hutchinson during the pandemic year in 2020. And if you’re just looking to put away some coneys after a long day of Lions football (and let’s be honest, most days of Lions football are long), skip Lafayette/American and head straight for Duly’s in Mexicantown.

ALLEN PARK -- After DJ Chark lit the defense on fire Thursday, Amani Oruwariye opened Friday’s practice by roughing up the new Detroit Lions receiver. Chark started camp slowly, perhaps due to missing the final 13 games of last season with an ankle issue. -- The Lions continue to move Penei Sewell to left tackle whenever Decker isn’t out there, perhaps a preview of coming attractions. So I feel like the city’s got something to be excited for.”Pistons general manager Troy Weaver, a friend of Lions general manager Brad Holmes, dropped in on Lions camp Thursday. -- The Lions will take camp on the road Saturday, holding an intrasquad scrimmage at Ford Field.

ALLEN PARK -- Here’s the list of rookies to catch at least eight passes in six straight games in NFL history: Amon-Ra St. Brown. But every player has room for improvement, and the Detroit Lions were clear with St. Brown about where they wanted to see growth this season: Yards after the catch. St. Brown has taken the challenge to heart. St. Brown has been among the best players in Lions camp. “I’m never going to forget the 15 receivers that went before me in the draft,” St. Brown once said.

The Detroit Lions are optimistic that the needs they addressed in the offseason will make the second year under coach Dan Campbell much better than the first in 2021 when they won just three games.

ALLEN PARK -- Get used to hearing about how comfortable quarterback Jared Goff feels ahead of his second season with the Detroit Lions. Goff went into the summer speaking to that point, then reiterated it to open training camp in Allen Park. “That’s the stuff that makes you feel a little bit comfortable on a daily basis,” Goff said. Dan Campbell was asked where he thought the quarterback had progressed the most, and the head coach pointed to how much more comfortable Goff is compared to last year. Goff pushed the ball downfield more while looking comfortable with everything asked of him down the stretch.

ALLEN PARK -- T.J. Hockenson, much like the rest of the football world, has noticed the vast improvements regarding the wide receiver situation for the Detroit Lions. Just to see everybody in the huddle and see weapons,” Hockenson said on the first day of training camp. “We got guys that can blow the top off and we got guys that can win one on ones. He served as an offensive quality control coach in 2019, then was promoted to tight ends coach for the previous two seasons. He’s going to let me do some things.

The school says it allows Ohio State to control use of "The" on branded products associated with and sold through athletics and collegiate channels, such as T-shirts, baseball caps and hats.

Johnson has received rave reviews from Detroit Lions players and coaches alike for his ability to make the complex information understandable in a relatable fashion. Johnson served as tight ends coach and de-facto passing game coordinator down the stretch last season. The passing game took off after showing little signs of life, with Johnson helping more and head coach Dan Campbell calling the offense. Campbell credited Johnson and quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell for their work with Jared Goff, focusing on what the quarterback does best. And it’s hard to ignore how much better Goff played down the stretch with Johnson and Campbell running the offense and passing game.

ALLEN PARK -- School’s (almost) out for summer for the Detroit Lions. The Dungeon of Doom podcast is back before the Lions head into the summer break. Hosts Kyle Meinke and Ben Raven offer their take on five standouts from the team’s offseason program. The Lions will be back on the field for another round of Organized Team Activities next week. Subscribe to the Dungeon of Doom wherever you get your podcasts -- Acast, Spotify, Apple, Google -- Follow Benjamin Raven and Kyle Meinke on Twitter.

ALLEN PARK -- Frank Ragnow says he doesn’t even think about the foot that kept him out of 14 games last season when he’s on the field. So consider that a major hurdle cleared by the Detroit Lions Pro Bowl center at mandatory minicamp. Ragnow suffered a ruptured tendon in his foot in Week 4, then eventually underwent season-ending surgery. Now, the group is all here and hitting the ground running in Detroit’s new-look offense under first-year offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Decker and Ragnow are healthy, with Jonah Jackson, Penei Sewell and Halapoulivaati Vaitai looking to pick up where they left off.

