They say that imitation is the purest form of flattery, so either Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was throwing roses to the other on Sunday. Because both the Lions and 49ers scored touchdowns on the same play in Week 5. Same razzle-dazzle double-pitch reverse, and the same kind of completion to an Iowa tight end — Sam LaPorta for the Lions, and George Kittle for the 49ers.
Jared Goff & Sam LaPorta (31-yd TD)
The @Lions call a double-pitch reverse pass allowing LaPorta to get open behind the defense (4.1 yards of separation from Jeremy Chinn). LaPorta currently leads the NFL in receiving TDs with 3+ yards of separation (3).#CARvsDET | #OnePride pic.twitter.com/peDUwVlgLK
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 8, 2023
side-by-side comparison pic.twitter.com/kLp94mJ6ut
— alex (@highlightheaven) October 9, 2023
Ben Johnson and Kyle Shanahan. Two of the best. Dialing it up for the Iowa TEs in shot play territory. pic.twitter.com/R8J3BrWcAw
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) October 9, 2023
That’s some nifty stuff from two of the most creative minds in the NFL today.
