The Detroit Lions are one of the most fun teams to watch in the NFL. This is especially the case on offense, where offensive coordinator Ben Johnson continuously surprises the opposing teams with creative plays. One of them took place in the 34-17 routing of the Chicago Bears on Sunday as the Lions broke out an epic fake stumble trick play.
In the third quarter, the Lions made their way to the red zone and were facing 1st&10. Quarterback Jared Goff made it look like he stumbled when he took a snap while running back Jahmyr Gibbs fell on the ground. However, it was all intentional.
Goff quickly set his feet and hit tight end Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown, resulting in one of the best trick plays in the 2024 NFL season.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Goff revealed that Johnson approached him on Monday with the idea of a fake fumble. They ended up reworking it and making it a fake stumble.
“At first, it started on Monday, with Ben asking if (I) thought I could fumble on purpose and pick it back up,” Goff shared. “I said I don’t know about that. We kind of got off that pretty quickly and were like, ‘Let’s just pretend we’re falling or pretend I’m fumbling, but I’m holding onto the ball.’ I think the part that Gibbs dives really sells the play. I’m only doing half of it.”
Apparently, Johnson was inspired by a similar play pulled off by Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love in a win over the Bears in 2023.