ALLEN PARK -- Last year, the Detroit Lions opened the season with one of the worst receiver units in the league. And he’s got serious competition for that job too, because Trinity Benson -- acquired in a trade last summer -- also is practicing well these days. We have a good mix of guys with size, guys with speed, we got smart players across the board. Then the Lions added guys like Reynolds, Chark and Williams, leaving Cephus on the roster bubble heading into 2022. “Speed, speed, speed, speed,” Campbell said, when asked about Benson’s skill-set.

ALLEN PARK -- Jared Goff’s first season with the Detroit Lions didn’t get off to the greatest start. But the team hasn’t seen any red flags while noticing quicker feet and procedure from the veteran quarterback ahead of his second season around these parts. And Goff has more familiarity with his surroundings, teammates and coaches with more influence on the developing offense. “I think the stuff we are doing sometimes, we are breaking the huddle fast and snapping it,” Goff said. Some of my old stuff, stuff that he likes from his past, just kind of went through every piece of the pass game as far as how we want to build it and how he wants to build it mostly.

But that hasn’t stopped those players from showing up for the start of mandatory minicamp, and almost every other Detroit Lions player too. Defensive tackle John Penisini has been excused from the start of minicamp on Tuesday. Otherwise everyone else is in town and accounted for as Detroit prepares to go through three days of practice and meetings. “The only one (missing) would be probably Penisini, and I’m going to see him tonight,” head coach Dan Campbell said before practice on Tuesday. The Lions have already practiced six times during OTAs, a valuable period for a team that is installing schematic changes on both sides of the ball.

And that will make it awfully hard to integrate the speedy wide receiver into the Detroit Lions offense. “Because you can’t really compare it to the Josh Reynolds situation from last year, which I would love to do. Not after projected starters like Tyrell Williams and Breshad Williams both flaming out before Week 2. We have a good mix of guys with size, guys with speed, we got smart players across the board. “That room looks really good right now.

Johnson and Goff spent a lot of time crushing film of the quarterback this offseason. I know play-action is something he’s really good at, and we’re going to look at doing that. Under Lynn, Goff threw eight touchdown passes, six interceptions, averaged 6.1 yards per attempt and had a QB rating of 85.3. In five healthy games under Campbell and Johnson, Goff threw 11 touchdown passes, two interceptions, averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and had a passer rating of 107.1. Now Johnson is continuing to rewrite the playbook with concepts and plays that lean into what Goff does best.

ALLEN PARK -- Amon-Ra St. Brown was one of the top offensive rookies in the NFL last season. St. Brown had at least 10 targets in six consecutive games to end the year. I really do,” St. Brown said Wednesday afternoon from the team’s practice facility. He’s expected back after missing the season’s final five games, so it’ll be interesting to see how Hockenson meshes with the ultra-involved St. Brown. “I think we’re a very diverse group and can do a lot of different things,” St. Brown said.

Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks each scored 23 points to steer a third fourth-quarter comeback victory in the series by the Memphis Grizzlies, who eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 114-106 victory in Game 6.

ALLEN PARK -- Jameson Williams didn’t have to run at the combine for the Detroit Lions to know he was the fastest wide receiver in the draft. But if he had run, well, let’s just say Williams doesn’t lack for confidence. “I would have run the fastest 40.”The fastest time this year? That also means he didn’t run at the combine, although the Lions didn’t need him to either because of GPS technology that tracks player movements during games. In other words, the Lions’ newest wideout just might be the fastest man in the NFL.

Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece from MLive.com reporter Kyle Meinke. ALLEN PARK -- New Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was all smiles as he strutted into the press room at team headquarters late Thursday night. And can you blame him?

