NFL Rumors: Raiders to Make 'Big Push' for Ben Johnson After Lions' Playoff Loss

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to heavily pursue Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to fill the team's head coaching vacancy, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

"The Raiders are going to make a big push in the coming days to land Ben Johnson," Jones said on Sunday.

"Johnson's going to decide tonight and into tomorrow when and where he's going to interview," he added.

Johnson, one of the top candidates in the current hiring cycle, is now available to take a head coaching job after the Lions suffered a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday night.

The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Jan. 7 before parting ways with general manager Tom Telesco two days later.

As Las Vegas looks for a new coach, minority owner and former legendary quarterback Tom Brady has been part of the search.

Jones previously reported that Brady "has been doing all he can to woo Johnson" to the Raiders.

Detroit's offensive coordinator met with the Raiders virtually on Jan. 10, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He also held virtual interviews with the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rapoport noted on Sunday that Las Vegas is "enamored with" Johnson and he's still considered to be the "favorite" for the team's vacancy. The Raiders are working to schedule an in-person meeting with him.

It's easy to see why Las Vegas has strong interest in Johnson, as the Lions went 15-2 during the regular season and owned the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense by averaging 33.2 points per game. Detroit also recorded 409.5 yards each week, the second-best mark in the league.

During the Lions' surprising postseason defeat on Saturday, they still crossed the 30-point threshold and averaged 7.7 yards per play.

As the Raiders attempt to bounce back from a 4-13 season, they're reportedly expected to intensify their pursuit of Johnson.