ALLEN PARK -- Liberty quarterback Malik Willis lacks polish and will need time -- perhaps even a lot of time -- before he’s ready to take an NFL snap. With a bunch of teams still needing solutions at the position, Willis is starting to surge up draft boards. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. says the Detroit Lions would be wise to avoid the quarterbacks all together. “I would say no on the quarterback,” Kiper said during a call with reporters on Wednesday afternoon. Which obviously isn’t what you want from your quarterback, and Willis does have a lot to clean up in his jump from Liberty to the NFL.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions already have all five starting offensive linemen under contract for next season. Now they’ve locked up their best backup too, inking center Evan Brown to a one-year contract according to NFL Network. The deal comes just hours before the start of the free-agent negotiation period at noon Monday. Brown’s return further solidifies an offensive line that is expected to be among the best in the league next season. “We have the ability to be dominant up front,” new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said after rewatching every offensive snap from last season.

Exchange-traded fund innovation continues with Direxion filing for several leverage and inverse funds that will focus on specific stocks.

Josh Reynolds has been clear about what he’s been looking for since he landed in Detroit, and that’s opportunity. Reynolds requested his release from the Tennessee Titans, then was claimed by the Detroit Lions. He was reunited with quarterback Jared Goff and staring down a thin receiver room. Reynolds, Amon-Ra St. Brown and a returning Quintez Cephus highlight Detroit’s receiver room as things stand. You need somebody that’s going to come in and not miss a beat on offense.

Exchange-traded funds that track Russian stocks have lost over half of their value this week, and some have been halted from trading entirely.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Detroit Lions picked a bad year to need a quarterback, but boy did they ever pick the right year to need a receiver. That’s what Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El wants. Just ask the man, because he’ll tell anyone within earshot that he wants three more receivers to help protect Amon-Ra St. Brown. Only John Ross (4.22 seconds in 2017), Dri Archer (4.26), Marquise Goodwin (4.27) and Henry Ruggs III (4.27 seconds) were faster. In the fastest combine in NFL history for receivers, that time ranked sixth best.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was a meaty day at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, with quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends taking the podium on Day 2. The Detroit Lions haven’t tried to hide their interest in finding a pass-catcher or two come April’s draft. New offensive coordinator Ben Johnson drooled over the idea of adding a go-to playmaker out wide. Top prospect: ‘Mimic game after him’ -- NFL.comThe NFL Combine Is Dumb. 1 cornerback among 250 prospects ranked -- The AthleticJeremiah: 7 candidates to run fastest combine 40 -- NFL.comBruce Feldman’s Freaks List revisited: Which NFL Draft prospects will be freaky at the Combine?

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sam Howell was sitting atop most draft boards for 2022 from those analysts into the future this time last year. Howell has also been one of the more-commonly mocked names to the Detroit Lions through the team’s second first-round pick. But definitely could have been a little bit more positive throughout the year. I think I tried to do a little bit too much just because we were struggling a little bit, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to do too much. “I thought those guys were awesome, starting with (quarterbacks) coach (Mark) Brunell, working with me and the quarterbacks,” Howell said of the experience with the Lions in Mobile.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Word began to leak about Ben Johnson’s promotion to offensive coordinator on Feb. 7. Yet the former Detroit Lions quarterback, preoccupied with preparing for the biggest game in this sport, still found a moment to congratulate Johnson about his new gig back in Detroit. You could say the Lions -- with long-term questions at quarterback and dire short-term needs at receiver -- will be paying attention. “I’m not even talking about in the tight red (near the goal line),” Johnson said. “I know they have a clear vision in mind about how we’re going to improve on offense.”

And then there’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, who just caught more passes for more yards than any rookie -- regardless of position -- in franchise history. Needless to say, the Detroit Lions are loaded with guys who can catch passes. But at 6-foot, St. Brown is at his best in the short and intermediate fields. He also played two seasons alongside St. Brown, providing the Lions with an opportunity to further vet the pick. “He’s a beast,” St. Brown said.

Ben Johnson is doing his best to give Grand Blanc some momentum heading into the Michigan high school hockey playoffs. Johnson scored two goals in a 6-2 loss to Fenton-Linden, adding two assists in a 10-2 win over Swartz Creek-Clio- Flushing on his way to earning the MLive Flint Athlete of the Week honor. Johnson received 30,832 votes to beat out Flushing basketball player Devin Watts, who was second with 24,297. Grand Blanc added a 2-2 overtime tie with Lapeer to take a 6-17-1 record into Friday’s regular-season finale against 16-5 Romeo at Suburban Ice in Macomb. Grand Blanc heads into the Division 1 regional at Saginaw-Bay Ice Arena, with a first-round game at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday against 14-9 Midland.

ALLEN PARK -- A greater percentage of Detroiters watched the Super Bowl than everywhere except Cincinnati. Was that 22-yard no-look pass to Cooper Kupp on the final drive of the Super Bowl sick? Q: Does Stafford winning a Super Bowl one year out of Detroit say more about how good the Rams are? How good Stafford is? Q: With all the talk about drafting a quarterback, do you think think Goff can mature in his game and become a better QB than he is now?

The Super Bowl sits on the horizon and the Senior Bowl is in the rear-view mirror, so what better time to answer a handful of questions? Hosts Kyle Meinke and Ben Raven offer their opinion on the Matthew Stafford love in Detroit heading into the Super Bowl. We also try to remember the worst Stafford takes they’ve heard along the way this past year. The Los Angeles Rams play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 on Sunday from SoFi Stadium. -- What are the odds the ex-Lions quarterback wins Super Bowl MVP?

School-switching has never been more prevalent in college basketball thanks to the NCAA relaxing transfer rules and granting an extra year of eligibility from the pandemic season.

You can’t throw a rock in Allen Park without hitting someone raving about new Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. “He’s just one of the -- truthfully -- one of the sharpest football coaches in this league,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said on Wednesday during a virtual chat with reporters from Super Bowl week. He joined the Miami Dolphins’ coaching staff as the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2012, the same year Johnson joined that staff as an offensive assistant. We love it all.”Once Campbell fired Lynn after the season, Johnson emerged as the favorite to become Detroit’s next offensive coordinator. “I can’t say enough positive things about Ben Johnson,” Taylor added, “and the role he’s going to have there in Detroit.”

The Detroit Lions have promoted tight ends coach Ben Johnson to fill their vacant offensive coordinator position.

Ben Johnson was the favorite to become the Detroit Lions’ next offensive coordinator all along. Johnson, 35, is a former North Carolina quarterback who originally joined the organization as an offensive quality control coach in 2019. “I will say this: Ben Johnson did a hell of a job for us,” Campbell said last week. “I will say that.”Campbell and Johnson go way back to 2012, when Campbell was the Miami Dolphins’ tight ends coach and Johnson was hired as an offensive assistant. Johnson later made his way to Detroit in 2019, then was kept on staff when Campbell took over last season.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn has found a new home, landing as the assistant head coach to Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers. Lynn, a former running back, has designed some great running games over the years. Even when the Detroit Lions were at their worst last year, they were usually effective when they did try to run the ball. Lions head coach Dan Campbell picked Lynn as his first offensive coordinator for similar reasons last offseason. That never boded well for Lynn’s future in Detroit, and Campbell indeed fired him after the finale.

Because that guy already looks like he might be the year’s best edge rusher not named Aidan or Kayvon. As soon as I heard the offensive lineman called out, I knew I was probably going to get called out. And this time the massive offensive lineman stood up the day’s biggest star. Johnson showed the big offensive lineman a quick jab step to the inside before spinning back to the outside and pushing the pocket. But Kinnard handled him enough for Staley to award the offensive lineman with a narrow win, which forced the defense into some reluctant pushups.

The Detroit Lions are down at the Senior Bowl, coaching one of the rosters at the draft showcase. From quarterback prospects to the search for an offensive coordinator. The Lions have been interviewing candidates this week, including tight ends coach and de facto passing game coordinator Ben Johnson. We’ll also breakdown Senior Bowl practices, offering a couple of risers and fallers from the week of action. -- Any other standouts from Senior Bowl practices?

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Detroit Lions have formally spoken with tight ends coach Ben Johnson about their offensive coordinator position. Lions head coach Dan Campbell is also interviewing multiple external candidates this week, but Johnson is expected to be very much in the running to replace Anthony Lynn. “Coach Campbell and I have sat down and we’ve talked at length on a couple different of occasions,” Johnson said before practice on Thursday at the Senior Bowl. “I’ll be honest with you, it’s really his vision for it, and having his back with that vision,” Johnson said. The NFL, everyone watches each other, everybody steals plays, there aren’t that many new plays that we’re seeing week to week.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Ben Johnson is officially in the mix for the Detroit Lions’ vacant offensive coordinator position. Head coach Dan Campbell says he will interview multiple candidates this week while in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl. “Ben is certainly in this conversation, and I’ve started the process this week,” Campbell said. Then once Campbell took over the playcalling this past season, Johnson became the de facto passing game coordinator. The offense changed dramatically down the stretch, and now Campbell is considering rolling with Johnson as the full-time coordinator.

But when the conversation turned to Detroit’s search for a new offensive coordinator, or whether head coach Dan Campbell had decided if he wants to continue calling plays, Holmes didn’t have much to report. The Lions are looking to replace Anthony Lynn, who was fired after one season as offensive coordinator. If he does elect to continue calling plays, Ben Johnson could become a leading candidate to be named the next offensive coordinator. We love it all.”Johnson has been elevated to offensive coordinator for the Senior Bowl this week, which gives him something of an audition for the job. Assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley will serve as the head coach, while defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant will be the defensive coordinator.

The takeover in Spalding county is part of Republican efforts to dominate elections mechanisms nationwide Yoshunda Jones protested against he elimination of Sunday voting in Spalding county, Georgia, inOctober 2021. Photograph: Jim Oliphant/Reuters The judges met, in private, over a two-day period in May, for what might seem like a minor task: to choose the fifth member of an elections board in rural Spalding county, Georgia. But the meetings were by no means routine. There is no record of their

ALLEN PARK -- Ben Johnson is believed to be one of the leading contenders to become Detroit’s next offensive coordinator. That was especially true with rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is a vicious blocker, after all, and the Cardinals wouldn’t think twice about it. “We love the creativity,” St. Brown said. Now it seems the Lions are at least toying with the idea of making the change in offensive leadership permanent.

Tight ends coach Ben Johnson has drawn rave reviews within the organization for the work he did with the offense after Campbell took over the playcalling in early November. Campbell calling the plays certainly helped, although so did Johnson’s role in scheming them up. That was especially true with rookie receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is a vicious blocker, after all, and the Cardinals wouldn’t think twice about it. “We love the creativity,” St. Brown said.

Joey Hauser made a low-post shot with a tenth of a second left, lifting No. 10 Michigan State to a 71-69 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night for a ninth straight win.

The Detroit Lions are expected to fire first-year offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn at some point, according to NFL Network. “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even want to get into that because I haven’t even talked to Anthony,” Campbell said. That will come up (on Monday).”Lynn’s future has been clouded by uncertainty since Campbell took the offensive playcalling away from him during the bye week in early November. Goff threw eight touchdown passes, six interceptions, averaged 6.1 yards per attempt and had a QB rating of 85.3 with Lynn calling the plays. In five healthy games under Dan Campbell, he had 11 touchdown passes, two interceptions, averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and had a passer rating north of 106.

ALLEN PARK -- The Dungeon of Doom podcast is back for episode No. 4, with Detroit Lions beat writers Kyle Meinke and Ben Raven hosting a mailbag special heading into the holiday weekend. Questions tackled:-- What is the future of tight ends coach Ben Johnson? (Lions TE coach Ben Johnson’s role continues to grow, with added emphasis on helping passing attack)-- How about receivers coach Antwaan Randle El? (Will Harris steps up for depleted Detroit Lions, aces first start at outside cornerback)Recent episodes:Dungeon of Doom podcast: Jack Fox was living on friend’s floor months before record-setting Lions seasonDungeon of Doom podcast: Graham Glasgow talks leaving Detroit, working out with Michigan’s Aidan HutchinsonDungeon of Doom podcast: Dan Miller, voice of the Detroit Lions, looks ahead and talks favorite callsLetter from the Editor: Why start a Lions podcast now?

St. Brown pretended like he was going to block, before leaking behind the Cardinals’ zone along the left boundary. -- Ron AllieA: Amon-Ra St. Brown and Golden Tate are built similarly and play the same position. “I just want to keep working on yards after the catch,” St. Brown said just last week. So that’s something that I just want to keep working on.”On the other hand, St. Brown is definitely more physical than Tate. St. Brown also might be the better route runner, or certainly will be once he has more experience.

Jamison Battle scored a season-high 27 points — with 21 coming after halftime — as Minnesota launched a ferocious rally in the second period to beat Michigan 75-65.

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions and their passing attack hit new highs during the team’s first win, with Dan Campbell calling the plays and tight ends coach Ben Johnson taking a larger role. “Well, there’s playing and there’s coaching,” Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell said of Johnson. “The specifics, without getting into details, he’s a good football coach and he’s a good teacher, and that’s what coaching is -- it’s teaching. He’s very dialed in on every bit of our passing game and what it’s supposed to look like. I think that’s really helped me in terms of expanding my mind, expanding some concepts, maybe, from the passing game, from that regard.

Much has been made about the new faces on Michigan’s men’s basketball team, but Minnesota is operating at a different level. Michigan welcomes the 7-1 Gophers to Crisler Center on Saturday (6:30 p.m. Curry was in the same recruiting class as Michigan’s Zavier Simpson -- back when he was Xavier -- and played against Derrick Walton Jr. Curry scored a career-high 18 points against Michigan State this week. Michigan obviously cruised against Nebraska without Diabaté, and Minnesota was a near unanimous choice to finish last in the Big Ten in a preseason poll. The Gophers battled in their first Big Ten game, at home against Michigan State on Wednesday, but fell behind 19 points midway through the second half and lost 75-67.

EAST LANSING – If Michigan State players were feeling good on Sunday about their 7-2 start and win over Toledo the day before, their coaches quickly gave them a cold dose of reality. The headline staring down at them declared it a “historic beatdown.”“It said that about 10 times,” Spartans junior forward Malik Hall said. The Minnesota team that Michigan State finds this year will be a significantly different one than the one it faced last year. Izzo said Johnson, who he once recruited to come to Michigan State, is his early pick for Big Ten Coach of the Year. The Gophers typically only play seven players, but Izzo points out that six of those rotation players are seniors.

Active managers often fail to beat their benchmarks long term because they overcharge on fees, says Morningstar's Ben Johnson.

Of the nearly 3,000 active funds Morningstar analyzed, only 47% survived and outperformed their average passive counterpart in the 12 months through June 2021.

West Ham has an unusual situation on its hands.

West Bromwich Albion's manager Sam Allardyce shouts during an English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 27, 2020. (Clive Brunskill/Pool via AP)A trip to Anfield has become the most daunting match in English soccer. Unless, that is, you are Sam Allardyce. Go back to April 2017 and it was Allardyce who led Crystal Palace to a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield. Indeed, Allardyce is unbeaten in each of his last four league games at Anfield.

The intrusion was stark evidence of the vulnerability of even supposedly secure government networks, even after well-known previous attacks. U.S. authorities acknowledged that federal agencies were affected by the breach on Sunday, providing few details. The national cybersecurity agencies of Britain and Ireland issued similar alerts. SolarWinds is used by hundreds of thousands of organizations around the world, including most Fortune 500 companies and multiple U.S. federal agencies. “It’s obviously incredibly significant and widespread,” said Chris Painter, who coordinated cyber-policy at the State Department during the Obama administration.